- Dear Jeff,
-
- Most Americans - and indeed most Israelis - are not aware
that one of the key triggers in the death and suffering (and war crimes)
Israel has conducted in the West Bank in the last two years, is tied to
the influence of one American Jewish physician. His name is Dr. Irving
Moskowitz, a right wing extremist, Miami resident, the patron of the settlers
in Judea and Samaria, and a member of the club of donors to former Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
-
- This is one of the best kept secrets in Israel. The incredible
number of Arabs and Jews who have been killed/massacred, are in significant
measure reflective of the power and influence of this single American Jewish
doctor. In Dr. Moskowitz' own words (below): "We must never forget
for a moment that our generation was chosen to carry out the return to
Zion. After two thousand years of sacrifice on behalf of the dream of returning
to Jerusalem, we must not let it slip from our fingers."
-
- Today, it is essentially taboo to mention Moskowitz in
the Israeli press. If the Israeli public knew the whole story, we may have
a civil war in Israel. I could never write you about it as you probably
wouldn't believe me, but I found today an old (4-10-96) article from the
Hebrew daily Yediot Aharonot (Israel's largest daily) which describes the
Moskowitz story in considerable detail.
-
- Recent Israeli atrocities in the West Bank could only
rivalled by the Nazis which we all learned to despise. In fact, it is known
that Israeli military leaders closely studied the actual Nazi operations
procedures in the infamous Warsaw Ghetto tragedy before launching the recent
West Bank invasion and the subsequent devastation done there, especially
in Jenin.
-
- Wouldn't it be ironic if the reported activity of a single
Jewish American might achieve in two years what Arafat could not achieve
in 50 years: the destruction of the State of Israel. After the last two
years of violence and death on both sides, the dream of many Israeli families
now is to emigrate to the USA; many of us are afraid to even get out of
our houses. Many of our young people are travelling around the world with
the hope to get citizenships in other countries. Young Israeli women are
going to the beach with the hope of finding foreign tourists and marrying
them to escape. Meanwhile, our government is converting Catholics in Peru
to Judaism, and emigrating them to the new settlements in the West Bank
!
-
- If a single person could influence all that, what other
proof do you need to conclude that we are really 'The Chosen people' ?
-
- Regards,
- Ziva Cohen
-
-
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- The Millionaire Behind the Tunnel
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- By Zadok Yehezkeli Yediot Aharonot
October 4, 1996
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- Dr. Irving Moskowitz contributed to fund excavating the
Tunnel at the Wall and was among the few who participated in the opening.
He is a personal friend of Netanyahu, one of his major donors, and is considered
the patron of the settlers in East Jerusalem and Gush Katif (in the Gaza
Strip).
-
- Just a handful of people close to him were invited to
the opening ceremony of the Hasmonean Tunnel that was held the night after
Yom Kippur, orchestrated by the Mayor of Jerusalem, Ehud Olmert. The media
were not there. On the other hand, two Jewish moguls from the American
diaspora were present: the millionaire Sandy Eisenstadt of the Lubavitch
movement, in the oil drilling business, and Dr. Irving Moskowitz, a right
wing extremist, Miami resident, the patron of the settlers in Judea and
Samaria, and a member of the club of donors to Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu.
-
- Moskowitz has already become a living legend among the
right as the largest purchaser of houses in East Jerusalem. He also donated
monies for excavating the controversial tunnel. Those in the know do not
exclude the possibility that the timing of the opening of the tunnel was
set by Moskowitz's movements: the doctor simply was in Israel on Yom Kippur.
-
- In the last ten years, it is estimated that Dr. Moskowitz
invested tens of millions of dollars in Judea, Samaria, and East Jerusalem.
Dubbed "the well-known benefactor" by settlers, Moskowitz is
the money behind the acquisition of houses by the Ateret Kohanim organization
in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City; he is owner of the land and the
building of the Beit Orot Yeshiva on the Mount of Olives; he acquired the
old Shepherd's Hotel (now known as Shetier) in East Jerusalem; he owns
land in Ras al-Amud on which a new Jewish neighborhood is planned; he helped
finance acquisition of the St. George Hostel near the Church of the Holy
Sepulcher; and he financed acquisition of the White House at the Gush Katif
junction, a building that today serves as a restaurant and minimarket.
All of this was in addition to his contributions to propaganda campaigns
of the Council for Judea. Samaria and the Golan; to Channel 7 (a pirate
religious radio station) to yeshivas; to the campaign to light Palestinian
autonomy; and more.
-
- Moskowitz, 69, father of eight, directs his activity
from behind the scenes. He does not give interviews and is not seen in
the media. He is known as a tough, sharp businessman. He made his career
first as a neurologist in Miami, then he bought a clinic and turned it
into a private hospital, and eventually became owner of over 20 hospitals
for the chronically ill and the elderly in Florida.
-
- His brother, a left winger, immigrated to Israel and
settled in Kibbutz Em Dor in the north. Irving, whose friends affectionately
call him "Irv", owns a home in the Mishkenot Sha'ananim section
of Jerusalem and a leisure apartment in the Four Seasons Hotel on the Netanya
coast. He comes to Israel several times a year, mainly for Rosh Hashana
and Passover. Moskowitz generally carries out his land deals through his
business representatives in Israel.
-
- Lately it has become clear that Moskowitz is not just
the patron of the settlers, but also of Prime Minister Netanyahu. Several
dozen people are members of Netanyahu's club of millionaires, but only
three or four are among the very small group closest to the Prime Minister.
Irving Moskowitz was one of those invited by Netanyahu to accompany him
to the Washington part of his "inaugural" trip to the United
States, following his election as Prime Minister.
-
- This was not the first time that Netanyahu had honored
the man who remains in the background. At least four Netanyahu visits to
Miami, one of the wealthiest Jewish communities in the United States, occurred
in recent years. But the most talked-about visit was the shortest of them
all, and also the most secret. According to knowledgeable sources, Netanyahu
landed in Miami, checked into the airport hotel, and after three-four hours,
he turned around and left Miami.
-
- My source who is knowledgeable about the details of that
visit reports that the man for whom Netanyahu made an effort to get to
Miami was none other than Irving Moskowitz. By the way, there is no agreement
about the date of that meeting: In Miami they claim that it was four months
before the recent elections.
-
- Other sources claim that it took place after the Likud
primaries. In either case, in the last two-three years. Moskowitz was perhaps
closer to the Prime Minister than anyone else in Netanyahu's millionaires'
club. "He can call him up whenever he wants and Netanyahu will respond
at once," says someone who knows them both. Moskowitz, according to
this source, does not often make use of this privilege.
-
- How did the millionaire from Miami reach this position
of influence on the Prime Minister? Sources say that it is based on his
personal and financial support of Netanyahu. They have known each other
personally for almost 20 years, ever since Moskowitz helped set up the
Research Institute named for Yoni Netanyahu (Benjamin's brother killed
and heroicized during the Entebbe rescue operation). Moskowitz contributed
funds to Netanyahu's election campaign for the Likud leadership and later
also to his race for the prime ministership.
-
- In December 1994, Netanyahu, then leader of the Likud,
arrived in New York to attend a festive dinner sponsored by the ZOA (Zionist
Organization of America), a right wing organization active campaigning
against the peace policies of the Rabin government. Netanyahu was the guest
of honor and the keynote speaker that evening, during which the Brandeis
Prize was awarded to Irving Moscowitz, a member of the ZOA Board and one
of its generous donors.
-
- By the way, Moscowitz's appearance at the evening was
rare, as was his public appearance at the opening ceremony of the tunnel.
Morton Klein, president of the ZOA, defines him as "one of the most
modest people that I ever met in my life. What he does springs from one
motivation only: his love of Israel."
-
- The Miami Herald claimed this week that Moskowitz was
the secret person of the Likud for funding projects that were too hot to
handle in Jerusalem, projects on which fingerprints should not appear.
"Some of Moskowitz's vision for Israel is to attain more control of
East Jerusalem. He's the one who finances every project that the government
feels is too hot to do itself."
-
- According to the Herald, the millionaires Marmelstein
and Belzberg of Ateret Kohanim put pressure on Netanyahu to open the tunnel
as early as May, after his election victory. According to knowledgeable
sources, the subject was raised in a meeting with Netanyahu during his
visit in New York two months ago. When Netanyahu was not convinced, Ateret
Kohanim recruited Mayor Olmert to lead the campaign in their name.
-
- Moskowitz knows Olmert well and is close to him. Olmert,
as expected, knows how to make use of the doctor for deepening his control
over Jerusalem. Thus, in a rare public expression by Moskowitz at a ceremony
installing a Torah scroll, contributed by him, to the Ateret Kohanim yeshiva,
he said, "We must never forget for a moment that our generation was
chosen to carry out the return to Zion. After two thousand years of sacrifice
on behalf of the dream of returning to Jerusalem, we must not let it slip
from our fingers."
-
- Copyright 1996, Yediot Aharonot. For education and discussion
only. Not for commercial use. http://www.stopmoskowitz.com/articles/yediot_100496.html
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