Author Archives: Mark Hirshberg

15 Month Wait for IRS Approval, Ends with Liberal Sounding Name Change

Posted on 05/17/2013 No comments

IRSFrontpage Mag reports: In May 2011, Drew Ryun, a conservative activist and former Republican National Committee staffer, began filling out the Internal Revenue Service application to achieve nonprofit status for a new conservative watchdog group.

He submitted the paperwork to the IRS in July 2011 for a research site called Media Trackers, which calls itself a “non-partisan investigative watchdog dedicated to promoting accountability in the media and government.” Although the site has investigated Republicans like Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Florida Gov. Rick Scott, the site’s organizers are unapologetically conservative. Read more »

Lopez to Resign from State Assembly, Run for City Council

Posted on 05/17/2013 No comments

vito lopezAP reports via VIN: Democratic New York City Assemblyman Vito Lopez says he will resign amid a sexual harassment scandal and run for New York City council. Lopez says he’ll step down June 20.

Lopez has been under growing pressure after it was revealed the state secretly paid women $103,000 to settle sexual harassment claims against the one-time Brooklyn power broker. Read more »

We Wish Our Visitors & Advertisers a Happy & Healthy Shevuos

Posted on 05/14/2013 No comments

We will be out for the observance of the Shevuos holiday, we will be back on Thursday night May 16th.

shevuos message

No Kidding: Iran to Preside Over UN Arms Control Forum

Posted on 05/13/2013 No comments

iran unThe Washington Free Beacon reports: Iran will preside over the United Nations arms control forum this month, despite the fact that it is under U.N. sanctions for illicit nuclear activities and routinely supplies arms to the terrorist organization Hezbollah in violation of international law.

The U.N.’s annual Conference on Disarmament, which Iran is slated to leadfrom May 27 to June 23, is the organization’s primary multilateral forum for negotiating arms control agreements. Read more »

IDF Clears Landmines So Palestinian Residents Can Safely Use Area

Posted on 05/12/2013 No comments

IDF Clears landminesThe IDF Engineering Corps and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) recently assisted in the clearing of landmines planted in the fields of Husan, near Bethlehem. An Israeli group that specializes in mine removal began clearing the mines on Sunday, April 21, after Engineering Corps soldiers had combed and fenced off the area.

The area being cleared of mines covers 13 dunams of land and borders private houses. Nine of the dunams certainly contained mines, while the remaining four were suspected to be mined. Read more »

Onion-Like Web: Pizza Owner Refuses to Serve Bloomberg 2nd Slice

Posted on 05/02/2013 4 comments

bloombergpizzaThe Daily Currant (a clown website like the Onion) jokes: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was denied a second slice of pizza today at an Italian eatery in Brooklyn.

The owners of Collegno’s Pizzeria say they refused to serve him more than one piece to protest Bloomberg’s proposed soda ban,which would limit the portions of soda sold in the city.

Bloomberg was having an informal working lunch with city comptroller John Liu at the time and was enraged by the embarrassing prohibition. The owners would not relent, however, and the pair were forced to decamp to another restaurant to finish their meal. Read more »

Twitter Account of @DovGordonYWN By The Numbers

Posted on 05/02/2013 No comments

twitter warAfter the report that was released yesterday that NYC Councilman David Greenfield might be behind the pen name Dov Gordon on The Yeshiva World News website, we reviewed the timeline of the @DovGordonYWN twitter account, and here is what we found:

From the 181 tweets on the twitter account, there are 51 tweets that refer to Councilman David Greenfield (@NYCGreenfield) or Assemblyman Dov Hikind (@HikindDov).

Councilman Greenfield - 28 Retweets, 10 Positive, 0 Negative, and 2 Neutral.

Assemblyman Hikind – 0 Retweets, 0 Positive, 9 Negative, 4 Neutral.

Do your math.

Rand Paul Happy to Dance with Israeli Yeshiva Boys

Posted on 05/02/2013 No comments

Rand paul israelRand Paul is describing an episode from his trip to Israel in January: “I went to a Shabbat,” he tells me, “it was the first time I’ve ever done that, and I had a wonderful time. I went to the yeshiva, and all the young men were singing and dancing, they had me dancing around the table. I hope I was singing something that was fine — it was all in Hebrew, so I had no idea what I was singing.” – National Review

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Bolivian President Evo Morales Expels USAID From Bolivia

Posted on 05/02/2013 No comments

moralesJust a week after the U.S. State Dept. released its report berating Bolivia for their human rights violations, including their wrongful imprisonment of American Jewish businessman Jacob Ostreicher, as reported here, we get this reports from AP via Yahoo:  Bolivian president Evo Morales acted on a longtime threat Wednesday and expelled the U.S. Agency for International Development for allegedly seeking to undermine Bolivia’s leftist government, and he harangued Washington’s top diplomat for calling the Western Hemisphere his country’s “backyard.”

Bolivia’s ABI state news agency said USAID was “accused of alleged political interference in peasant unions and other social organizations.” Read more »

Embattled Councilman Dan Halloran Won’t Run for Re-Election

Posted on 05/01/2013 No comments

halloranPoliticker reports: Councilman Dan Halloran, who has been charged for helping quarterback a bribery scheme to rig the mayoral race, will not seek another term in office, he announced this afternoon.

“Regrettably, I must now focus my attention on clearing my name and restoring my reputation, while I continue to discharge my sworn duties as a member of the New York City Council,” he said. “After much thought, I have concluded that it is impossible for me to properly do these things and take on the enormous demands of a political campaign, so I will not to pursue another term in the Council.” Read more »

Bloomberg Trashes the New York Times, Accuses Them of Racism

Posted on 04/30/2013 No comments

bloomberg MikePoliticker reports: Mayor Michael Bloomberg has always been critical of media outlets and politicians pushing policies that he argues will weaken the New York City’s police department, but he took his case to thenext level this afternoon when he blasted both the City Council and the press writ-large for undermining the city’s security.

He used the recent murder of a Bronx teenager to make his most forceful plea for proactive safety strategies. Read more »

Watch Live Now: President Obama Takes Questions of White House Press

Posted on 04/30/2013 No comments

Giuliani: Democratic Mayoral Hopefuls Have ‘Never Really Held a Job’

Posted on 04/30/2013 No comments

giulianic lhotaPoliticker reports:  At a fund-raiser last night for his one-time deputy mayor Joe Lhota, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani not only came out swinging against Democratic officials’ counter-terrorism policies, he blasted this year’s crop of Democratic mayoral candidates, saying neither they–nor President Barack Obama–had ever held a real job.

Mr. Giuliani, one of Mr. Lhota’s biggest backers as he seeks the Republican nomination for City Hall’s top job, touted his former attack dog’s record in the private sector and as the city’s once-budget director. Read more »

Open Letter to Rabbi Shmuley Re the RJC

Posted by on 04/28/2013 2 comments

09.02-Shmuley-BoteachIn your recent appearance on the Zev Brenner Show, you came on for one reason, but you missed the point, and we would really appreciate if you can answer this question.

The reason you appeared on the show was to defend the RJC in face of recent criticism, but you left the main question unanswered. Therefore I’m here on the behalf of our readers, as a political website catering mainly to Orthodox Jews, we really would like to know, why is it that the RJC chose to ignore the Orthodox Jewish electorate in NYC and elsewhere? Read more »

Gillibrand, Crowley Announce Legislation to Increase Kosher Food in Emergency Food Supply

Posted on 04/25/2013 No comments

kosherWashington, DC – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Congressman Joe Crowley (D-NY) today announced legislation they introduced in both chambers of Congress to ensure that kosher food pantries receive adequate supply of food for hungry families as part of the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). With an estimated 117,000 Jewish households in New York City living in poverty, the lawmakers’ legislation requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to target, label, and track distribution of kosher food to make certain that more meals are directed toward kosher food banks that need it the most. Read more »

Video: Congressman: 5 Jihadists Reached Their Targets in the U.S. Under Obama

Posted on 04/24/2013 No comments

U.S. State Dept. Mentions Jacob Ostreicher in 2012 Human Rights Report on Bolivia

Posted on 04/22/2013 No comments

ostreicher in wheelchairIn the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012 on Bolivia that was released 3 days ago, the State Department tears down Bolivia for multiple civil rights violations, the most serious of them included arbitrary arrest or detention, denial of a fair and timely public trial, and violence against women.

The following are quotes fro the report:

The law prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention, but in some cases security forces seized and held individuals under legally questionable circumstances.

In June 2011 foreign citizen Jacob Ostreicher was arrested for suspicion of money laundering and affiliation with a criminal organization. He was placed in preventive detention and held until December 18, 2012. Read more »

Ostreicher Confirms: Tons of His Rice Donated to Cuba by Bolivian Govt.

Posted on 04/20/2013 No comments

ostreichers riceLa Paz, Bolivia – On the Dov Hikind show minutes ago, Jacob Ostreicer confirmed a report that was previously published here on Gestetner Updates, that Four Hundred and Seventy Five Tons of Rice that was donated by the Bolivian Govt. to Cuba was indeed Jacob Ostreicher’s Rice.

He also reiterates his previous claims that former Bolivian Minister and current Bolivian UN ambassador Sacha Llorenti (@SachaLlorenti) was giving the power to Fernando Rivera and other corrupted officials that made the whole network possible.

Video: Wonder Rabbi Foresaw Korean Threat as Worse Than Iran

Posted on 04/05/2013 No comments

On December 1st of 1994, Rabbi Levy Saadia Nachmenu gave a speech a month before he suddenly passed away, where he foresaw a serious atomic conflict with Korea that would be much worse than Iran, Iraq, Syria or Lybia. Watch this shocking video:

NYC – Lopez Forms City Council Campaign Committee

Posted on 04/04/2013 No comments

Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez has formed a campaign committee to raise money for a possible run for City Council, records show. For months, there has been speculation that Mr. Lopez, who is embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal, might run for the seat being vacated by term-limited Brooklyn Councilman Diana Reyna. Mr. Lopez also has said that he is suffering from serious health problems, which has made him less eager to stay in the Assembly. – Crain’s Insider

Video: Stewart Hits Morsi in Lengthy Segment

Posted on 04/04/2013 No comments

Direct Link H/T Jewish Press

Rockets Fired on Israel From Gaza for Third Day

Posted on 04/04/2013 No comments

JTA Reports: Rocket fired from Gaza struck southern Israel, the third consecutive day that rockets have been fired at Israel from the coastal strip. Several rockets were fired from Gaza on Thursday morning; only one landed in an open area in southern Israel. The rest exploded within Gaza’s borders. No damage or injuries were reported. Read more »

Video: Former Prosecutor Apologizes to Jacob Ostreicher, Ostreicher Does Not Accept

Posted on 04/04/2013 5 comments

CASO___ad_Santa Cruz, Bolivia - Yesterday during a trial hearing into the extortion and corruption network, former prosecutor Fernando Rivera – who is currently incarcerated in Palmasola accused of being the ring leader of the extortion case against Jewish businessman Jacob Ostreicher – took the opportunity to apologize to Jacob Ostreicherfor having blemished his dignity. 

“I want to express to Mr. Ostreicher publicly with great nobility and courage and ask Mr. Ostreicher to accept my apology, if he was at any time somewhat aggrieved or affected by my actions. But I want to clarify to Mr. Ostreicher, that due to my job I had to follow orders from above. I do this with great respect, with a lot of humility, your honor.” said Mr. Rivera.

The Following is a video of Jacob Ostreicher Rejecting the apology, and claiming the apology to be an insult: Read more »

Happy Passover to All Our Visitors

Posted on 03/25/2013 5 comments

We will be back after Passover on Wednesday April 3rd. Thanks for your understanding.

Pesach Message

Video: Ostreicher Insists Corruption, Extortion Network Still Operates in Bolivia

Posted on 03/20/2013 No comments

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