Other items in today’s column include:
*Assemblyman Levine: Keep the National Guard Distributing Food
*President Trump pardons Margaret Hunter
*City Councilman Joe LaCava ‘Looking Forward’ to Working with Council President Campbell
*Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert is picked by Mayor Gloria for S.D. Regional Airport Board
*Israeli Consul General Hillel Newman to Address SAJAC Jan. 21
*State Sen. Brian Jones, other Republicans urge fast action on 7,200 pending adoptions
*In Memoriam
{Names in Boldface type in this column are those of known members of the Jewish community)
SAN DIEGO — Mirroring the negative advertising campaigns in Georgia criticizing the opponents of the candidates they favor, Christians United for Israel issued a press release rebuking Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, for anti-Israel statements he made in the past (but which he has since recanted), while Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California) blasted Warnock’s opponent, U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, for selling millions of dollars in personal stocks before news of the impacts of the COVID pandemic were generally known by the public.
While most of the people who might read the news releases can’t vote, both sides hope to stimulate financial contributions to the candidates they favor in a double run-off election Jan. 5 that will determine whether Republicans or Democrats will control the U.S. Senate.
The Action Fund of Christians United for Israel said in it news release: “Radical Raphael Warnock, preaching a gospel of hate, lying about the Jewish state: ‘The government of Israel shoots own unnamed Palestinian sisters and brothers like birds of prey.’ Warnock demonized Christians with Israel: ‘mealy-mouthed Evangelical preachers … talking about peace.’ And Warnock makes excuses for terror: ‘yes, there may have been some folks who were violent.’ Your vote matters. Stand with Israel. Stop Raphael Warnock.”
Meanwhile, Schiff, who gained fame as the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee which led the effort to impeach President Trump, said that Loeffler, who was appointed to her position to fill a vacancy, “sold off almost $20 million in stocks before the public was fully aware of the threat from the coronavirus. And since then, she’s mocked mast-wearing and attacked the seriousness of the virus.”
The other Georgia runoff race pits Jon Ossoff, a former congressional staffer and investigative journalist, against Republican incumbent David Perdue. Schiff, in his news release, said Perdue, during the pandemic, “was downplaying the risks of COVID-19 and making it harder to get healthcare to people who needed it, all the while doing hundreds of stock trades to protect his own assets and bottom line.”
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Assemblyman Levine: Keep the National Guard Distributing Food
Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-Marin County) has called upon Gov. Gavin Newsom to extend the use of the National Guard to distribute food at food banks throughout California. “Families across California are facing food insecurity at an alarming rate never seen in our lifetimes,” Levine said. “The holiday season highlights the critical work of the National Guard at food banks, but the need for this work will not end when holiday lights come down. With millions of Californians relying on food banks for the most essential of needs and COVID-19 infections continuing at an unrestrained rate, we desperately need to continue National Guard troop support at food banks at least through next year. I know Governor Newsom has seen the value of National Guard support at food banks and am hopeful that he will continue their deployment to ensure that all Californians struggling with food insecurity have access to healthy food.”
Joining Levine in the appeal to the governor were three state senators and 15 members of the state Assembly, including Levine’s colleagues in the California Jewish Legislative Caucus Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Lamorinda) and Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto).
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President Trump pardons Margaret Hunter
A day after pardoning former Congressman Duncan D. Hunter of San Diego County, President Donald J. Trump pardoned Hunter’s estranged wife, Margaret. Both had pled guilty in federal court to misappropriating campaign funds. The congressman had been scheduled to begin serving an 11 month sentence in January, but the pardon precluded that. Margaret Hunter was sentenced to eight months home confinement along with probation. In explaining his pardon of both Hunters, the White House said the President believed the case should have been treated as a civil violation, not as a criminal case.
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City Councilman Joe LaCava ‘Looking Forward’ to Working with Council President Campbell
San Diego City Councilman Joe LaCava, who has succeeded unsuccessful mayoral candidate Barbara Bry as the 1st District representative, was the only one of the council’s nine members who did not receive a committee chairmanship when they were doled out by the Rules Committee, under the leadership of Council President Dr. Jennifer Campbell. In an email to constituents, that might be construed as an olive branch to Campbell, he wrote that he was “pleased that Councilmembers Sean Elo-Rivera, Monica Montgomery-Steppe, and Vivian Moreno will chair significant council committees.” Like LaCava, all three voted against Campbell for Council President and for Montgomery Steppe. LaCava, who was assigned vice chairmanships of the Audit Committee and Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he will do his part “to advance an agenda of solutions, transparency and equity. I am optimistic about the leadership that all my colleagues will bring to their respective committees. I look forward to working with Council President Campbell and all my council colleagues.”
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Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert is picked by Mayor Gloria for S.D. Regional Airport Board
Democrat Marni von Wilpert, who defeated Republican Joe Leventhal in the race for the open 5th District San Diego City Council seat, has been appointed along with attorney Gil Cabrera to the board of directors of the San Diego County Regional Airport Board of Directors by San Diego Von Wilpert’s appointment needs concurrence of the San Diego City Council. In making the appointments, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria also noted that current Board member Johanna Schiavoni will be elevated to become chair of the board, replacing April Boling, who plans to step down in January.
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Israeli Consul General Hillel Newman to Address SAJAC Jan. 21
Hillel Newman, Israel’s Consul General in Los Angeles, will address the San Diego-based South African Jewish American Community (SAJAC) via Zoom at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 21, via this Zoom website. Like the SAJAC membership, Newman is a former citizen of South Africa “who made Aliyah as a young man and served as a medic in the IDF,” according to SAJAC President Pam Nathan. “His diplomatic experience includes serving as a policy advisor to three Israeli Foreign Ministers; Israeli Ambassador to Tajikstan and Uzbekistan; and as deputy consul general in Boson.” His topic will be “Challenges & Opportunities Facing Israel Today.” One may register for the event by RSVPing via this email and mentioning “Dr. Hillel Newman” in the subject line.
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State Sen. Brian Jones, other Republicans urge fast action on 7,200 pending adoptions
Republican State Sen. Brian Jones of Santee has joined with Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove of Bakersfield and other members of the GOP Caucus to urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to initiate a program that will allow 7,200 foster children waiting for their cases to be heard in dependency courts to proceed with the adoption process, which has been hampered by stay-at-home orders resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter to the governor, the Republicans said that if placing children in “their forever homes in a timely fashion” requires legislative action” that Republicans “stand ready to work with you and the majority party to enact those changes to make this a reality. These children are the future of Calfornia and they deserve nothing less than immediate support.”
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In Memoriam
Arthur Hershman, 81, died Saturday, Dec. 19, Am Israel Mortuary reported. His funeral officiated by Rabbi Jason Nevarez of Congregation Beth Israel was conducted on Tuesday, Dec. 22, at El Camino Memorial Park, 5600 Carroll Canyon Road.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com Free obituaries in memory of members of the San Diego County Jewish community are sponsored on San Diego Jewish World by Inland Industries Group LP in memory of long-time San Diego Jewish community leader Marie (Mrs. Gabriel) Berg.