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Israelapalooza

By Colin Campbell 8/20/12 8:59pm

Israelapalooza

A photo of Dan Halloran in Israel.

Halloran Mocks Meng’s Foreign Policy ‘Chutzpah’ in His Own Op-Ed [Update]

Earlier this month, Assemblywoman Grace Meng, the Democratic candidate for New York’s 6th Congressional District, penned an op-ed in the Jewish Week outlining agreements and disagreements with President Barack Obama on his policies towards Israel, while simultaneously taking some shots at her Republican opponent, Councilman Dan Halloran, for his support for the non-interventionist Ron Paul’s presidential campaign.

Mr. Halloran’s campaign, naturally, had some choice words for that, declaring, “There are serious issues at stake here that a ghostwritten, waffling op-ed does not address.”

But the back-and-forth on the Holy Land didn’t stop there. Not even close. Read More

By Colin Campbell 6/18/12 8:39am

Israelapalooza

Rory Lancman (Photo: Facebook)

Dov Hikind: ‘Rory Lancman Should Be Your Candidate’

On his post-Shabbos radio show, Assemblyman Dov Hikind declared his support for his colleague Rory Lancman’s congressional campaign. Mr. Hikind is a power broker in the city’s Orthodox Jewish community and had previously praised Mr. Lancman, but he made his opinion on the matter crystal clear late last Saturday night.

“I would just urge every person out there to go out and vote,” Mr. Hikind said. “If you’re interested in the issues that I’m talking about, it’s a no-brainer.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 6/12/12 4:10pm

Israelapalooza

Hakeem Jeffries addressing the crowd.

Charles Barron vs. Hakeem Jeffries on Foreign Policy [Video]

At a town hall last night in Bed-Stuy, congressional candidates Hakeem Jeffries and Charles Barron gave their pitches and took questions, striking familiar themes: Mr. Jeffries portrayed himself as a serious legislator while Mr. Barron proclaimed his ability to help lead a national movement to change the country.

As the two competitors spoke at different times in different rooms, they never interacted or had the opportunity to have a fiery back-and-forth, as already happened on Inside City Hall. However, both candidates did take identical questions on foreign policy, “especially related around Africa and the Caribbean,” and their responses showed an interesting yet unsurprising divergence.

“This is a very diverse district and so there are going to be different parts of the district that have significant foreign policy interests,” Mr. Jeffries noted, adding that Africa was dear to the heart of many residents in places like Bed-Stuy, the Caribbean was important to Canarsie and Flatlands, and, unprompted, stressed the importance of Israel as well. Read More

By Colin Campbell 6/01/12 12:31pm

Israelapalooza

Rory Lancman at his campaign announcement.

Lancman Lands Jewish Press Endorsement

Assemblyman Rory Lancman got a nice boost for his congressional campaign yesterday when he received the formal backing of the Jewish Press. The endorsement, which might be the first one from a newspaper in the race, comes as Mr. Lancman is competing against Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley and Assemblywoman Grace Meng in a Democratic primary for a northeastern Queens Congressional District.

“In an extensive interview with The Jewish Press, Mr. Lancman impressed us as someone we would like to see in Congress voting on issues important to the Jewish community,” the publication wrote about their preferred candidate. “He displayed a deep understanding of the nature of Israel’s struggle with its neighbors and why it’s important, for both Israeli and American interests, that the United States ’tilt’ toward Israel.” Read More