#hamodia

LONDON (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday urged British Prime Minister Theresa May to follow the American administration and impose new sanctions on Iran over a recent missile test.

The two leaders met at 10 Downing St. for talks British officials hoped would focus on boosting trade ties between the two countries once Britain leaves the European Union.

As photographers captured the start of the meeting, Mr. Netanyahu told Prime Minister May: “I’d like to talk to you about how we can ensure that Iran’s aggression does not go unanswered.”

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Britain has backed the Iran nuclear deal, which Theresa May has called “vital.”

In pointed remarks at the start of his meeting with Prime Minister May, Mr. Netanyahu said he wished other countries would follow the U.S. lead.

“Iran seeks to annihilate Israel, it seeks to conquer the Middle East, it threatens Europe, it threatens the West, it threatens the world,” he said. “And it offers provocation after provocation.”

Mr. Netanyahu added: “That’s why I welcome President Trump’s assistance of new sanctions against Iran. I think other nations should follow suit, certainly responsible nations.”

Filed under: Binyamin Netanyahu, Iran, Israel, Sanctions, Theresa May, U.K.

Brooklyn Lawmaker Quits Over Bribery Claim | Forward.com.

The Orthodox newspaper is running two stories on the special election to replace Anthony Weiner in Congress, both fairly favorable to Republican candidate Bob Turner. Here's one of the two:

The two Assemblymen used to be relatively good friends, or so it seemed.

Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who can occasionally fill the role of a power broker in the Boro Park Orthodox community (and maybe has influence in lands beyond, like in Weiner's district) endorsed then-Councilman Weprin for Comptroller in 2009:

Assemblyman Dov Hikind of Brooklyn is not endorsing the only comptroller candidate from his borough, David Yassky, and instead backing David Weprin of Queens. Hikind made the announcement on his weekly radio show Saturday night. In a brief telephone interview this morning, Hikind elaborated. “I know he’s qualified based on his experience, going back to before he was an elected official,” Hikind said, referring to Weprin’s days working in the state’s Banking Department under Mario Cuomo. “He and I go back over 20 years.”

Weprin finished in last place in that Comptroller's race, but he won Hikind's Assembly district with the backing. Anyway, here's Hikind today:

“I don’t know who I’m going to support,” he said of the Congressional race between Weprin and Republican Bob Turner to fill the seat left vacant by Anthony Weiner. “I do have a problem with David Weprin on a certain issue which I will talk about a lot more as we move on.” Hikind declined to discuss further what that “certain issue” is, but indicated that it was gay marriage, encouraging The Politicker to read the Orthodox newspaper Hamodia‘s editorials on the matter.

At least one of Hamodia's editorials Hikind references was rather sketchy journalism, and was focused on what amounted to a lie about Weprin's same sex marriage record, but I assume that's what Hikind's talking about.

But then Hikind suggests the race should be about Israel, although I'm not quite sure where he disagrees with Weprin:

“This is a district that is extremely committed to Israel,” he said. “I want to support a candidate that is a great friend of Israel, not just in rhetoric but in action.”

The Orthodox Jewish newspaper runs an op-ed attacking Weprin over his vote for gay marriage, including this paragraph:

Weprin, you see, was watching how Weiner's seat was slowly slipping out of his hands. He was watching with an eye on his own advancement. The price for the Democratic nod to replace the Congressman? His very soul.

For that to make much sense, you'd need to say that Weprin always opposed gay marriage until he took that vote, staring at Weiner's seat while making that decision. I'm not sure if I accept that.

Update: Weprin actually has a solid paper trail of supporting gay marriage that extends far back before Anthony Weiner's crotch was sent across Twitter.  I'm not sure why the author of this piece, an editor at Hamodia, didn't do his homework before attacking Weprin like this.

The Orthodox Jewish newspaper Hamodia features the story on their front page next to the headline "Much Dreaded N.Y. Marriage Bill Signed Into Law."

This issue is particularly important to Brooklyn's Orthodox community, and a reader who passed along the Hamodia article noted the direct effort exerted by Council Speaker and 2013 mayoral candidate Chris Quinn on the issue. From Hamodia:

"Though it was a Sunday afternoon, [director of the Council's Division of Budget, Preston] Niblack arranged the call upon the direct request of Speaker Quinn as part of an effort to reach out to the Jewish community."