Editor’s note: New: “Trotskyite Running Dog Confesses as Purges Continue“.

Reader letters below. See also”Why an Economic Boycott of Israel is Justified” by NGF.

HAARETZ – 03.07.2006 Under fire for his membership in a professional
organization highly critical of Israel, Lord Richard Rogers, the
British architect supervising the redesign of the Jacob Javits Center,
has cut ties to the group in an effort to salvage his role in the $1.7
billion project.

But that hasn’t satisfied several elected officials, including New
York state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Rep. Anthony Weiner,
who have each demanded Rogers be dropped from the project. And Friday,
the chairman of the state commission overseeing the Javits Center
redevelopment summoned Rogers to New York to discuss the controversy.

Rogers announced earlier this week he had severed his relationship
with Architects and Planners for Justice in Palestine, a group of 60
prominent architects who have called on Israel to stop building
settlements and the security barrier in the West Bank. Last month, the
organization issued a statement calling for a boycott of Israel and
compared West Bank building firms to those that worked in South Africa
during the apartheid era.

Last month, the organization issued a statement calling for a boycott of Israel and compared West Bank building firms to those that worked in South Africa during the apartheid era.

Rogers, whose other works include the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris
and the Millennium Dome in Greenwich, England, hosted a meeting of the
group at his London office but did not vote for the Israel boycott,
his spokesman Howard Rubenstein said. . .

George Arzt, a communications strategist and one-time press secretary
to former Mayor Ed Koch, said that while in some places an architect’s
foreign policy views may not seem relevant to his work, New York’s
ethnic stew presents an entirely different challenge. “It’s Israel,
it’s Ireland, it’s Italy – in New York, people are very tied to the
ethnic groups of their heritage,” Arzt said. “Despite the fact that
Mr. Rogers is a world-renowned architect, here in New York, the
politics of the Middle East overwhelm any reputation he has.”

UNDERNEWS
Mar 07, 2006
UNDERNEWS: http://www.prorev.com/indexa.htm

Last month, the organization issued a statement calling for a boycott of Israel and compared West Bank building firms to those that worked in South Africa during the apartheid era.

Rogers, whose other works include the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris and the Millennium Dome in Greenwich, England, hosted a meeting of the group at his London office but did not vote for the Israel boycott, his spokesman Howard Rubenstein said.

He has been quoted as saying that he supported “targeted activities” against Israel – a claim Rogers denies.

“I have never backed a boycott and I have personally never stated that I favor targeted activities,” he said in a statement released Friday.

Rogers’ statements were met with mixed reactions Friday from Jewish leaders.

Anti-Defamation League Director Abe Foxman said he had spoken to Rogers Friday, and was reassured by what he heard.

“If we didn’t believe that people couldn’t change hearts and minds, we wouldn’t be in business,” Foxman said. “As far as we’re concerned, the issue is closed.”

But others weren’t convinced.

Weiner, a Brooklyn Democrat, released a letter Friday to the Empire State Development Corp. calling for Rogers’ contract to be rescinded. The ESDC is overseeing the Javits project and has based its planning on Rogers’ design, which would almost double the size of the center.

Weiner cited federal and state anti-boycott laws making it illegal to participate in boycotts of another country and said Rogers’ stewardship of the Javits project would dishonor the memory of Javits himself.

“This is not just any project. This is a building that’s named after one of the foremost fighters for the state of Israel,” Weiner said in an interview.

Javits, a Republican, represented New York in the U.S. House and Senate from 1954 to 1981. He died in 1986, the same year the Javits Center opened.

Weiner added that he considered Rogers’ public statements “too clever by half” and said he didn’t believe they indicated a true change of heart.

“He’s someone who is working on a very lucrative contract, and was caught being involved in an abhorrent organization,” Weiner said.

Earlier this week, a spokeswoman for the ESDC told the Sun that ESDC officials were “satisfied” with Rogers’ statements. But on Friday, ESDC chairman Charles Gargano announced he had requested a meeting with Rogers next week to review his relationship with the controversial group.

“I look forward to the opportunity to gain a better understanding of his position on these matters, which we take very seriously,” Gargano said.

Silver, who had already urged both the ESDC and Gov. George Pataki to sever ties with Rogers, sent a letter to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg Friday urging him to discontinue Rogers’ participation in the redevelopment of the East River waterfront.

“The message has to be clear: It’s not the American way to punish people for their national origin,” Silver said in an interview.

George Arzt, a communications strategist and one-time press secretary to former Mayor Ed Koch, said that while in some places an architect’s foreign policy views may not seem relevant to his work, New York’s ethnic stew presents an entirely different challenge.

“It’s Israel, it’s Ireland, it’s Italy – in New York, people are very tied to the ethnic groups of their heritage,” Arzt said. “Despite the fact that Mr. Rogers is a world-renowned architect, here in New York, the politics of the Middle East overwhelm any reputation he has.”

Trotskyite Running Dog Confesses as Purges Continue

From: Richard Rogers

Contact:
Rubenstein Associates, Inc.
Howard J. Rubenstein
Office: 212-843-8080

STATEMENT FROM ARCHITECT RICHARD ROGERS

The wall between Israel and the Palestinians has proven to prevent many suicide bomber attempts and deaths. And I am in favor of it to thwart terror attacks on Israel.

I call upon Hamas to renounce terrorism and recognize
Israel’s right to exist. Just making a statement is not enough. They have to back it up.

Egypt and Jordan have reached a peaceful understanding with Israel: So can Hamas if they truly want peace.

I am not a member of Architects and Planners for Justice in Palestine, nor have I ever been.

I unequivocally renounce them and have withdrawn my relationship with them.

“The group was permitted to use my office in London once – not three times, as has been reported – for a meeting on February 2nd. The meeting was held on the office premises as a favor to the group’s founder, Abe Hayeem, an old friend of mine who is Jewish and who is married to an Israeli.

I left after 10 minutes. They never passed a resolution on a boycott and, if they ever propose one, I will oppose it.

As I have stated previously, I abhor boycotts of any kind – of Israel or any other place. It is not the way to achieve peace and I will not be party to any group or movement that advocates a boycott.

Reader letters

Rogers is an accomplished architect from The UK. His firm has been hired to redesign The Javits Center. They also may be hired to design the Silver Cup Studio expansion in Queens- it’s almost a done deal. However, Richard Rogers was also a member of Architects and Planners for Justice in Palestine. Apparently he hosted at least one meeting at his office in London. They have been proposing a boycott of any companies building the illegal separation barrier. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D) Queens has been trying to score points with his pro Zionist constituents. He has gotten Sheldon Silver and Pataki involved along with The ADL. Weiner wants Rogers banned from both jobs. Rogers has since broken ties with the group and renounced the boycott- saying he “abhors boycotts of anyone.” Apparently that still isn’t enough for Weiner. Rogers wife is Jewish. The head of Architects and Planners for Just. in Pal. is Ben Hayeem (Jewish w/Israeli wife). Hayeem had a notable quote “Just because you are Jewish doesn’t mean you have to follow Israel blindly.” What confused me was that these politicians i.e. Weiner, Hevesi, Silver, all claimed that a boycott of Israel is “illegal” in NYS. I have come to understand that this was made a law when a boycott of Israel was started by Arab nations years ago. I think NYS law and possibly US law prohibits “joining” that boycott. Regardless, I think it is pretty outrageous that boycotting ( regardless of circumstances) any foreign nation or entity should be illegal in our “Democracy.” Best Wishes for your talk tonight. Tom Moran