With Jacob Ostreicher, Chizuk Goes Both Ways

I just hung up with Yanky Ostreicher. I get on the phone to give him chizuk, give him strength, but he ends up giving even more to me. Clearly, Yanky is a very strong man who has only grown wiser from his experience.

Expect several major media stories covering Yanky’s situation in the next few days. We're all working hard to keep this story alive until Yanky returns home to his family which, G-d willing, will be very soon.

Child Abuse in the Jewish Community: Have We Made Progress?

Dr. David Pelcovitz

Tomorrow night, my special guests on The Dov Hikind Show will be Dr. David Pelcovitz of Yeshiva University and Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter editor-in-chief and publisher of AMI Magazine.

(Ph.D., Straus Professor of Psychology and Education, Azrieli Graduate School, Yeshiva University) is a psychologist whose career over the past quarter century has focused on clinical practice and research efforts in areas related to trauma, child abuse and parenting. We will be discussing child abuse in our community.

 

Later on in the evening we’ll talk with Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter, whose articles have continued to be informative and provocative. Among other things, AMI published the first important piece on Jacob Ostreicher.

This show will certainly be something that people are talking about the next day.

The Dov Hikind Show, WMCA-570 AM, every Saturday night at 11 pm.

Bikur Cholim Dinner at Ateret Chaya

Addressing the Bikur Cholim Dinner at Ateret Chaya 12-22-12

Dov with Albert Kahn

Blog Update Re: Jacob Ostreicher Interview

In his recent interview on The Dov Hikind Show, Jacob Ostreicher expressed his enormous gratitude and hakoras haTov to the many people and groups who continue to work towards his freedom. Unfortunately, some of the quotes taken from this interview regarding The Aleph Institute and the Assemblyman were mistakenly switched on our blog. That error has now been corrected.

Our gratitude to VIN for posting the entire audio here. Please listen to this startling interview and continue to pray for Jacob.

SILVER, HIKIND, DIAZ, JAMES & HALLORAN LEAD LAWMAKERS IN URGING PRESIDENT TO PARDON POLLARD IN LIGHT OF NEW EVIDENCE

SILVER, HIKIND, DIAZ, JAMES & HALLORAN LEAD LAWMAKERS IN URGING PRESIDENT TO PARDON POLLARD IN LIGHT OF NEW EVIDENCE

NEARLY 100 NEW YORK LEGISLATORS ADD NAMES TO POLLARD’S CAUSE

New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn), along with nearly 100 of their legislative colleagues representing areas throughout New York State and New York City, are imploring President Obama to pardon Jonathan Pollard. The push for clemency follows the release of a recently declassified 1987 CIA damage assessment, which reveals that Pollard never sought to disclose information on the United States but rather only on Israel’s enemies.

In 1985, Pollard, a civilian American Naval intelligence analyst, was indicted on the single count of passing classified information to Israel, a U.S. ally, without intent to harm the U.S. Based on a 1983 Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and Israel, Israel was legally entitled to this intelligence, which concerned Syrian, Iraqi, Libyan and Iranian nuclear, chemical and biological warfare capabilities being developed for use against Israel. Pollard never had a trial but received a life sentence with a recommendation that he never be paroled.

Pollard has served nearly three decades of his life sentence.

The legislators’ letter to President Obama states in part:

“We are writing to urge you to use your Constitutional power to grant clemency to Jonathan Pollard and commute his sentence to one of time served… Mr. Pollard has repeatedly expressed remorse and has now served nearly three decades of his life sentence.

“Furthermore, the recently declassified 1987 CIA damage assessment reveals that Mr. Pollard never sought to disclose information on the United States but rather only on an ally’s enemies. In addition, Mr. Pollard’s sentence was based on the presumption that he violated his plea agreement by granting an unauthorized interview. We believe it improbable that an interview in prison could occur without the prior authorization or awareness of government officials.

“There is no question that Mr. Pollard broke the law. However, he is now in his 27^th year in prison, most of these years in solitary confinement, which is far more than others who were found guilty of similar activity on behalf of countries that are not adversaries of the U.S. have served. We believe and hope you’ll agree that the time that Mr. Pollard has served is more than sufficient from the standpoint of punishment and deterrence.”

After a personal visit with Pollard at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, North Carolina in 2007, Hikind reflected, “I can attest to the fact that Jonathan is remorseful for his actions. He acknowledges that he broke the law. All he is asking for is proportionality, and today, we asked President Obama to give him that much. I hope and pray to G-d that our request is granted.”

The legislators calling for Pollard’s release are:

Senators:
Eric Adams (D-Kings)
Ruben Diaz, Sr. (D-Bronx)
Adriano Espaillat (D-New York)
Michael Gianaris (D-Queens)
Kamp Hannon (D-Nassau)
Ruth Hassell-Thompson (D-Westchester)
Jeffrey D. Klein (D-Westchester)

Liz Krueger (D-New York)
Suzi Oppenheimer (D-Westchester)
Kevin Parker (D-Kings)
Bill Perkins (D-New York)
John L. Sampson (D-Kings)
Diane J. Savino (D-Kings)
Malcolm A. Smith (D-Queens)
Daniel Squadron (D-Kings)
Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Westchester)
David Storobin (R-Kings)

Assembly Members:
Peter J. Abbate, Jr (D-Kings)
Thomas J. Abinanti (D-Westchester)
Carmen E. Arroyo (D-Bronx)
Michael Benedetto (D-Bronx)

Ed Braunstein (D-Queens)
James F. Brennan (D-Kings)

Harry Bronson (D-Monroe)
Alec Brook-Krasny (D-Kings)

Kevin A. Cahill (D-Dutchess)
Nancy Calhoun (R-Orange)
Karim Camara (D-Kings)
Ronald Canestrari (D-Albany)
Nelson Castro (D-Bronx)
Barbara M. Clark (D-Queens)
William Colton (D-Kings)

Vivian E. Cook (D-Queens)

Marcus A. Crespo (D-Bronx)

Michael J. Cusick (D-Richmond)

Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Kings)

Michael DenDekker (D-Queens)

Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx)

Herman D. Farrell, Jr. (D-New York)

Michael J. Fitzpatrick (R-Suffolk)
David F. Gantt (D-Monroe)

Deborah J. Glick (D-New York)

Phillip Goldfeder (D-Queens)

Richard Gottfried (D-New York)
Carl Heastie (D-Bronx)

Andrew D. Hevesi (D-Queens)
Dov Hikind (D-Kings)

Rhoda S. Jacobs (D-Kings)
Ellen Jaffee (D-Rockland)
Hakeem Jeffries (D-Kings)

George Latimer (D-Westchester

Charles Lavine (D-Nassau)
Vito Lopez (D-Brooklyn)

Alan Maisel (D-Kings)
Nicole Malliotakis (R-Richmond)

Shelley Mayer (D-Westchester)

John J. McEneny (D-Albany)

Tom McKevitt (R-Nassau)

Grace Meng (D-Queens)
Donald Miller (R-Onondaga)

Joel M. Miller (R-Dutchess)

Michael Miller (D-Queens)
Felix Ortiz (D-Kings)

N. Nick Perry (D-Kings)
Samuel D. Roberts (D-Onondaga)
Annette Robinson (D-Kings)

Robert Rodriguez (D-New York)
Linda Rosenthal (D-New York)

Addie J. Russell (D-Jefferson)
Joseph Saladino (R-Nassau)

William Scarborough (D-Queens)

Michelle Schimel (D-Nassau)

Sheldon Silver (D-New York)

Michael Simanowitz (D-Queens)

Aravella Simotas (D-Queens)
Eric Stevenson (D-Bronx)

Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Suffolk)
Matthew J. Titone (D-Richmond)
Michele R. Titus (D-Queens)

Helen E. Weinstein (D-Kings)

Harvey Weisenberg (D-Nassau)

David I. Weprin (D-Queens)
Keith Wright (D-New York)

NYC Council Members:
Mathieu Eugene (D-Brooklyn)

Lewis Fidler (D-Brooklyn)
David Greenfield (D-Brooklyn)
Daniel Halloran (R-Queens)

Letitia James (D-Brooklyn)
Brad Lander (D-Brooklyn)
Michael C. Nelsen (D-Brroklyn)
Domenick Recchia Jr. (D-Brooklyn) 

HIKIND KEEPS PRESSURE ON FOR JACOB OSTREICHER

NEWS FROM
ASSEMBLYMAN DOV HIKIND

December 24, 2012

Contact: Yehudah Meth                                                       For Immediate Release
718-853-9616

HIKIND KEEPS PRESSURE ON
FOR JACOB OSTREICHER

“Things are better but Jacob’s not home yet. We need to maintain momentum.”

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) said community and media vigilance are two of the three things necessary to bring Jacob Ostreicher home. The Assemblyman and his staff are maintaining round-the-clock contact with Ostreicher, a Brooklyn businessman recently freed on bail in Bolivia after actor Sean Penn made it evident to Bolivian President Evo Morales that Ostreicher had been falsely accused while being extorted by Bolivian officials. Ostreicher’s release from Palmasola Prison in Bolivia came after 19 months of incarceration. Ten Bolivian officials accused of robbing and extorting Ostreicher have been arrested and detained in Bolivia, including the judge who initially jailed Ostreicher.

“I believe the State Department is now doing everything they can to ensure Jacob’s safety,” said  Assemblyman Hikind, who, along with NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, called on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week to do everything possible to protect Jacob. “Our government has reached out to the Bolivian government and Jacob now has four Bolivian police officers posted outside of his house 24/7. But he will never be completely safe until he is free to return home to the United States.”

According to Ostreicher’s attorneys, he may not need another hearing; the Bolivian government can drop charges prior to any additional court action. Assemblyman Hikind is cautiously optimistic that this may occur within the next few weeks.

Ostreicher spoke to the Assemblyman on The Dov Hikind Show on Saturday night where he expressed his gratitude to Hikind for never giving up on him, as well as to the Aleph Institute.

Hikind repeated today that community and media vigilance are two of the three things necessary to bring Jacob Ostreicher home. “Prayer is the third component,” said the Assemblyman. “We must stay vigilant, keep this story alive and the pressure on, and we must pray to the Al-mighty for this innocent man’s salvation.”

Jacob Ostreicher on The Dov Hikind Show

Just days after being released to house arrest in Bolivia, Brooklyn businessman Jacob "Yanky" Ostreicher was the special, surprise guest on The Dov Hikind Show, which aired at 11 PM last night on WMCA. During the 30-minute phone interview, Yanky thanked not only the many people who worked tirelessly to secure his freedom, but also those whose support and encouragement gave him the strength to go on while in Bolivia’s brutal Palmalosa prison.

Yanky recognized Assemblyman Hikind as the first government official who did more than just "monitor" his case--he expressed his profound gratitude to Dov calling him “an incredible human being.” You can listen to the full interview here.

Dov Hikind leading the first rally at the Bolivian Mission to the UN to bring attention to Jacob Ostreicher's plight

Jacob Ostreicher on The Dov Hikind Show

We expect to have Jacob Ostreicher on The Dov Hikind Show tonight on WMCA 570 AM 11:00 PM.

HIKIND, DE BLASIO URGE STATE DEPARTMENT TO PROTECT OSTREICHER

NEWS FROM
ASSEMBLYMAN DOV HIKIND

December 20, 2012

Contact: Yehudah Meth                                                       For Immediate Release

973-945-4903 (cell)

HIKIND, DE BLASIO URGE STATE DEPARTMENT
TO PROTECT OSTREICHER

INNOCENT AMERICAN FREED ON BAIL FACES
GRAVE DANGER IN BOLIVIA

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) and NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio have called on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to do everything possible to protect Jacob Ostreicher, a U.S. citizen recently freed on bail and placed under house arrest in Bolivia. Ostreicher’s release from Palmasola Prison in Bolivia came after 19 months of wrongful incarceration. In recent weeks, numerous Bolivian officials accused of robbing and extorting Ostreicher have been arrested and detained in Bolivia, including the judge who initially jailed Ostreicher.

“In light of recent developments, Jacob’s attorneys in both Bolivia and at Patton-Boggs in Washington are confident that Jacob will be released soon,” said the letter to Mrs. Clinton. “However, as Jacob continues to reside in Bolivia under a partial house arrest, he may easily be the target of reprisals. Indeed, Jacob is recognized by reporters in South America as a repository of information than can damage the reputation of the criminals who sought to extort and rob businessmen doing business in Bolivia. As such, his family believes that Jacob’s life is in danger—even greater danger than when he was behind prison walls.”

Ostreicher’s plight as an innocent U.S. citizen who fell prey to a corrupt Bolivian justice system has caught the attention of not only the international media but also Hollywood, with the auspicious intervention of actor Sean Penn, who was able to convince Bolivian President Evo Morales to investigate—and now incarcerate—his own ministers.

“We believe that Jacob needs your protection and respectfully urge you to speak to this matter,” asks the plea to Mrs. Clinton. “Do everything in your power to guarantee Jacob’s safety until he is free to come home. Sheltered from physical harm, we expect Jacob Ostreicher’s full exoneration to come very shortly. His return to American soil will be a moment of triumph we will all joyously share.”

HIKIND URGES SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND TO OPPOSE POTENTIAL HAGEL NOMINATION

NEWS FROM

ASSEMBLYMAN DOV HIKIND

December 19, 2012

Contact: Yehudah Meth                                             For Immediate Release

               718-853-9616       

  

HIKIND URGES SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND TO OPPOSE
POTENTIAL HAGEL NOMINATION

CITES ANTI-ISRAEL, PRO-IRANIAN VOTING RECORD

“History has shown that policies of appeasement to extremists and terrorists don’t work. Senator Hagel’s approach would be contrary to the best interests of the United States.”

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) is urging United State Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to do everything in their power to convince President Obama to look for a better choice for Secretary of Defense than Senator Chuck Hagel. Assemblyman Hikind points out that Senator Hagel’s negative views on Israel—and seemingly all Jews—are clearly documented. “His 2006 statement about the ‘Jewish lobby intimidating many’ reveals an insensitivity and subtle prejudice on the part of the Senator that cannot be taken lightly,” said Assemblyman Hikind.

“Senator Hagel’s willingness to appease Iran is even more shocking given the danger that the terrorist state poses,” wrote Assemblyman Kind. “He has stated that he believes it is wise to directly negotiate with Hamas and has openly objected to the European Union declaring Hezbollah a terrorist organization. He was part of a minority of senators who refused to sign a letter to President Bush urging him to pressure the Palestinian Authority to ban terrorist groups from participating in Palestinian legislative elections.

“In short, Senator Hagel’s positions represent a 180-degree turn from the United States’ proud and distinguished policy of not negotiating with or supporting terrorists. His appointment to the key position of Secretary of Defense would mark a clear deterioration in our country’s relationship with Israel and many of our allies. Moreover, it would endanger the interests of the United States in the Middle East as extremist groups are given a signal that their policies of terror and wanton destruction have worked to change America’s position.

“History and common sense have shown that policies of appeasement to extremists and terrorists do not work. Senator Hagel’s approach would be contrary to the best interests of the United States.”