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By Ben Harris · May 15, 2008

Agriprocessors' PR folks just sent us a statement. The company says it's trying to upgrade its immigration compliance procedures, but the first priority is getting the plant up and running again. No mention made of steps to address charges of illicit drug production on the premises, however, as reported in the government's affidavit on the company.

Agriprocessors Addressing Challenges Following Worksite Enforcement Action

POSTVILLE, IA (May 15, 2008) – Agriprocessors, Inc., continues to make meaningful progress in addressing the challenges presented by the worksite enforcement action by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies on May 12, 2008.

According to Chaim Abrahams, a company representative, Agriprocessors is concentrating its efforts on production.

"We were able to bring the plant back into operation the next day, and even though we're not running at full capacity, we are able to resume production," Abrahams said. "We are in the process of replacing workers so we can avoid any interruption of meeting customer needs for high quality products."

Abrahams also noted that the company was in the process of enhancing its immigration compliance procedures.

"We are working with experts in immigration compliance to help us bolster our compliance efforts to employ only properly documented employees," he said. "We have signed up for a government electronic verification program, and are working with our consultants on additional compliance measures that will enhance our hiring process."

Agriprocessors also has launched an independent investigation into the circumstances which led to the worksite enforcement action, and is cooperating fully with the government.

"We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families whose lives were disrupted and wish them the best," Abrahams said.

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The rabbi strikes back

By Ben Harris · May 15, 2008

Rabbi Moses Weissmandel, the supervising rabbi at Agriprocessors in Postville, Iowa, called this morning to categorically refute every allegation made this week by government investigators – except the illegal worker business. "That's not my department," Weissmandel said.

What is his department is the rabbinical staff, some 40 rabbis responsible for the actual slaughter of meat and for supervising the plant to make sure everything's kosher. He claimed his rabbis provide round-the-clock supervision, and that none of the allegations – among them that workers were producing drugs on site, and that rabbis abused the workers with meat hooks – are true.

"I categorically say it's false, it's not true, it's a lie," Weissmandel said. "I have my rabbis supervising 24/7. We supervise every inch of that place in order to be sure that the place is totally kosher."

I asked if there might be an area of the plant where workers eat or get changed that is not supervised as scrupulously as the places where the meat is produced. Weissmandel acknowledged that there is such a place, but that it didn't escape the hawk-eyed scrutiny of his rabbis.

"There is a lunch room over there where the workers eat, and changing room," Weissmandel said. "My rabbis, the supervising rabbis, have instructions to go inside there every so often just to make sure everything is ok over there."

The government document, a 60-page report on a six-month investigation that was used to get a search warrant for the plant, included allegations that rabbis at the plant had abused workers – taping their eyes shut, hitting them with meat hooks. Weissmandel said that was impossible, and even though he is only on site a few days a month, he said that he knows about everything that happens there.

"If it only happens that one of the rabbis gets in the smallest confrontation with a worker, has a problem, exchange of words, in the hour I know about it," the rabbi said. "It's reported to me right away, even the smallest confrontation. I can tell you that I'm 100 percent confident that such abuse never took place. No one ever taped a worker's eyes with duct tape, it's such a nonsense it's impossible."

Weissmandel further reported that the plant was close to approaching its further production capacity. Some 20 yeshiva students have been recruited from New York to come to Postville, and other workers have been hired through an employment agency.

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The Wikipedia wars, cont’d

By Ben Harris · May 15, 2008

Earlier this week we linked to Gershom Gorenberg's article on the efforts of a hawkish pro-Israel group to warp articles in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia to reflect the group's views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Well, it seems there may be more to the story. HonestReporting, another pro-Israel media watchdog, says it's really Palestinian groups that are messing around on Wikipedia. Here's their report on the matter.

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Celebrating 60 years of American-Israeli friendship

By Daniel Sieradski · May 15, 2008

Last night, the President's Conference reached its climax with an event celebrating the historic relationship between Israel and the United States. In their successive addresses, which were interspersed with musical and (more questionable) dance performances, President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and the event's chair, American casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, celebrated the uniqueness of the U.S.-Israel relationship, expressed gratitude for America's commitment to Israeli security, and lavished praise upon U.S. President George W. Bush, the evening's guest of honor, whom they characterized as the most supportive U.S. President Israel has ever known. Their remarks, which were met with thunderous applause, preceded a brief address by President Bush, who linked the destinies of the U.S. and Israel through their shared commitment to bringing peace to the Middle East. The full audio of each speech follows.

President Shimon Peres