The Friends of Bill Pascrell

Jun 2, 2012 by

Occasional contributor Joel Mowbray (jdmowbra@erols.com) has filed a report on the Democratic primary contest this coming Tuesday in New Jersey’s Ninth Congressional District. The contest pits two incumbent Democrats against each other. Joel reports: Because of redistricting, Rep. Bill Pascrell (D, NJ) is running for re-election this coming Tuesday against a fellow Democratic incumbent Congressman. Pascrell’s slogan: “100% New Jersey Fighter.” Given his troubling associations with Muslim figures who have espoused fiery anti-Israel rhetoric and turned a blind eye to Hamas sympathizers, though, it’s hard to tell against whom he’s actually fighting. Take, for example, one of Pascrell’s closest allies for at least a decade: Mohamed El Filali, who is an executive with a local mosque whose founding imam is in jail on terrorism charges and whose current imam is fighting deportation on terror-related...

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Public Now Seeing Art of Givati Who Died Just Before Showing...

Jun 2, 2012 by

A few months ago, Israeli artist Moshe Givati passed away exactly as he was planning a brand new exhibition at New York’s Jadite Galleries. Buzz was already swirling in the Israeli art circles over Givati’s resurfacing after years of retreat.  Givati was known for his compelling abstract paintings defined by his use of bright colors and expressionistic quality. His paintings reflect the not only his internal struggles due to his manic-depression (suspected but never officially diagnosed), inherited from his mother, but also reflect the political and social issues affecting Israel during his lifetime. A vivid example is a painting he produced with emotional intensity the night that Gilad Shalit was released from prison. Shalit, an IDF soldier who was abducted by Hamas terrorists in 2006, was held in prison until October, 2011 when he...

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