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Home Front
NY Jewish gem dealer arrested in missile and money-laundering plot
2003-08-14
JPost - reg req’d - traitors come in all colors, creeds, and religions, apparently - the JPost can’t have enjoyed publishing this...so much for their "bias"
A Jewish gem dealer was the go-between in a terrorist missile and money-laundering scheme, prosecutors charged yesterday. Yehuda Abraham, the 75-year old president of Ambuy Gem Corp., was arrested Tuesday afternoon in the Diamond District and charged with planning a $30,000 money transfer for the purchase of shoulder-launched missiles.
Bastard
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in New Jersey, Abraham received the money, a down payment for missiles that were to be used to shoot down a commercial airliner, from Hemant Lakhani, 68, a British arms dealer who is being held without bail. The payment was made through an FBI informant last October, and Abraham apparently laundered the money to overseas accounts held by Lakhani.
How many pieces of silver is $30,000?
While Abraham was scheduled to be arraigned yesterday in Manhattan on charges of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, his son, Gideon, was protesting his innocence outside his father’s Fifth Avenue office. "It’s ridiculous," Gideon Abraham told the New York Post.
"Nope. Nope. Never happened. Not Pop."
In official circles, however, the elderly Jewish jewelry dealer was already branded a terrorist. "The terrorists who have threatened America lost an ally in their attempts to kill our citizens," said US Attorney Christopher J. Christie after Lakhani was charged and denied bail. If convicted, Abraham faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Take everything and let him go. The mossad should have a (final) talk with him
Posted by:Frank G

#10  Right on Penguin. I've alway interprted that third commandment as doing evil in gods name. leading others to do evil in gods name and the like. By the way, a homosexuals practice adultry, is that a sin?
Posted by: Lucky   2003-8-14 1:20:41 PM  

#9  As usual, James Lileks has the last word:

"Arresting them is nice. Arresting them is civilized. Part of me, however, wonders whether it might not be better to dispatch some of the grim men who can kill you with a shoelace and a thumbtack from sixty paces, and have them hasten to hell a half-dozen black-market arms dealers, just to get the point across: Don’t. Or else. Go trade camcorders that fell off a truck; go back to dealing Marlboros with forged tax stamps. Oh, allright, you can sell machine guns. We’re feeling generous. But if you even think the words “surface to air missile” you will meet up with a fellow who not only had his nose sharpened to a lethal point, but can remove the nose and throw it at your jugular if need be."
Posted by: Steve   2003-8-14 11:30:24 AM  

#8  If you're looking for anti-Semitism, we keep it over there, behind the couch.
Posted by: Fred   2003-8-14 10:38:20 AM  

#7  Hey anonymous, I think we all here know that sh**bags like that appear in every ethic/religious/national/whatever group.
Posted by: whitecollar redneck   2003-8-14 9:20:47 AM  

#6  "Sounds like one of those Hasidic guys with the funny side burns and the suits and hats. I may be wrong but I think those guys are anti-Zionist."

Only the szatmar sect is explicitly anti-zionist and anti-israel. The other sects are effectively "non-zionist" while they dont think much of Zionism as a political ideology, they are willing to deal with the Israel govt as they would with any other government. They are quite aware of jew-hating of the Pal terrorists, and tend to strongly dislike Pal terrorism. Since 9/11 they have generally overcome previous reticence and begun to display American flags (they still wont display Israeli flags, of course) on their homes and vehicles. In at least some neighborhoods these people delivered kosher "treats" to local fireshouses in the wake of 9/11.

All in all, while its possible the person in question was szatmar, in all likelihood his motivations were strictly financial, and he will be just as reviled in his own community as he is here. He has sinned, not only by his direct action, but by "chillul hashem" - literally "profanation of the name(of G-d)" IE by sinning in such a way, he has cast aspersion on torah and the religious life.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2003-8-14 8:57:40 AM  

#5  Wow, Penguin. Interesting comment on Commandment #3. Any reference to that?
Posted by: Ptah   2003-8-14 8:54:48 AM  

#4  It was enough to mention that the guy is Jewish for the Anti-semites to jump on the wagon. They already know he is Hassidic, what he wears, etc. You can not help yourself, too much hate going around to feed itself. Shame on you!
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-8-14 8:50:58 AM  

#3  If this is true, which it probably is, this guy is a vile, disgusting excuse for a human being and a Jew.

Especially if he is one of those holier than thou, hassidic types who are so common in the jewelry business.

FYI, the Third Commandment is commonly mis-translated as "Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain." A better translation is "Thou shalt not carry the Lord's name in vain."

What's the difference? The mistranslation says you shouldn't swear. Big deal.

But don't CARRY means don't be a religious hypocrite. Don't act all religiously observant and be completely unethical in how you live your life and more importantly treat other human beings.

Which is much more important than saying God Damnit.

Posted by: Penguin   2003-8-14 3:18:16 AM  

#2  Jewler in midtown Manhattan? Sounds like one of those Hasidic guys with the funny side burns and the suits and hats. I may be wrong but I think those guys are anti-Zionist. Either way, this guy deserves the chair, not 5 years, if he's guilty.

I've seen Lakhani described as a Briton of Indian descent in the news but I haven't seen anybody mention his religion. PCism in the Media? Is he a Hindu or......Muslim, or a Janist or other. Anybody want to take any bets?
Posted by: Tokyo Taro   2003-8-14 1:29:02 AM  

#1  How many pieces of silver is $30,000?

Last time I checked, silver was going for US$5.01 an ounce. That's approximately 6000 pieces, give or take one hundred. Guess the going price for betrayal has gone UP in the past 2000 years.

Ed Becerra
Posted by: Ed Becerra   2003-8-14 12:30:40 AM  

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