More criticism of the New York Times article on Israel's ongoing strategy to control Jerusalem from an insightful reader in New York who reminds us of the local angle:
The New York Times failed to tell its New York readers that a
central player in the Jerusalem land takeover/parks project, The City
of David or Elad, is supported by the Brooklyn-based non-profit Friends of
Ir David (donation information here).
spotlight on two Brooklyn-based nonprofits, Friends of Ir David and the
Hebron Fund, in his recent article "A Tax Break Fuels Middle East Friction,"
the New York Times, based in the city where these two nonprofits
are located - as well as the Central Fund, Friends of the Ateret
Cohanim, and others - has not, in this article or in the
past, touched this topic.
Finally, Meron Rapoport ex-ace reporter at Ha'aretz has reported repeatedly
on the possibility that, in addition to supporting the Land Redemption
Fund, Lev Leviev is a donor to Elad. But Rapoport was unable to prove
or disprove this as Elad withheld its donor information, even from the
Israeli government. See this from the Adalah-NY website:
Ha’aretz Daily reporter
Meron Rapoport has also raised the possibility that Leviev is a
donor to the settlement group Elad which is also using dubious means to take
over the Palestinian East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan for Israeli
settlement. Rapoport wrote that, “According to government sources,
businessmen originally from Russia are among the main donors to Elad. At an
event held by Elad two years ago, in honor of its new visitors center in the
City of David, the guests of honor included Russian real estate tycoon Lev
Leviev and Roman Abramovich, the owner of the Chelsea soccer club.
Representatives of the two would not say whether they made donations to Elad.”
Despite an order from Israel’s Registrar of Associations, Elad has refused to
turn over a list of its donors. Thus until now it has been impossible to prove
or disprove that Leviev has donated to
Elad.
