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Paying tribute to Abe Pollin (UPDATED)

By Eric Fingerhut · November 24, 2009

AIPAC and The Israel Project have both released statements saluting Abe Pollin, a huge figure in the pro-Israel and Washington-area Jewish community who died Tuesday at the age of 85.

From AIPAC, which called him a "giant in the pro-Israel community":

As a member of AIPAC's board of directors and friend of many of our country's most influential policy makers and elected officials, Abe never missed an opportunity to stress the importance of America's special and unbreakable bond with the State of Israel. 

We are profoundly saddened by his loss, but comforted by the knowledge that Abe's courageous and tireless spirit made a profound difference for a cause in which he deeply believed – the strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

The Israel Project statement noted that he had also been a member of that organization's board since 2004, and that "he will be missed especially by the Jewish community and by the city of Washington, DC – a place that was made better 1000 ways because of Abe Pollin"

Pollin is best known in Washington, D.C. as the owner of the Washington Wizards basketball team and the Verizon Center (and also owned the Washington Capitals hockey team). He decided to change the name of the Wizards from the Bullets after the assasination of his longtime friend, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, as a statement against gun violence.

In addition to many charitable endeavors in the Jewish and wider community, Pollin also was one of three D.C. real-estate developers who bought and restored the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington in 2004 before it could be turned into a nightclub. The facility is now a magnet for the city's younger Jews, sponsoring a variety of Jewish and cultural programming.

More on Pollin from the Washington Jewish Week here.

After the jump, the full statements from AIPAC and The Israel Project:

AIPAC expresses its deep condolences to the family and friends of Abe Pollin, who passed away earlier today.

 

Abe was a longtime leader of AIPAC and giant of America's pro-Israel community. 

 

As a member of AIPAC's board of directors and friend of many of our country's most influential policy makers and elected officials, Abe never missed an opportunity to stress the importance of America's special and unbreakable bond with the State of Israel. 

 

We are profoundly saddened by his loss, but comforted by the knowledge that Abe's courageous and tireless spirit made a profound difference for a cause in which he deeply believed – the strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

                                                                                                                           

The entire AIPAC community extends its sympathies to his wife Irene and their family.  May his memory be a blessing.

And TIP:

The staff and board of The Israel Project mourn the loss of TIP board member Abe Pollin. Mr. Pollin was a great lover of Israel and the Jewish people. He and Irene have been champions of important causes, both Jewish and in the wider community. Mr. Pollin joined The Israel Project’s board in June of 2004 and he was especially proud to fund our TV ads in Washington that showcased Israel’s democratic nature and desire for peace. Despite health issues he was recently re-elected to the board. He will be missed especially by the Jewish community and by the city of Washington, DC – a place that was made better 1000 ways because of Abe Pollin.
 
Abe Pollin and his wife Irene are the longest-tenured owners in the National Basketball Association and oversee operations of the Washington Wizards, the Washington Mystics, TicketMaster Washington/Baltimore and the management of MCI Center and the George Mason University Patriot Center. Mr. Pollin's wide array of philanthropic service includes serving as chairman of The Advisory Council for UNICEF, honorable chairman of the Salvation Army's Leadership Committee for Centers of Hope and co-chairman of the District's Community Capital Campaign for N Street Village. As co-sponsor of the I Have a Dream Foundation, Mr. Pollin guaranteed college educations for 55 students. His awards include the U.S. Army's Distinguished Civilian Service Award, the 1996 Robert F. Kennedy-Martin Luther King, Jr. Award, the 1996 United Cerebral Palsy Achievement Award and the 1997 Jewish Leadership Award. Mr. Pollin, along with basketball legend Michael Jordan created an education fund for children of victims of the September 11 attacks. Most recently, Mr. and Mrs. Pollin established the Pollin Prize for Pediatric Research, administered by New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Pollin family.
 

 

 

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Will the election to replace Wexler be changed?

By Eric Fingerhut · November 24, 2009

The Associated Press reports that the special Florida congressional election to replace Rep. Robert Wexler may be changed, after it was discovered that the April 6 date conflicts with the final day of Passover. Wexler is leaving office in January to take over as president of the Center for Middle East Peace and Cooperation

The AP story reports that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) is exploring switching the date, after a letter from Shalom International president Bob Kunst called it "an attack on the religious Jewish community."

The language in the letter by Kunst -- a longtime Jewish activist who last month was protesting the J Street convention -- is over the top, to say the least  (Kunst views this scheduling of the election as an attack on Jews akin to Hamas rockets into Gaza and also links it to U.S. criticism of Israeli building in Gilo.) And it's likely that the scheduling was an unintentional oversight, not an attack. But Kunst's overall argument that Florida should try to find another date for the special election is hard to argue with. Wexler himself has described his district as perhaps the most heavily Jewish in the country, covering parts of Palm Beach and Broward counties in South Florida

Two of the Democratic candidates running to replace Wexler in a primary that will be held Feb. 2 also are Jewish, state Sen. Ted Deutch and former Broward County Mayor Ben Graber.

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ADL to high court: Uphold anti-terrorism law

By Eric Fingerhut · November 24, 2009

The Anti-Defamation League is urging the Supreme Court to uphold an anti-terrorism law prohibiting material support or resources to foreign terrorist organizations.

The ADL submitted an amicus brief to the court in Holder, et al. v. Humanitarian Law Project, et al. which argues that all activities of terrorist organizations are inextricably linked, and thus a prohibition on material support of such organizations in constitutional.

An appeals court has ruled that the terms "training," "expert advice or assistance" and "services" in the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 are unconstitutionally vague.

"There is no inalienable right to provide resources to a foreign terrorist organization," said ADL national director Abraham Foxman in a statement. "Those that knowingly do so are facilitating terrorism and must be held accountable.”

The full brief is available here. The ADL's full press release is after the jumpRead More >>>

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