FEATURED JOBS
Comments (1)Agudath Israel of America expressed “deep anguish” after the execution in Florida of a murderer whose case drew Orthodox pleas for clemency.
Martin Grossman, 45, died at 6:17 p.m. Eastern time in Starke, Fla., on Tuesday by lethal injection, the Tampa Tribune reported. His last words were an expression of “heartfelt remorse” to the family of his victim, Peggy Park, an acceptance of responsibility for the crime and the Shema prayer.
“The tragic news out of Florida leaves us feeling deep anguish and sorrow,“Rabbi David Zwiebel, Agudath Israel of America’s executive vice president, said in a statement. “Mr. Grossman’s execution has hit our community very hard. He was a fellow Jew and so we saw him as a brother.”
An array of Orthodox Jewish organizations had pleaded to no avail with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who is in a tough primary fight for the Republication nomination in this year’s U.S. Senate election. The Vatican also pleaded on Grossman’s behalf after a request from Orthodox Jews.
“Countless members of our community had telephoned, e-mailed and faxed the governor’s office pleading that Mr. Grossman’s sentence be commuted to life in prison,” Zwiebel said. “Unfortunately, our hopes were dashed.”
Grossman killed Park, a state wildlife officer, on Dec. 13, 1984. Grossman was 19 when Park tried to arrest him for shooting a stolen gun in an undeveloped area. He and a companion beat Park before shooting her with her own gun. At the time Grossman was on probation for grand theft and breaking and entering.
Grossman’s intercessors argued that the crime was not premeditated, that he had expressed remorse and that he had diminished mental capacity. The U.S. Supreme Court turned away their final appeal on Tuesday.
Present at the execution were Park’s brother, sister and mother. Grossman spent his final day with his rabbi, an aunt and two friends.
Obama Nominates Syria Envoy
President Obama nominated an ambassador to Syria, saying his aim is to “enhance relations”.
The nomination Tuesday afternoon of Robert Stephen Ford, currently the deputy ambassador to Iraq, comes on the eve of a visit to Damascus by William Burns, an undersecretary of state and the most senior Obama administration official to visit Syria.
President George W. Bush withdrew the U.S. ambassador to Syria in early 2005, after Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister and democratic reformer, was assassinated. Syria was widely blamed for the murder.
Until this nomination, Obama had extended Bush administration sanctions and snubs aimed at getting Syria to stop meddling in Lebanon and Iraq, to end its backing for anti-Israel terrors groups and to end its weapons of mass destruction programs. Just last week, the White House denied that it had “formally” nominated an ambassador.
Obama has coupled continued sanctions on Syria with a policy of outreach, partly in hopes of bringing Israel and Syria back to peace negotiations.
“His appointment represents President Obama’s commitment to use engagement to advance U.S. interests by improving communication with the Syrian government and people,” said a White House statement separate from the routine notification of nomination. “If confirmed by the Senate, Ambassador Ford will engage the Syrian government on how we can enhance relations, while addressing areas of ongoing concern.”
Reports of Ford’s possible nomination have been circulating for weeks; officials in Damascus have told media that they approved the pick.
J Street Congressional Group Snubbed, Blocked from Gaza
Israel’s deputy foreign minister boycotted a U.S. congressional delegation to Israel this week.
Danny Ayalon declined to meet Wednesday with the delegation of Democratic Congress members led by Rep. William Delahunt (D-Mass.) due to the trip’s sponsorship by the J Street Education Fund and Churches for Middle East Peace, organizations that are critical of Israel.
Additionally, JTA has learned that the Israeli army blocked the delegation from a planned tour of the Gaza Strip.
The five-day trip included meetings with top Palestinian officials, the king and prime minister of Jordan, and members of the Knesset.
Maariv reported that the Foreign Ministry recommended the Israeli prime minister and president not meet the delegation, and permitted only a meeting with Dan Meridor, one of five deputy prime ministers. Sources within J Street expressed their dismay.
Ayalon offered to meet with the lawmakers as long as representatives of the sponsoring groups were not present, a condition the delegation rejected.
In response to Delahunt’s request for an explanation, the Foreign Ministry released a statement that said it was “happy to arrange such meetings for U.S. Congress members currently in Israel, without any mediators. The Foreign Ministry is troubled by the attempt to dictate who will be present at such meetings, which is unacceptable in diplomatic life.”
Meetings between Israeli officials and such delegations are typically mediated by representatives of pro-Israel groups.
Ayalon already had voiced his displeasure with J Street on Tuesday when addressing the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, telling the audience that “[J Street] cannot say that they are pro-Israel”—a claim that Delahunt branded as inaccurate.
“In our opinion this is an inappropriate way to treat elected representatives of Israel’s closest ally who are visiting the country—and who through the years have been staunch supporters of the U.S.-Israeli special relationship,” Delahunt said at a news conference.
J Street describes itself as “pro-Israel and pro-peace” and has criticized Israeli policies it believes endanger the Jewish state.
Joining Delahunt in the delegation are Reps. Bob Filner and Lois Capps, both California Democrats, Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Ohio) and Donald Payne (D-N.J.).