NYC: 15 ‘Palestinians’ arrested in cigarette-smuggling ring linked to Islamic militants

via New York says breaks cigarette-smuggling ring linked to militants.

(Reuters) – Fifteen men of Palestinian origin have been arrested on charges of running a multi-million-dollar cigarette smuggling ring in New York, and New York authorities who announced the arrests on Thursday said several of the suspects have ties to Hamas and other Islamist militant groups.

The men are accused of smuggling more than a million cartons of untaxed cigarettes from Virginia to be sold in grocery stores across New York, with $55 million in sales uncovered so far, Eric Schneiderman, the New York attorney general, and Ray Kelly, the New York City police commissioner, said at a press conference.

“We don’t know where all of that money went, but what we do know is deeply troubling,” Schneiderman said. “We know that some members of this group have ties to very dangerous people, we know they were arrested with weapons, we know that they made tens of millions of dollars but so far we have found only a fraction of that.”

Investigators are still tracking where much of the money ended up, but they noted similar rings in the past have funneled money to Hamas, the Islamist government in Gaza, and Hezbollah, the militant Shi’ite group based in Lebanon, both of which are considered to be terrorist organizations by the United States.

All 15 men remained in custody on Thursday and could not be reached for comment. It was not immediately clear if they had retained lawyers.

A 16th man accused of taking part in the ring, Ribhi Awadeh, 39, from Guttenberg, New Jersey, remained at large after flying to Jordan several weeks ago, Schneiderman said.

In a 224-count indictment, the men are charged with enterprise corruption, money laundering and other tax crimes, for which each defendant faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. In addition to costing New York State and New York City an estimated $80 million in lost sales tax revenue, the ring generated at least $10 million in profit, Schneiderman and Kelly said.

None of the men lived extravagantly, Schneiderman said, adding that this supported the idea the money was being funneled elsewhere.

“This is not the lifestyles of the rich and famous,” Schneiderman said. “We are very concerned about where the money went.”

Kelly said that Youssef Odeh, 52, of Staten Island, who is accused of being a distributor for the ring, received an investment for an illegal baby formula distribution business in the 1990s from Omar Abdel Rahman, often dubbed the “blind sheik,” who is imprisoned for helping plot the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

Muaffaq Askar, 46, of Brooklyn, who is accused of being one of the ring’s resellers, was a confidant of Rashid Baz, Kelly said. Baz, a Lebanese immigrant, is serving a 141-year prison sentence after being convicted in the 1994 shooting of Ari Halberstam, a 16-year-old yeshiva student in Brooklyn, which Baz said was in retaliation for the killing of Muslim worshippers in the West Bank by a Jewish settler from Brooklyn.

Mohannad Seif, 39, of Brooklyn, another accused reseller, had been under police surveillance in part because he had lived in the same three-story Brooklyn building as a former secretary to Moussa Abu Marzouk, a deputy leader of Hamas.

Authorities said the ring was headed by two brothers, Basel Ramadan, 42, and Samir Ramadan, 40, both of Ocean City, Maryland, who ran a couple of local Subway restaurant franchises. Investigators said they found $1.4 million stashed in Basel Ramadan’s home, some of it stuffed in black plastic trash bags, and three handguns following his arrest on Thursday.

The ring bought cigarettes from a wholesaler in Virginia and kept them in a storage facility in Delaware, Schneiderman said.

A co-conspirator, Adel Abuzahrieh, 42, of Brooklyn, was accused of driving from New York to Delaware several times a week to exchange cash for cigarettes, and then return with the illicit goods for resale.

Two of the accused men are in the United States illegally, according to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Others, including the Ramadan brothers, are naturalized citizens, while the rest are legal permanent residents.

Father of Marine Lance Cpl. Greg Buckley Jr. slain by Afghan “police” pleads for help (video)

via Michael Savage interviews father of slain Marine – Looking for justice from the Gov’t

The Facebook page here.

More via Dr. James David Manning:

Related:

Family of fallen Marine blasts NCIS’ secrecy

Murder of U.S. Marine in Afghanistan Raises Red Flags About War

Tea Boys = “bacha bazi” (video)

NYC: Muslim Immigrant Arrested, Wanted to Use Green Card to Recruit, Plot Jihad

via FBI — Tunisian Man Charged with Visa Fraud Related to Terrorism, Intended to Remain in U.S. to Facilitate an Act of International Terrorism.

As alleged in the indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court and other documents filed in the case:

Abassi, who previously resided in Canada, traveled to the United States in mid-March 2013, where he remained until his arrest. While in the United States, Abassi, who was under surveillance by law enforcement agents at all times, maintained regular contact with an FBI undercover officer (the UC) and also met with Chiheb Esseghaier in New York City. Esseghaier, who was recently arrested in Canada and is currently incarcerated there on terrorism charges, was previously radicalized by Abassi. During Abassi’s discussions with Esseghaier and with the UC, which were recorded by the UC, Abassi discussed his desire to engage in terrorist acts against targets in the United States and other countries and his intention to provide support and funding to organizations engaged in terrorist activity—including the al Nusrah Front, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of State as an alias for Al Qaeda in Iraq—and to recruit other individuals for terrorist plots. In particular, Abassi discussed with the UC a number of individuals known to Abassi and/or to his associates, whom he described as like- minded and who, in his view, would be willing to engage in terrorist activity.

On April 12, 2013, Abassi and the UC discussed Abassi’s efforts to recruit others for terrorist plots and that he might be able to obtain immigration documents to remain in the United States, purportedly in order to work for the UC’s U.S.-based company. In reality, Abassi made clear that he wanted to obtain immigration documents and to remain in the United States so that he could engage in “projects” relating to future terrorist activities, including recruitment. Thereafter, Abassi made false statements on two immigration forms, under penalty of perjury, and subsequently mailed those forms to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for processing.

The indictment charges Abassi with two counts of knowingly making false statements in an application to the immigration authorities for a green card and work visa in order to facilitate an act of international terrorism. Each count carries a maximum term of 25 years in prison.

And via Jawa Report, Abassi studied Chemical Engineering at a Quebec University

A man arrested in a U.S. terror plot in New York April 22 was a graduate student studying chemical engineering at Laval University in Quebec City, CBC News has learned.

Ahmed Abassi’s major is “particularly chilling” in conjunction with other evidence presented against him by the FBI, said CBC’s Greg Weston.

More: FBI: Terror Suspect Ahmed Abassi Allegedly Plotted To Poison The Air Or Water Supply

Nothing was imminent in the FBI controlled operation. So why did it take until May 9th to announce the April 22 arrest?

Update: It turns out he waived his Miranda rights and was interrogated for nine straight days that led to part of the delay.

NY Times helps al Jazeera recruit 18,000 job applicants

The New Duranty Times aids al Jihad TV in finding suckers traitors employees for 12 U.S. bureaus.

via FFA:

The New York Times appears to be vying for a kissing cousin relationship with Al Jazeera America aka CurrentTV. The New York Times published a report titled “Al Jazeera Hires First Anchor for New U.S. Channel” which appears to applaud the Islamist news organization ‘s hiring of a CNN anchor. The report boasts how 180,000 people applied for 170 positions at Al Jazeera America.

The New York Times article also reports that Al Jazeera plans to bring in sixty percent (60%) of the content for their new Al Jazeera America channel from “Al Jazeera English, whose headquarters are in Doha, the Qatari capital.”  If Al Jazeera is going to bring in more than half of their new American cable channel’s content from Qatar how long will it be before they air their most popular host.

Florida Family Association has issued seven email alerts that targeted companies which advertised with the New York Times since January 2012.  The full details on this effort are posted here under the title “New York Times spews more pro-Islamist propaganda, stiffs Israel, sides with PLO just before Obama’s awkward trip to the Holy Land.”  

Ninety-two companies have not advertised with the New York Times after receiving thousands of emails from American consumers that complained after the newspaper:

• Accepted advertising from Al Jazeera America to build their channel in the US.
• Called the United States Constitution “evil.”
• Questioned the inclusion of freedom of speech and religion in the constitution.
• Admired Al Jazeera’s acquisition of U.S. cable channel CurrentTV.
• Applauded Al Gore for bringing Islamist cable news to America.
• Attacked the widely acclaimed video used by the NYPD in counter terrorist training.
• Rejected a full-page anti-Islam advertisement that mimicked a controversial anti-Catholic advertisement they published on March 9, 2012.
• Pitifully branded Muslims in France as victims after a French-born Muslim slaughtered seven people including three children at a Jewish school.

The details regarding each issue above are posted here at Floridafamily.org.

It is time to focus on the few companies, one by one, that continue to advertise with the New York Times.  Capital One stands out because it is one of the few national companies that continue to advertise even after receiving thousands of emails during several of the seven email alerts.

Florida Family Association has prepared an email for you to send to five Capital One officials regarding their company’s advertising support for the New York Times.

To send your email, please click the following link, enter your name and email address then click the “Send Your Message” button. You may also edit the subject or message text if you wish.   Please Note:  Internet Explorer 10 is not compatible at this time with our Action Message.  Please use Internet Explorer 9 or Firefox or Chrome until Microsoft fixes the IE 10 bug.

Please click here to send your email to five Capital One officials regarding their company’s advertising support for the New York Times.

Related:

Hershey is a top advertiser on Al Jazeera America.   

Click here to send your email to eight Hershey officials.

Update:  It’s a pattern at NYT, The New York Times Erases Islam from Existence.

NYC: Muslim gets just 5 years for plotting to blow up synagogues

via Mohamed Mamdouh gets 5 years for plotting to blow up synagogues  – NY Daily News.

A Moroccan [Muslim] national who plotted to blow up Manhattan synagogues was sentenced to five years in prison Friday.

Mohamed Mamdouh, 22, copped to three crimes under state terror laws on Feb. 28 in exchange for a five year prison sentence, plus three years of post-release supervision.

Prosecutors said Mamdouh and “mastermind” Ahmed Ferhani — busted on May 11, 2011 — discussed dressing as observant Jews to infiltrate synagogues and tried to buy weapons to arm themselves for “the cause.”

“His case has been about bringing to justice two men, angry at what they perceived as the unjust treatment of Muslims in the world, who spoke of their hatred for Jews, and plotted to attack synagogues in New York City using explosives,” prosecutor Gary Galperin said at Mamdouh’s sentencing.

“Their intent was to create chaos and to intimidate and coerce Jews living in New York City, and thereby send a message far beyond New York,” he added.

Ferhani at one point said he wanted to attack 10 synagogues.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Michael Obus pointed to the gravity of the bomb plot at Friday’s sentencing.

“The conduct contemplated is well beyond what can possibly be tolerated in a civilized society,” Obus said.

But the judge suggested the young would-be terrorist learned his lesson.

“I actually do believe Mr. Mamdouh recognizes that at this point. That’s especially apparent in light of recent events,” he added, an apparent reference to the Boston Marathon bombing.

Mamdouh, wearing black dress slacks and an untucked white dress shirt, declined to speak and did not appear to have family in the audience.

“At a low point in his life he made a terrible mistake. He recognizes that and he’s genuinely remorseful for his mistake,” said Mamdouh’s lawyer Aaron Mysliwiec.

Ferhani, 28, who also copped out, was sentenced on March 13 to 10 years in prison.

Mamdouh pleaded guilty to conspiracy and weapons charges and faced up to 25 years in prison.

What a deal. Five years and after about three years of Koran studying and halal meals he’ll be out all the wiser.

Suspicion over 9/11 plane’s landing gear found at Ground Zero mosque

via Part of 9/11 plane’s landing gear found in NYC alley near Ground Zero | Fox News.

A piece of landing gear from one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center towers on 9/11 has been discovered in a small alley near Ground Zero more than 11 years after the terror attacks.

The rusted 5-foot-tall fragment was discovered between the rear of buildings on Park Place and Murray Street in lower Manhattan on Friday, the New York Police Department said.

The twisted metal part has cables and levers on it and is about 3 feet wide and 1.5 feet deep. It includes a clearly visible Boeing Co. identification number, New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said Friday.

“The odds of this being wedged between there is amazing,” Browne said, adding it was not surprising that it went undiscovered for more than a decade given the location. “It had to have fallen just the right way to make it into that space.”

Browne said other World Trade Center wreckage had been discovered nearby, possibly even at the same buildings, in years past.

Officials say that the part was found at 11 a.m. Friday, when surveyors hired by the owner of 51 Park Place reported what they thought was damaged machinery behind the building. It was wedged between a mosque site and a luxury high-rise apartment building near the World Trade Center.

The Associated Press goes into full propaganda mode defending and promoting the virtues of a mega mosque at Ground Zero yet they ignore Muslims who are protesting a tiny church in Srebrenica where they claim thousands of Muslims were killed.

Was it a fraud? Was 9/11 landing gear hidden on purpose?

After surveyors discovered what appears to be plane landing gear from the 9/11 attacks, authorities are wondering how it got sandwiched between two buildings — one of them housing a much-debated Islamic community center.

“The odds of it entering that space at exactly that angle that would permit it to squeeze in there … it had to come in at almost precisely the right angle,” a police spokesman told The New York Times. Investigators are considering the possibility that it was deliberately stuck in the spot, CNN reports.

“We are also looking into a possibility it was lowered by a rope,” said NYPD commissioner Raymond Kelly, who noted that some rope seemed to be wrapped up in the landing gear.

Still, “if you see how confined this space is, and you realize the chaos that existed on this street, I think (the situation is) understandable,” Kelly said.

The wall doesn’t bear any marks suggesting the piece was lowered, he noted.

Authorities will also investigate whether there are any human remains in the area, he said.

Coincidentally, it was just reported last week that Ground Zero Mosque Developer Buys Adjacent Building for $8 Million

 

Ground Zero Mosque Developer Buys Adjacent Building for $8 Million

Who is funding Sharif el Gamal? Saudis? CAIR? Who? via Park51 Developer Buys Next-Door Building for $8 Million – DNAinfo.com New York.

DOWNTOWN — The developer behind Park51, the planned Islamic cultural center two blocks from the World Trade Center, is turning a Manhattan street into a game of Monopoly.

Sharif El-Gamal recently bought a five-story building adjacent to the controversial project for $8 million, city records show. With the purchase of 43 Park Place, he now controls three properties next to each other on the same block.

With the help of a $7 million mortgage, El-Gamal bought the latest building under the shell company 43 Park Place Partners Corp., city records show. The sale was recorded Jan. 23.

In July 2009 he and his partners paid nearly $5 million for 45-47 Park Place, a former Burlington Coat Factory store that was heavily damaged on 9/11. His group also leases 51 Park Place from Con Edison. Those buildings comprise Park51.

The latest property is a commercial building that’s home to the Dakota Roadhouse bar, a bakery and other businesses.

So far El-Gamal hasn’t won over his new tenants, some of which have been worrying about their future in the building. His real estate management company, Soho Properties, has offered buyouts to at least two tenants, but the amounts were too little to make the move worth it, sources said.

Tenants have also griped about the building’s upkeep.

Its elevator has been out of service for the past two weeks, and SoHo Properties has been slow to address the problem, sources said. One worker with a broken foot has been forced to climb five flights of stairs to get to her office, a source said.

“It’s definitely a nuisance,” a source said. Tenants have also complained about water pressure problems on certain floors and lack of heat.

El-Gamal did not return a call for comment on his plans for the building.

El-Gamal has worked in real estate for more than a decade, but at least a half dozen of his deals have been bogged down by lawsuits and allegations of owed money.

In 2011, Con Edison threatened to evict Park51 because it hadn’t paid $1.7 million in rent. El-Gamal later sued the utility, claiming it overvalued the property and miscalculated rent. A Manhattan Supreme Court judge sided with Con Ed’s appraisal, but the litigation has continued.

Last week Khalil Sikander, an investor in two Washington Heights residential buildings, sued El-Gamal in Manhattan Supreme Court, accusing Soho Properties of mismanaging the properties, withholding account information and not paying its bills.

Sikander claims El-Gamal’s firm didn’t keep accurate records, failed to rent apartments and used inexperienced and unlicensed contractors to perform work on the buildings.

“He didn’t pay bills,” Sikander’s lawyer, Claude Castro, said. “We want to look at the books and records. We want an accounting. We want to see why these bills have not been paid.”

In 2012, El-Gamal filed a lawsuit against Sikander, accusing him of poorly repairing another Washington Heights residential building they had worked on together.

Park51 has been El-Gamal’s most ambitious real estate project yet — but so far the biggest disappointment.

In 2010 he weathered a political firestorm over the proximity of Ground Zero to a mosque inside 45-47 Park Place. He then unveiled an ambitious plan to build a $140 million Islamic center at the property that would provide prayer space, cultural programs, daycare and a 9/11 memorial.

Park51 officially opened in September 2011 with a photo exhibit of children from around the world, but since then little progress has been made. Construction hasn’t begun on El-Gamal’s grand vision of a 15-story glass building at the site.

Park51′s chief of staff, Katerina Lucas, left more than a year ago and has not been replaced. She declined a request for comment.

While the mosque still holds daily prayer services, the center’s cultural programs have all but ceased. Park51′s website doesn’t appear to have been updated since last spring, with its main page advertising a class on Islamic calligraphy that took place in April 2012. Its last tweet — a call asking for an intern — was posted in June 2012.

A class on Capoeira, a Brazilian martial arts dance, remains the only cultural program up and running in the center, according to the class instructor, Luz Emma Canas Jesus.

“We’ve been there for two years,” she said. “We’ve been the consistent program. They’ve had other programs come and go. We’ve been there.”

h/t and more at Atlas Shrugs and Jihad Watch

Brooklyn: NYPD arrests Muslim teen who threatened to kill Jewish straphanger (video)

Is this the backlash Muslims are whining about in the wake of the Boston bombing? via Wild Brooklyn melee erupts as NYPD arrests Muslim teen for allegedly taunting Jewish subway rider – NY Daily News.

The attempted arrest of an allegedly hate-mongering teen aboard a Brooklyn subway quickly turned into a wild showdown between cops and a roiled mob, according to sources and video obtained by the Daily News.

The melee began when suspect Stephan Stowe, 17, and a group of eight friends approached a Jewish man wearing a yarmulke aboard a Brooklyn-bound 3 train just before 3 p.m. Monday, police sources said Wednesday.

“Assalamu Alaikum,” Stowe said to the man, using a common greeting among Muslims that means, “Peace be with you,” court documents allege.

When the man ignored the greeting, Stowe allegedly became combative.

“You think you’re better than me?” the teen allegedly said. “We are cousins.”

“No we’re not,” The man shot back, and told Stowe to leave him alone.

The suspect then started hurling ethnic slurs and called the man disrespectful, according to court papers.

As the tension aboard the train escalated, the man whipped out his cell phone and took a photo of Stowe, who then snatched the phone and deleted the photo, police sources said.

“I’m going to kill you right now,” Stowe said, according to cops and court records. He then swore at the man, according to cops and court records, and in an apparent reference to the Holocaust added, “They should have killed all of you.”

The man managed to swipe his phone back from Stowe and ran to alert the conductor, police sources said. As the train pulled into the Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum stop, cops were waiting to collar Stowe, police sources said.

But that’s when a mob rose up against the cops.

A pair of police officers struggled to detain Stowe inside the empty train while the angry onlookers swarmed the station’s platform snapping video and yelling at cops, video first published by Gothamist on Wednesday shows.

Alarmed by the swelling crowd, the cops called for backup, police sources said.

Amid the chaos — and while Stowe appeared to resist arrest — a woman aboard the train, Sheniqua Joseph, 22, got involved, according to police and the video.

After four minutes of alleged badgering of the officers, cops tried to place Joseph under arrest, video shows, and eventually slammed her against a wall while she went ballistic.

Joseph is accused of throwing a haymaker at one of the cops and kicking him in the stomach, court records allege.

She was arraigned on charges of obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Stowe was arraigned on eight charges, including grand larceny, which was charged as a hate crime, resisting arrest and harassment.

Stowe and Joseph could not be reached for comment Wednesday night. The victim of the alleged hate crime declined to comment.

 Year after year, Jews in the U.S. are nearly ten times more likely to be the victim of a religious attack than are Muslims, yet the continuous whines we hear on a daily basis come from 1% of the population.

via FBI — Table 4. Offense Type, by Bias Motivation, 2011

Religion:	1,318
Anti-Jewish	820
Anti-Catholic	68
Anti-Protestant	49
Anti-Islamic	175
Anti-Other Religion	139
Anti-Multiple Religions, Group	63
Anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc.	4

Related:

• FBI stats: anti-Muslim “hate” crimes in U.S. 9x less than anti-Jew
• FBI Stats Belie CAIR’s Islamophobia Hysteria
• Anti-Muslim crimes drop again in 2008, anti-Jew/Christian crimes increased
• Fake Hate Crimes: An Islamist Weapon
• The ‘Islamophobia’ myth
• CAIR’s Islamophobic hate crime was coverup for Muslim who murdered wife (video)
• Another Muslim hate-crime debunked, charges dropped

NY: Teen girl clinging to life after face smashed with brick by Muslim

via Brick attack victim targeted after foiling assailant’s car break-ins in Queens: prosecutors – NY Daily News. h/t halalporkshop

A 16-year-old girl clinging to life at a Queens Hospital was attacked with a brick because she interrupted a boy who was trying to break into cars, court records show.

Michelle Rodriguez screamed out when she saw Omer Khogali, 17, pulling on the door handles of parked vehicles in Astoria on Tuesday, officials said.

The enraged 6-foot would-be thief caught up with Michelle later that night on 43rd St. Then he bashed her with the brick to shut her up, prosecutors said. The suspect ran off, and police later found the bloodied brick.

Michelle was still in critical condition Sunday at Elmhurst Hospital.

Khogali was busted Friday and arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Sunday. He’s charged with attempted murder, assault and weapons possession.

As noted here, Astoria, Queens has one of the largest Muslim populations in New York. They even forced Pacino movie crew to remove sign referring to Koran.

Buffalo: Islamophobia run amok

via PeopleTalk: A conversation with Bill Yuhnke – City & Region – The Buffalo News.

 

Bill Yuhnke was 14 when he took a job pumping gas for Yellow Cab of Buffalo. He never dreamed that 20 years later he would own the cab company. Yuhnke, who grew up on the city’s West Side, worked for a handful of local radio stations and also served in the U.S. Army Reserves before he returned to the cab business.

Yuhnke launched Liberty Cab in 1987 with only a couple of vehicles. In May 2003 he bought Yellow Cab. Today Yuhnke is 61, and as president of Liberty and Yellow cab companies he oversees a fleet of 140 vehicles, 200 drivers and about 20 employees, some of whom man the computer-aided dispatch service.

…

PT: You have a diverse work force. How does that impact your operations?

BY: I’ve had to educate some of my middle managers about some employees’ religious beliefs. At noon, a number of our Muslim drivers who practice Islam call out of service to go to mosque, and they’re out for a couple of hours praying. During their Ramadan, they pray every three hours. One time, an employee was kneeling at my door praying, and some of my staff were wondering what I did to him.

We can only guess what would happen if Yuhnke didn’t permit his cabbies to clock out for several hours to pray for the Islamic conquest over non-Muslims. See Minnesota, St. Louis, Ohio and New York for just a few examples.

Long Island: Muslims terrorize synagogue until they cancel Geller event on sharia

Striking fear is what they do best, initiated by an imam on the so-called “Human Rights Commission.” That’s the bad news. via Pamela Geller Event at Great Neck Synagogue Cancelled: “The Synagogue is Unable to Bear the Burden.” – Atlas Shrugs.

Due to relentless intimidation, bullying and threats, the Great Neck Synagogue is cancelling my talk at the Great Neck Synagogue on Sunday. It is a very sad day for freedom-loving peoples when fascist tactics trump free speech.

Leftist goons, pushed and prodded by Islamic supremacist Habeeb Ahmed and his co-conspirators, threatened a march on the shul (among other things) on Sunday (imagine how terrorized the Sunday school children would be).

They win. Again.

The synagogue board could not take the extraordinary pressures and issued the following statement that, as the board said, while “these important issues must be discussed, the synagogue is unable to bear the burden.” The event is cancelled.

“As the notoriety and media exposure of the planned program this Sunday have increased, so has the legal liability and potential security exposure of our institution and it’s [sic] member families. In an era of heightened security concerns it is irresponsible to jeopardize the safety of those who call Great Neck Synagogue home, especially our children, even at the risk of diverting attention from a potentially important voice in the ongoing debate. Accordingly, the Great Neck Synagogue Men’s Club will no longer be sponsoring the appearance of Pamela Geller this coming Sunday, and no event will be taking place in our facility.”

Executive Board

Great Neck Synagogue

UPDATE: The Great Neck Patch is all over it.

UPDATE: Spencer adds: “Note that they don’t say “We finally realized that Geller was just as bad as they say” or some such. They say: “In an era of heightened security concerns it is irresponsible to jeopardize the safety of those who call Great Neck Synagogue home, especially our children, even at the risk of diverting attention from a potentially important voice in the ongoing debate.” In other words, the Leftist and Islamic supremacist thugs made it clear that the synagogue would be in danger if the event went on. And so the goons know: make threats, issue smears, and decent people will cave. It is a terrible precedent for the future of the freedom of speech, and for America.”

Of note, the synagogue’s decision had to have been made on or around Holocaust Remembrance Day. History does repeat.

The good news. In an interview on the Trento show today Geller said two other synagogues stepped up to host her and she’ll be speaking at them on Sunday. If you are in the NYC metro area consider joining to support free speech and beat back the rapid encroachment of Islamic sharia law in the U.S. (fostered by Islamic jihad and the threat thereof). via Pamela Geller to Speak At Two Synagogues on Sunday

Two courageous and magnificent Rabbis have asked me to speak on Sunday. Rabbi Yoseph Geisinsky of the Chabad, Great Neck and Rabbi Dr. Bernhard Rosenberg of Congregation Beth-El in Edison, New Jersey have both invited me to speak at their synagogues on Sunday — the same day I was scheduled to speak at the Great Neck Synagogue on Long Island until that synagogue caved to a leftist/Islamic supremacist smear and intimidation campaign.

Rabbi Geisinsky and Rabbi Rosenberg both extended the invitations to me personally this morning, and I commend them both for it. The cancellation by the Great Neck Synagogue was particularly craven and cowardly, as it sends the message that if leftists and Muslims defame those they hate loudly enough and for a long enough time, they will succeed in getting them silenced. But in contrast to that unconscionable self-imposed dhimmitude, both of these Rabbis are standing up for the freedom of speech and the defense of the Jewish people. They’re saying no to thuggery and pressure tactics. Above all, they’re standing up for the truth.

They’re doing what all free people should be doing. The Jewish people must stand up. The Jewish people must have the will to speak against annihilationist rhetoric. History is proof that fear and capitulation are a recipe for disaster.

Update: Appeasers called out