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Toronto Jewish Real-Estate Kingpins - RUSH friends

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Sep 12, 2007, 6:43:28 PM9/12/07

I verified the integrity of the subject matter, all the Jews mentioned
have websites representing the company named in the article. This
article - done by JewWatch, is absolute undeniable evidence the Jews
are by ownership ruling the world, by owning it. Geddy is friends with
the Toronto Jews mentioned, who are multi-billionaires, and
intentionally causd the homelessness in Toronto. The scheme of which
Jews fool the world that they are good guys, is that they take over
slums and transform them into good areas of living. They are the ones
that create the slum, by destroying the gentile real-estate owners
that previously owned the land, Jewish rigging of the gentiles to
crash & burn them, then makes a slum, of which then the Jew buys it at
low price, then redevelops it, and then charges bigtime bucks for the
property. It's a cycle of destroying gentiles, and posing themselves
as rescuers, not criminals - by control of the media as well as real-
estate. Geddy is friends with them all.

First a gentile owns the land, the Jew by illegal surveillance studys
his banking scenario, then destroys it, of which the process makes the
land and location in question a slum, of which people all suffer by
the process. The Jew waits, til the property is dirt cheap, then moves
in and buys it, then develops it, then charges bigtime money for it.
---------------------------------------------
http://www.jewwatch.com/jew-capitalists-real-estate-moguls.html
JEWS AND REAL ESTATE

Most of Jewish American wealth is self-made in the last century
or so (as opposed to Gentile-inherited opulence), [WHITFIELD,
American, p. 7] a trajectory that has no reason to plateau. About half
of the Jewish super-rich built their fortunes in real estate and
construction, most notably in the New York City area, but also all
across the country, including Detroit, San Francisco, Miami,
Washington DC, Indianapolis, and Oklahoma City. [LIPSET, p. 15]
Edward S. Shapiro specifically cites Jewish "real estate barons"
Alfred Taubman in Detroit, Melvin Simon in Indianapolis, Stephen Muss
in Miami, Monte and Alfe Goldman in Oklahoma City and Walter
Shorenstein in San Francisco. [SHAPIRO, 1987, p. 14]

"In real estate and construction," adds Abraham Korman, "there
have been major Jewish builders in San Francisco (Walter Shorenstein),
Detroit (Philip and Max Stollman), New York (Samuel Lefrak), and
Washington [DC] (Charles Smith) ... Melvin Simon of Indianapolis is
one of the major shopping center developers in this country." [KORMAN,
p. 24] The Simon Property Group is indeed "the nation's largest mall
owner in the United States, " including the Mall of America in
Minneapolis. [MOTHER JONES, 5-3-01] "In the construction and real
estsate fields," notes Milton Presur, "there are such giants as Webb
and Knapp; the Uris Brothers; Tishman; Levitt; and Rudin and Wolfson
Enterprises." [PRESUR, M., 1982, p. 163]

San Francisco's Walter Shorenstein owns "one of the nation's
largest and healthiest real estate empires," [KING, R., p. AS1] worth
$405 million. He was noted in 1999 by the San Francisco Examiner as
"San Francisco's biggest landlord," owning "about 25 percent of the
city's downtown rental property." [BRAZIL, E., 11-5-99, p. A4] Also
in San Francisco, Richard Swig -- winner of Israel's Golda Meir award
-- founded the posh Fairmount hotel chain; he also served as on
positions for the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Community
Federation. By the 1880s, Adolph Sutro, a Jewish immigrant from
Prussia, alone owned "roughly one-twelfth of the land in San
Francisco." He also became the mayor of the city. [NEWITZ, A.,
1-13-99]

In a March 2000 letter to an online magazine, famed San Francisco
poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti singled out a Jewish real estate developer
who was central in the cultural destruction of that city:

"A developer from Michigan, Scott Seligman, who runs Sterling Bank and
Seligman Western Enterprises, wants to gentrify the Mid-Market zone.
Not to make the City a better place but to make his bank account a
little fatter. He wants a bretter class of tenant. No more
photographers or poets or translators or editors or painters. Nomore
small businesses serving the City." [FERLINGHETTI, 3-8-01]

In 1989 the Los Angeles Times called Martin Selig "Seattle's
biggest property owner." He had recently sold Seattle's tallest
building for $354 million. [DIETRICH, B., 11-20-89, p. D1] A decade
earlier in Seattle, Forbes noted that Jack Benaroya (also Jewish),
"for 30 years built the Seattle area's largest real estate empire: 8
million commercial square feet, about 90% industrial, including 5
business parks." [FORBES, 10-27-86, p. 290]

Another Jewish real estate developer, William Levitt, is credited
-- or blamed - for the creation of "massive tract developments of
single family homes ... He shaped the American dream, a house of one's
own for a small down payment and an endless mortgage." [KREFETZ, p.
50] Levitt was instrumental in the invention of "suburbia": sprawls of
mass-produced uniform tract houses. Between 1947 and 1951 his company
constructed 17,447 homes for 75,000 people on Long Island, known today
as Levittown. He also created another housing conglomeration -- also
called Levittown -- in Pennsylvania. George Ritzer notes that:

"Levitt and Sons thought of their building sites as large
factories. Insteadof having the product move, as one the automobile
assembly line, the Levitt's product, the emerging house, was
stationary, and it was the workers who moved around the building
site ... Said Alfred Levitt, one of the sons: 'The same man does the
same thing every day, despite the psychologists. It is boring; it is
bad; but the reward of the green stuff seems to alleviate the boredom
of the work." [RITZER, p. 28]

By 1973, Arthur Cohen was chairman of Arlen Realty and
Development Corporation, "a corporation that controlled some $1.7
billion of U.S. real estate." [CARRUTH, E., 1973, p. 184] ... Shopping
centers are the largest single element of Arlen's business, and the
company is one of the nation's largest builders (as well as operators)
of them." [CARRUTH, p. 187] Cohen and three associates held 49 percent
of the voting shares in the company.

By 1982, another Jewish real estate mogul, Samuel J. Lefrak,
alone owned 55,000 apartments in New York City and another 30,000
elsewhere, run by some 350 different companies, each owned by the
Lefrak family. [KREFETZ, p. 81] By 1982 too, "the great majority of
the New York landlords [were] Jewish" including the prominent family
names of Uris, Durst, Tishman, Rudin, Horowitz, Ravitch, Minskoff,
Milstein, Sol Goldman, and Frederic Rose, a former President of the
Jewish Philanthropies of New York. [BAER, p. 195] Before financial
problems in the late 1960s, William Zeckendorf was "master, at one
time, of possibly the greatest of all real estate
empires." [BLACKWELL, E., 1973, p. 534] In the early 1990s the Rudins
owned buildings worth $1.5 billion. Other huge Jewish real estate
empires include [d] those of Aaron Gural, Leo and Alexander Bing, the
Resnicks, Fishers, Koeppels, Wiens, Cohens, and Silversteins. By 1929
A.E. Lefcourt's 24 buildings (many skyscrapers) placed him "among the
largest landlords in the city and squarely in the ranks of its
wealthiest men." [SCHACHTMAN, p. 117]

Most New York "real estate barons," confirmed Tom Schactman in
1991, are "white and Jewish." [SCHACTMAN, p. 21] By the 1920s, "a
survey found that 80 percent of the speculative builders in [New York]
city were Jewish although Jews made up only 40 percent of the 10,000
builders in the metropolitan area. The [Jewish] immigrants' domination
of the field worried some; the chairman of the board of the United
States Realty and Home Improvement company called the 'foreign
element ... a disturbing feature in real estate today.'" [SCHACHTMAN,
p. 111] Architecturally, "even the shopping center was a [Jewish]
émigré contribution, pioneered by Viennese-born Victor Gruen ... In
Chicago, [Ludwig] Mies became the virtual inventor of industrial
design." [HEILBUT, p. 143]

The premier real estate trader in the ritzy Hamptons area of Long
Island was (until he choked on a piece of steak and died in 1991)
Allan Schneider. Schneider was both Jewish and homosexual, although he
hid both. He was, says, Steven Gaines, "the most powerful broker in
all the Hamptons -- the 'Pasha,' as he was affectionately called by
his staff, with offices in Southampton, Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor, and
East Hampton and revenues approaching $100 million ... [He had]
domination in the Hamptons real estate market ... He not only
substantially changed the face of the landscape, but his own life was
in some ways a metaphor for the new Hamptons: a stage upon which
nouvelle society could invent itself." [GAINES, S., 1998, p. 4, 45,
48] How about "the largest private landowner in all of East Hampton?"
That would be Evan Frankel, who "held the deed to more than 1,000
acres of developable land ... at one point he owned so much land that
it was estimated he paid 50 percent of all the real estate taxes in
East Hampton. Not coincidentally, at various times, he held seats on
the town planning board, the board of directors of Southampton
Hospital, and the advisory board of the East Hampton Free
Library." [GAINES, S., 1998, p. 170]

Another Jewish real estate mogul, Ben Tobin, once a part owner
of the Empire State Building, was, like most, "a major benefactor to
Jewish charities." [NITKIN, p. 6B] Down the street, Jack Weiler's
nationwide holdings equaled 5 million square feet in New York alone;
1.5 million more were owned in California. "A new community of more
than 2,000 homes and 5,000 residents on the southern ridge of
Jerusalem was named Kiryat Jack Weiler because of his support for
Israel and his ability to coax others to help as well." [VAN GELDEN,
p. 26] Frederic and Earle Mack's Mack Company, based in New York and
New Jersey commercial and industrial development, merged with another
firm in 1997 to form the Mack-Cali Realty Corporation "which boasted a
combined market capitalizaiton of $3.4 billion ... Like his brother
Earle, Frederic Mack has long shown an abiding interest in U. S.
relations with Israel ... Mack is currently on the national board of
the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the nation's largest and
most infoluential pro-Israel lobby." [MOTHER JONES, 5-3-01]

In July 2001, a private company took over control of the ill-
fated World Trade Center. Silverstein Properties (president: Larry
Silverstein) signed a 99-year lease to run the landmark business
complex for $3.2 billion from New York City's Port Authority
(chairman: Lewis Eisenberg). [SCT NEWSWIRE, 7-25-01] The retail
section was also controlled by a Jewish entrepreneur. As the Jerusalem
Post noted after the 2001 terrorist attack:

"Australian businessman Frank Lowy, who emigrated to Australia
from Israel in 1952, owns the 99-year lease for the 425,000 square
foot retail portion of the destroyed World Trade Center. Lowy is the
chairman and founder of Westfield Holdings, the manager of Westfield
America Trust, which has a 57 percent stake in Westfield America
Inc ... Westfield said today that it has insurance cover against
terrorist attacks and its earnings will not be materially affected. In
a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange the retail chain said
that 'investment
in the retail component of the World Trade Center is fully insured for
both capital and loss of income,' adding 'the insurance cover includes
acts of terrorism' ... Today [Lowy] is the second wealthiest man in
Australia and was recently ranked as the 209th wealthiest man in the
world by Forbes magazine. Westfield is the fourth-largest shopping
mall owner, with operations in Australia, the US, the United Kingdom
and New Zealand. Lowy is philanthropically involved in the Jewish
community in Sydney as well as Israel, including sponsoring the
Overseas Students School of Tel Aviv University which is endowed in
his name and being associate international chairman of the Israel
Democracy Institute." [BERGER, S., 9-12-01]

In the New York city government sphere,

"for more than four decades, without ever holding public office,
Robert Moses ruled in New York like a potentate. He spent an estimated
$27 billion on public works: highways, bridges, parks, tunnels,
beaches, playgrounds, dams, public buildings, and public housing. He
was in large part responsible for the construction
of the Lincoln Center, the United Nations, Co-op City, and the
Coliseum. His most impregnable power base was the Triborough Bridge
and Tunnel Authority, where he reigned as chief executive from 1933 to
1968. He had helped draft the legislation that created the authority
and that at the same time ensured its existence in perpetuity by
empowering it to issue new bonds. The never-ending stream
of bridge and tunnel tolls gave Moses control over a bond-issuing
agency with exiguous accountability; during his tenure the authority,
although a public agency, was as autonomous as the privately governed
Metropolitan Museum." [MEYER, K., 1979, p. 93]

Another Jewish mogul, Aaron Ziegelman, is in "the controversial
business of buying low-rent buildings in New York City, renovating
them and selling the apartments as condominiums. The New York Times
called him 'one of New York's biggest co-op converters.'" [KLEIN, A.,
p. 10] One of Ziegelman's pet projects is to reconstruct an Eastern
European village in Israel; he has also donated a million dollars to
the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia and a million
and a half to the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership.

Yet another Jewish real estate mogul is Jerry Speyer. He married
into the Tishman family, also Jewish; the family's firm "Tishman
Realty" became the largest "builder-owner" in the United States.
[TRAUB, p. 68] Fellow Jewish real estate developer Bernard Mendik told
the New York Times Magazine in 1998 that "right now, Jerry [Speyer] is
the Number 1 real-estate developer in the world." [TRAUB, p. 62] Today
Speyer's Tishman-Speyer Properties owns 36 million square feet of
building space, valued at $10.5 billion. Among other sites Speyer's
firm owns include Manhattan's Chrysler Building and the Messerturm in
Frankfurt, Germany (Europe's second tallest building). He has served
on the boards of both Columbia University and the Museum of Modern
Art. Speyer, says journalist James Traub, "operates in that elite
sphere in which wealth, public-spiritedness, and proper table manners
converge to form a colossal nexus of power, but one almost invisible
to the outside world." [TRAUB, p. 64]

In 1995, Business Week highlighted another Jewish real estate
mogul, Steve Green:

"Most people have never head of the 49 year-old real estate maven. But
Steven J. Green's empire is growing fast. His personal holdings
include 120 retail properties across the United States, which he
estimated is worth $500 million. Through partnerships, he has a stake
in a real estate company in Britain that owns 22 office properties in
European business centers, an industrial project in Eastern Europe,
and a retail development in Moscow's Red Square. And he's the chief
executive of Astrum International Corporation, a $1 billion company
that owns Samsonite, American Tourister, and Culligan
brands." [WOOLLEY, p. 116]

By 1940, Albert M. Greenfield's real estate business in
Philadelphia was the largest in the city. By age 35 he had
"accumulated" 27 building and loan associations and was known as 'one
of the most influential men in the city." [SKLARE, p. 284] In early
Los Angeles, Kaspare Cohn "was one of Southern California's largest
landowners." [GOLDEN, H., 1973, p. 233] By the 1970s, noted one Jewish
observer, the (Jewish) Hellman family's Farmers and Merchant Bank,
"excepting the state, is the largest property owner in
California." [GOLDEN, H., 1973, p. 233]

In Chicago, Sam Zell is "one of the biggest property owners in
the country." [ALLEN, J. p. C1] Zell built his fortune on slum
lording or, as the Chicago Tribune puts its, the "buying of distressed
properties and resurrecting them ... Zell acquired troubled apartment
buildings in Florida, Reno, and Las Vegas." [ELSNER, p. C1] "If you
viewed us as a group," said partner Burton Kanter, "we were the
biggest landlords in Reno." [ELSNER, p. C1] In 1976 Zell and three
associates were indicted in a tax shelter scheme over a Reno hotel
transaction. Zell cut a deal with the government, but his brother-in-
law went to prison. [ALLEN, J. p. C1]

Chicago-based Neil Bluhm, president of JMB Realty, and partner
Judd Malkin, noted Forbes in 1990:

"are among the few 1980s property owners to remain high on the Forbes
Hundred [richest Americans list]. Each is estimated at over $770
million, although they tell people they are each worth just under $1
billion." [BERSS, p. 352]

JMB's reach is far, owning even the prestigious Century City
office complex -- home to many in the Hollywood entertainment world --
in West Los Angeles. Nearby, in Beverly Hills, Guilford Glazer
oversees his own $474 million real estate empire, including the Del
Amo Fashion Mall, "the largest shopping mall in the world." [BLUMAY,
C., 1992, p. 415] Glazer, notes Forbes magazine, is "active in Jewish
American causes. [He] built [an] Israeli community center with buddy
Armand Hammer." [FORBES, 10-12-98] A Beverly Hills neighbor is Eli
Broad, co-founder of Kaufman & Broad, the Los Angeles area's "largest
home builder." [GOLDBERG, JJ, 10-22-99] In 1977, Jewish mogul A.
Albert Taubman "purchased 77,000 acres of some of the best land in
southern California between Los Angeles and San Diego." Taubman, based
in Detroit, "by the mid-1960s ... was building shopping centers in
California, the nation's ongoing Mecca of real estate development ...
It was Taubman who continualy upped the stakes in mall development,
again raising eyebrows by building them bigger than anyone else,
placing more stringent demands on tenants and charging higher rents
for retailers who set up store under his roof." [HIGGINS/HOOVER,
5-3-01, p. 4a] A Holocaust survivor, Frank Lowy, owns Westfield
America, the largest shopping mall company on the West Coast,
including eight properties in Los Angeles, eight in San Diego, and
four in Northern California. In St. Louis, Missouri, "Lowry has five
malls and is the city's biggest landlord." In Australia, Lowy's home
base, his "mall empire ... has blanketed the continent." The global
asset value of his company's holdings is $13.2 billion. [COOLIDGE,
10-19-98]

Also in Chicago, "Philip Klutznik and his American Community
Builders, and his later Urban Investment and Development Co. went on
to build much of the face of Chicago over the last half
century." [OLIVER, p. A16] He is largely responsible for the planned
Chicago suburb of Park Forest and he owned the downtown landmark Water
Tower Place.

In Washington DC, yet another Jewish real estate king, Charles
Smith, controlled "Washington's greatest real estate
fortune." [HAGGERTY, M. p. F10] His son Robert, and son-in-law Robert
Kogod today run an empire of 2,000 employees, 14,000 apartment units
(20,000 counting the ones they also manage), and interests in 54
office buildings. Their total worth was estimated by the late 1980s to
be $3-5 billion. Other area Washington area Jewish real estate moguls
include the Hafts, Mort Zuckerman, Albert Abramson, Ted Lerner,
Bernard and Carol Gewirz, Robert Rosenthal, Estelle Gelman, Hermen
Greenberg, Abe Pollin, Myer and Adrienne Arsht Feldman, Joel Meisel
and Barry Cohen, among others. [REGARDIE'S, p. 64-] As Barbara Matusow
notes about an earlier Jewish generation in the nation's capitol:

"Morris Pollin eventually became a leading builder and developer
in
the area -- the path to wealth for so many other Jews of humble
origins ... Abraham Kay parlayed his earnings from a grocery
store
on Capitol Hill into vast landholdings in the suburbs. Morris
Cafritz, the city's richest developer, used to hawk
newspapers...
Nearly all the other first generation success stories -- car
dealer
Joe Cherner, Giant Food's patriarch Nehemiah Cohen, Macke
Vending's Hyman Goldberg, lumber merchant Isadore Turover --
also had major holdings in real estate." [MATUSOW, B., MAY
2000, p. 79]

In Houston, Jewish real estate mogul Jerry Moore is worth over
$400 million, owning over 140 shopping centers. Forbes noted that he
bought

"shabby, low-profit but promising strip centers and turn[ed] them
into born-again cash machines ... Moore lives with his wife in an
authentic 18th-century, 40-room French chateau (transported from
France and reassembled in Houston's ritzy Memorial section). He
owns 22 Ferraris, 14 Rolls Royces, and over 200 well-restored antique
Dusenbergs, Packards, and other vehicles." [FIELD, p. 32]

Elsewhere in Houston, David Mincberg owns "one of the largest
apartment firms in the city." [HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 1998] He is also
chairman of the Harris County Democratic Party and president of the
Jewish Federation of Greater Houston.

Also in Texas, based in Dallas, the Centex real estate company
"is one of the nation's largest home builders, with operations in 53
markets in 19 states." [NEW YORK TIMES, 9-3-98] Its CEO is also
Jewish, Laurence Hirsch.

In Boston, "the young professionals who began favoring Boston as
a place to live around the time of the Vietnam War are ensconced in
their lairs, many of them either built or financed by [Mark]
Goldweitz." [ROBINSON, p. 61] In 2000, Jerome Rappaport sold his
massive Charles River Park development -- apartments and condos -- for
$300 million. [Van Voorhis, S., 2-14-00] Other Jewish real estate
moguls in Boston include "the Krupp brothers, Philip and William, who
made a killing in real estate," as well as Stephen Karp, Julian Cohen,
Bruce Beal, Steve Fishman, Ron Drucker, Dick Friedman, Alan Leventhal,
and Edwin Sidman, among others. [BOSTON MAGAZINE]

Owner of properties throughout New England, Holocaust survivor
Simon Konover -- owner of over 11 million square feet of real estate
-- "is a staunch supporter of Jewish charities." [CHAINSTORE, p. 92]
Richard Penzer has a "real estate empire" in Pittsburgh; in Chicago,
by 1988 William Adler had developed over 100 suburban and industrial
properties and thousands of homes.

In Los Angeles, by 1992 Jona Goldrich and Abraham Lurie alone
controlled 25% (worth $250 million) of the luxurious Marina Del Rey
beach area. "For years," notes the Los Angeles Times, "Goldrich has
been active in Jewish affairs." [RABIN, J., p. B1] Goldrich has been
"a major builder of residential and commercial projects throughout
California" and a "major player" in the $400 million Channel Gateway
project near Marina Del Rey. In 1991 he was awarded a controversial
contract by the Los Angeles County to control over 18 acres of prime
Marina Del Rey waterfront for the next 70 years. "Mark Nathanson [also
Jewish], a Beverly Hills real estate broker and a member of the
California Coastal Commission," noted the Los Angeles Times, "was a
leading supporter of the lease extension [to Goldrich] when the five-
member Small Craft Harbor Commission met last week." "Nathanson,"
observed the Times, "is the target of a federal political corruption
investigation in Sacramento." [RABIN, J., 12-23-91, p. B1] For Abraham
Lurie's part, he was once even a business partner with the brother-in-
law of Saudi Arabia's King Fahd. In 1992, before economic problems,
Lurie was described as Marina Del Rey's "biggest developer." [RABIN,
J., 7-29-92, p. B1]

In Miami, Jewish real estate moguls include Craig Robins. As one
journalist notes:

"[Robins] is Miami's most celebrated purchaser and rehabber of
dilapidated buildings ... A few in Miami Beach gripe that
Robins'
rep and political clout have made him and [his company called]
Dacra inordinately influential in the city, greasing the skids
for any
proposed project that has his name on it."

Robins' partners include his brother Scott and New York-based
developer Tony Goldman. [KISSELL, T., 6-15-99]

Even in Mormon-dominated Utah, John Price is the (Jewish)
chairman and CEO of JP Realty, "among the top commercial real estate
developers in the Intermountain West, owning and managing properties
in Utah and nine surrounding states." These holdings include 12
enclosed shopping malls, other shopping centers and various commercial
and industry buildings. [KNUDSON, M., 3-23, 97] In Denver, Sally Barry
made local news when she fought prominent real estate developer Jordan
Perlmutter's plans that would obscure beautiful views of the Rocky
Mountains from popular Robert Clement Park. [GREEN, C., 2-22-95, p.,
B7] Also in Denver, Israeli-raised Shaul Baruch, son of a rabbi, was
noted in 1995 as a "wealthy land developer" who had recently purchased
"443 acres of prime dirt near Denver International
Airport." [REBCHOOK, J., 12-5-95, p. A47]

In Omaha, Nebraska, as an addenda to the real estate world, Phil
and Harley Schrager own the Pacesetter Corporation, the "largest
independent, direct-seller and manufacturer of residential building
and improvement products in the United States." [JEWISH PRESS,
3-31-2000, p. 1]

In Canada, the Reichmann family has an international real estate
empire and, by the 1980s, before financial troubles, were reputed to
be "one of the wealthiest families in the world." [BUCHINSKY, p. 4]
The Reichmanns owned the largest real estate empire on earth, as well
as the world's largest newsprint producer (Albitibi-Price), plus
various other holdings. The former Deputy Minister of Finance for
Canada, Marshall Cohen, directed the large Olympia and York division
of the Reichmann sprawl. "The Reichmann's main business vehicle,
Olympia and York Development," notes Anthony Bianco, "was the greatest
property development company in Western history." [BIANCO, p. xv] "At
the peak of their success ... the Reichmann's donated $60 million
annually to [Jewish] Orthodox institutions worldwide." [ATLAS, p.
264] The Jewish Reichmann and Bronfman families were instrumental in
building New York's tallest landmark, the World Trade Center, and in
the late 1970s the Reichmanns had major downtown development projects
in ten American cities. [BIANCO, p. 368] "In Florida, Olympia and York
generally invested along with the Shapiro family." [BIANCO, p. 399]

"Seagrams [owned by the Montreal-based Bronfman family] are not
only the largest liquor empire in the world, but the largest private
land-owners in Canada." [BERMANT, C., 1977, p. 68] Also from Montreal,
Maxwell Cummings' real estate company has owned land and buildings
across North America. In 1948 he built an apartment complex "which was
the largest privately owned housing development in Canada ...
Throughout his life, Cummings has played an important role in the
Jewish community." [BEAUDIN, p. A4] Cummings, who died in 2001, was "a
leading developer of low-cost housing in Canada." [EISENTHAL, B.,
5-24-01] An Orthodox Jew from Toronto, real estate baron Stephen
Mernick, even bought (for $139 million) the 500-acre PTL Christian
theme park in North Carolina (after the sex scandal that swept Jim and
Tammy Bakker into ruins). [DOLPHIN, p 38]

Also in Canada, Jewish mogul Peter Munk, while heading "one of
the world's most valuable gold mining companies, Barrick Gold," also
controls "Toronto's landmark CN Tower, lots of office space in New
York, and what is described rather coyly as effective ownership of the
Sears Tower in Chicago." [FINANCIAL TIMES, 6-30-98, p. 21] In 2000,
Jacob Ghermezian died. A Jew from Iran, he "built a real estate empire
in Canada." [KIRSCHNER, S., 9-14-2000, p. 11]

Even in a place like Sacramento, California, Mort Friedman "is
prominent in two of the most public arenas in town, law and
development." [DELSOHN, p. A1] Both a lawyer and a real estate
developer (including Sacramento's Market Square mall), his personal
fortune is estimated to be about $100 million. Friedman has worked
"for improved U.S.-Israeli relations," says the Sacramento Bee, "He
lobbied Congress and met with Israeli leaders as an officer of the
American Israel Public Affairs Committee." [DELSOHN, p. A1]

In 1989, a roomful of such Jewish real estate barons and
assorted slum lords gathered to hear the Jewish New York State
Attorney General, Robert Abrams, speak at the "Greater New York Real
Estate and Construction Division of the State of Israel Bonds." Real
estate mogul Sheldon Solow received the "Israel Peace Medal." Abrams,
noted a news wire dispatch, "as a public official and even before
that, ... has been a strong voice on behalf of Jewish causes ... [and
an] ardent champion of the state of Israel ... While he was borough
president, he successfully persuaded the New York City Board of
Education to incorporate Jewish Heritage Week into the curriculum of
public schools." [PR NEWSWIRE, 11-3-89] The chair of the Real Estate
Board of New York at the time (1988) was also Jewish: Larry
Silverstein. Such men no doubt included David Steiner, head of Steiner
Equities Group, "a real estate concern which oversees millions of
square feet of commercial and industrial property from its New Jersey
headquarters." Steiner is a former president of AIPAC, the foremost
lobbying agency for Israel in America. [MOTHER JONES, 3-5-01]

In Europe, in 1997, the Deutche Presse Agence wire service noted
that "Berlin's Jewish community is currently in turmoil, its standing
in the city tarnished by reports of dubious real estate dealing and
political in-fighting among some of its members." [FREEMAN, C.] Jewish
entrepreneurs were noted to have even swindled Holocaust survivors.
"Our image is tarnished in the public eye by all the talk of
corruption and scandal," the wire service was told at the Jewish
Community Center of Berlin." "Recently," noted the Agentur, "a
[Jewish Community Center leader's] husband was investigated by the
police, reputedly for forcing a woman from Riga into prostitution.
There have also been media reports of a [Jewish] Community member
ruthlessly driving up property rents in east Berlin." [FREEMAN, C.]

Of the 21 members of Berlin's Jewish Community organization, 17
were noted to be "involved in real estate or property
management." [FREEMAN] The chairman of the Central Council of Jews in
Berlin, Ignatz Bubis, also owned 40% of the Sheraton Hotel in Tel Aviv
til his death in 1999. The London Guardian noted that "All his adult
life Bubis insisted that he would live in Germany but did not want to
be buried there ["he wanted to be buried in Israel"] and "although
Bubis came to reflect the secularization and worldliness of modern
German Jewry, he once said he would be 'very upset' if his daughter
married a Gentile." [TRAYNOR, p. 10]

Another German Jewish mogul, Moritz Gertler, was recently
described by one London newspaper as "one of Germany's wealthiest
private property owners." [NISSE, p. 1, 2] In 1998, a French wire
service noted the Jewish Fiszman family, rooted in German real estate,
as "one of Germany's wealthiest families." [AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE,
10-1-98] (Other wealthy post-war Jews in Germany include Emil Januscek
(in clothing), the "banker Feuchtwanger, in Munich, and Rosenthal, the
manufacturer whose porcelain has a worldwide reputation.") [KATCHER,
L., 1968, p. 176]

In Vienna, Austria, Ariel Muzicant heads the "largest association
of Austrian Jews." (Today's Austrian Jewish population is about
15,000). He was also born in Israel. "I am the biggest broker in
town," Muzicant told the New York Times in 2001, "So, yes, I know the
mayor and deputy mayor. I am bigger than the second- and third-largest
brokers combined. I build, broker, lease, and sell commercial real
estate." A rival Jewish leader condemned Muzicant as a "man who
advertises real estate on the Web page of the Jewish community he is
supposed to represent." [COHEN, R., 3-25-01]

In England, the firm owned by Jewish moguls Michael and Peter
Freeman was picked by Estates Times to be "one of the top 10, and
possibly top five, quoted property companies in the UK" by the year
2000. [ESTATES TIMES] Michael Price, also Jewish and active in
British real estate (and who owns 6% of the powerful Chase Manhattan
bank), was noted by the Times of London to have "recently emerged as
one of America's most aggressive investors. It is the nightmare of
every American executive to wake up in the morning and find that Mr.
Price has just bought a stake in his company." In 1993, Sighismund
Berger (who father was a leading figure in Britain's Jewish Orthodox
Satmar sect), facing economic woes, was still described by the London
Observer as "arguably UK's largest private landlord." [PARKER-JERVIS,
ONLINE]

"Mention any high-profile development," noted the London
Guardian in 1991,

"and Godfrey Bradman's been there too; in particular, he favours mega
schemes: Finsbury Avenue (half a million square feet); Broadgate (3.5
million feet); Chafford Hundred in Essex, the biggest residential
project in Britain. And of course the 125-acre King's Cross
development, the largest single inner-city scheme in Europe." [COLES,
GUARDIAN]

Bradman is also, noted an observer in the Guardian, "part of
that north London set of Jewish businessmen who go to each other's
charity dos." [COLES, GUARDIAN] Yet another Jewish British real
estate force is Gerald Ronson, "one of the country's most celebrated
property tycoons" who in 1990 "was fined pounds 5 million and did six
months in jail for his part in the Guinness share-dealing
scandal." [BARNETT, A., p. 3] Other British Jewish real estate tycoons
include Mark Pears (whose family owns an estimated 20,000 flats and
houses), and "London property brothers Eddie and Sol Zaky, whose
Topland Group's portfolio is worth 1 billion pounds." The Zakys are
from Israel. "I would forecast that unless peace comes soon," says
Philip Beresford, compiler of a newspaper "rich list," it would be a
logical step for Israelis to settle in Britain." [LEVITT/KOHEN,
4-27-01, p. 14]

Even in Hungary, in 1995, "Israeli-owned real estate development
companies have started or prepared projects in Budapest worth $350
million that range from family apartments to renovations of abandoned
hotels to massive shopping malls. The total development market size is
estimated to be $1.6 billion." [O'LEARY, p. 28] And, as the Jerusalem
Post noted in 2000, "over the past few years, many Israeli companies
have invested in real estate in Eastern Europe, and in Poland and
Romania in particular." These Israeli companies include Olimpia Real
Estate Holdings, Kardan Real Estate, and Elscint Limited. In 2000,
Elscint also bought a 49% ownership of a Polish hotel chain. [SHAVIV,
M., 10-6-2000] In the Czech Republic, about 1,600 Jews live in Prague,
the beautiful capital of that country. "The new chairman [of the
Prague Jewish Community]," noted the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in
2001, "intends to ensure that the community makes the most of its
assets, which include prime real estate in Prague and elsewhere in the
country." [BENNETT, M., 7-2-01]
In 2001, the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, noted that "Israeli real
estate companies are the largest and most active in some Eastern
European countries ... Companies like Europe Israel have invested
hundreds of millions of shekels in buying and developing East European
commercial centers. Kardan Investments has been operating several
years in Poland and has set up thousands of square meters of office
space." The article, however, focused upon increased Israeli real
estate movement in Great Britain. Israeli companies there include
Giron Development and Building and Dorot. But the "most prominent
Israeli company in the British real estate scene is Alony-
Hertz." [LINDMAN, C., 6-27-01]

Israeli Real Estate Flourishes in England. Haaretz [Israeli
newspaper], June 27, 2001
"The entry of real estate into foreign fields was made possible by an
easing of Israel's foreign exchange restrictions in 1993, allowing
first companies, then individuals, to move money out of the country.
This, coupled with accelerated globalization also easing the transfer
of capital from one country to another, has led to a new situation in
which Israeli real estate companies are the largest and most active in
some Eastern European countries. But Israeli companies and individuals
also had many incentives for investing in Britain."

Bernerd is near buy-out,
by Mark Scodie, Jewish Chronicle, (UK, paper copy), September 12, 2003
p.12
"Chelsfield Chairman Elliot Bernerd has told JC Business that he
expects to be in a position to make a management buy-out offer for the
property firm by the middle of nexth month ... Mr. Bernerd owns a 12%
stake in the company. Among those backing his bid is Israeli diamond
magnate Benny Steinmetz, who owns 7.8% of the company. He has also
discussed his plans with his 'old friends,' the billionaire Reuben
brothers."

Reuben brothers in talks to back Bernerd buyout,
by Mark Scodie, Jewish Chronicle (UK, paper copy), August 8, 2003, p.
7
"The Bombay-born brothers, sons of Iraqi Jews, are said to worth about
2 billion pounds. They made their fortune in the Russian aluminum
industry in the early 1990s, before turning to property. Their
portfolio includes the former Labour Party HQ Millbank Tower and is
thought to be worth more than1 billion pounds."

Israelis drive into NCP with 610m pound car parks' purchase,
by Mark Scodie, Jewish Chronicle (UK, paper copy), September 19, 2003,
p. 12
"An Israeli consortium has paid 610 million pounds to take control of
138 NCP car parks across the UK ... Individual investors, said to
number less than 10, include property man Igal Ahuvi, whose
international portfolio is worth more than 1 billion pounds ... Many
of the Israelis already have strong footholds in UK property ... NCP
recently landed the street parking contract for Westminster City
Council, the largest UK contract of its type."

Property tycoon is new Sassover London rabbi,
by Golders Green, Jewish Chronicle (UK, paper copy), 2003
"The head of the company which owns London's largest slice of
residential property has become the new rabbi at the Sassover Beit
Midrash. Renowned Talmudist Rabbi Shlomo Freshwater, managing director
of the Freshwater Group, has become the shul's rabbi ... Rabbi
Freshwater is the son of Benzion Freshwater, who is said to be
London's largest private landlord with 20,000 tenants. Mr. Freshwater
appears in 54th place in the Sunday Times 2003 rich list, with total
assets of 529 million pounds."

Peccole Ranch co-developers face lawsuit by Canadian bank. A lawsuit
alleges a banking exec took bribes to approve a new loan for the
world's largest mall,
By John G. Edwards, Las Vegas Review-Journal, September 16, 1998
"A family of Canadian developers with several major Las Vegas projects
is fighting a $297 million lawsuit filed by a Canadian government bank
seeking to throw the world's largest shopping mall into receivership.
Alberta Treasury Branches, a bank run by the province of Alberta,
filed a lawsuit earlier this year that until recently was in large
part kept secret. The bank accuses Elmer Leahy, former head of ATB, of
accepting bribes from the mall's four owners -- the brothers Nader,
Eskandar, Raphael and Bahman Ghermezian, according to the Globe and
Mail in Toronto and other Canadian newspapers. The Royal Canadian
Mounted Police Tuesday acknowledged they were investigating the matter
but declined to elaborate. The lawsuit alleges the bribes were made to
obtain $279 million in refinancing for West Edmonton Mall in 1994 ...
The Canadian lawsuit will have no effect on the $300 million in real
estate developments the family plans over the next four years in the
Las Vegas area, said spokesmen for Triple Five Nevada Development
Corp., the family's Nevada development arm. Nader Ghermezian said the
family's developments in Las Vegas and around the United States are
held by corporations separate from their interests in Canada ... The
Ghermezians own the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., which is
the world's second-largest shopping center, and have other interests
in San Jose, Calif., Seattle and Phoenix, company executives said.
"Vegas is our No. 1 priority across North America," Walrath said. The
company has 12 years of developing experience in Southern Nevada,
including the Ghermezians' role as co-developers of Peccole Ranch
community with the Peccole family. Triple Five will hold grand opening
celebrations today for Village Square at Peccole Ranch, a retail
center on the northwest corner of Sahara Avenue and Fort Apache Road.
The project includes the 18-screen Act III movie theater complex and
60,000 square feet of space including shops, cafes, a hotel, the
Sahara West Library and Fine Arts Museum. Also, it has apartments and
50,000 square feet of office space, according to Triple Five Nevada.
It will operate 350 apartments. The company also is developing $150
million Boca Park on the northeast corner of Charleston and Rampart
boulevards. The 96-acre project will include a Target and other retail
outlets as well as offices, condominiums and hotels. It developed
Rainbow Sahara & Rainbow Center, Grand Canyon Commercial Center and
other projects for a total of 4 million square feet of retail
development in Las Vegas. It has two apartment complexes, Wellington
Meadows and La Villa Estates. "Las Vegas has gone through a tremendous
growth spurt in residences and now we believe it will be going through
a tremendous retail commercial growth in the suburbs," Walrath said.
The family applied to establish Peoples First Bank in Las Vegas, but
withdrew its bank application from the Nevada Financial Institutions
Division in August."

[The Canadian Ghermezians are Jews from Iran.]
The Ghermezian Organization,
"The Ghermezian Organization and its affiliates are a major
diversified, international conglomerate with vast knowledge and
experience. Their active involvement comprises large scale ventures in
such fields as banking, economic redevelopment and revitalization, job
creation, urban renewal, establishment of suburban communities, civic
projects, full range residential, commercial and industrial
developments, major tourism facilities, mixed retail and entertainment
complexes, technology, mining and natural resources, hospitality and
hotel operations, the majority of which are developed, managed, owned
and operated by The Group. A sample of the groups activities and
projects include: the federally chartered People's Trust company,
Canada's second largest non-public banking institution; as mentioned
in the Guiness Book of World Records, West Edmonton Mall in Canada and
the Mall of America in the United States respectively the first and
second largest tourism, retail and entertainment complexes in the
world. Each year they generate over $2 billion in regional economic
impact and taxes. They attract over 60 million visits annually, more
than Disneyland in California, and Disneyworld in Florida combined."

[A little older article: context for the above.]
The Ghermezian Brothers: Real Estate Magnates,
Salam, July 1, 2003
"In their adopted home of Canada, the Ghermezian brothers -- Eskandar,
Nader, Raphael and Bahman -- are figures shrouded in mystery. A
fiercely private Orthodox Jewish family, they refuse to grant
interviews, or to be photographed. The Encyclopedia Britannica gives
few biographical facts about their father Jacob and founder of the
Ghermezian real estate dynasty, other than he was born in Azerbaijan
in 1902, immigrated to Canada in the late 1950s where he started out
by developing a chain of Persian rug stores, and died in the year
2000. All of those who have dealt with the family describe them as
hard-as-nails political and legal operators. These four Iranian
natives have created one of Canada's biggest and most spectacular real
estate empires through Triple Five Corp , ["Key People: CEO Eskandar
Ghermezian; COO; EVP, West Edmonton Mall Property: Don Ghermezian;
CFO; VP US Operations: David Ghermezian"] their large asset-based
financial conglomerate that consists of nearly 400 companies with
offices across Canada, U.S., England, Japan, Taiwan and the Middle
East. The Ghermezian brothers boast, among other things, of having
built the world's largest shopping mall, West Edmonton Mall. Now a
staggering 5.3 million square feet, the megamall features more than
800 stores, 25 sit-down restaurants, a casino, an amusement park, an
indoor wave pool, a dolphin lagoon, and 26 movie screens in two
theater complexes. Since the mid-1980s, the Ghermezians have had plans
to conquer the American real estate market as well. The family has
done very well in Las Vegas, having become principals in at least 34
companies registered in the state. The Ghermezians also built the huge
"Mall of America" in Minnesota. Since its opening, Mall of America has
grown to more than 525 stores and now employs about 12,000 people.
Inside the building, there are 49 restaurants, a cinema with 14
screens, and 8 night clubs. The mall has an economic impact on
Minnesota of nearly $1.5 billion per year. It has become a must-see
tourist attraction, with more than 270 million visitors both local and
foreign since its opening. At the moment, Mall of America attracts
more visitors annually than Disney World, Graceland, and the Grand
Canyon combined, which makes it the country's most visited destination
for U.S. travelers. The new generation of Ghermezian offspring have
also displayed the entrepreneur spirit of their family. When Mark
Ghermezian was running for senior-class president at his high school
in Edmonton, Canada, he tacked campaign posters over urinals and
discovered that this placement could be quite effective. Now 20 and a
part-time student at Yeshiva University in New York City, he runs
Flush Media, which places full-color print ads in stalls and above
urinals. His primary venues are in Canada at places like Calgary
International Airport, but he also has a contract with 130 New York
Sports Club locations along the East Coast. So far, clients include
TNT and Snapple. But with all that success comes the downside as well.
The family has been the subject of a lot of controversies and lawsuits
over the years, including allegations of improper influence in the
form of "political contributions" and "gifts" to public officials both
in Canada and the United States. That was true in the Spring Valley
casino case in Las Vegas, in which several council members who voted
"yes" to the Ghermezian's proposal had received tens of thousands of
dollars in political campaign contributions. This sparked huge
protests from nearby residents and political opponents, who turned to
the courts to block the casino."

MetLife sells Sears Tower,
BY DAVID ROEDER, Chicago Sun-Times, March 12, 2004
"Sears Tower is being sold, and the deal represents votes of
confidence both in the Chicago real estate market and the nation's war
on terrorism. MetLife Inc., owner of the 110-story tower in the West
Loop, disclosed the sale Thursday. MetLife wouldn't reveal the buyers,
but a source close to the sale said they are New York investors who
held the lease on the World Trade Center. The buyers, the source said,
are Lloyd Goldman, Joseph Cayre and Jeffrey Feil. The same men also
were named as the buyers by the Slatin Report, a Web site covering New
York real estate. All are prominent but secretive Manhattan landlords.
Goldman and Cayre joined with Larry Silverstein in buying the trade
center lease for $3.2 billion months before the twin towers were
destroyed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Silverstein is
embroiled in lawsuits over a $7.1 billion insurance payout for his
ownership group. A spokesman said Silverstein is not involved in the
Sears Tower deal. MetLife did not report the sales price, saying only
that the deal gives it a $90 million after-tax gain. The giant insurer
held a $760 million mortgage on the property, so the sales price could
exceed $850 million. But some experts said the price could be less,
especially if MetLife has reduced the value of the building on its
books. Many Chicago brokers were astonished by the swiftness of the
sale, which occurred without MetLife taking competing bids. Brokers
said the Sears Tower "offer book'' hit the streets only a couple of
weeks ago. "Somebody came in with a pre-emptive bid. It must have
swept them off their feet,'' one said. Appraisals of Sears Tower have
fluctuated wildly since the terrorist attacks suggested the building,
the tallest in the United States, could be a future target. Before
Sept. 11, 2001, an appraisal listed its value at $911 million, but
that was reduced to $826 million last year. Goldman Sachs & Co. is a
leading tenant in Sears Tower, with a lease until 2011, but it plans
to move to another building. That was the tower's biggest loss after
the Sept. 11 attacks. A spokesman for Chicago-based Trizec Properties
Inc., manager and leasing agent for the building, said other tenants
have renewed their space and new ones have signed on, giving it a
healthy and stable occupancy of 89 percent. Rents, however, are
cheaper in the building, and that factored into its lowered valuation.
"It's still one of the best buildings in Chicago. It just has bad
karma,'' said Drew Neiman, principal of the John Buck Co. and a former
leasing agent for the building. He said he expects its value and rents
will rise as the nation's fear of terrorism subsides .. In late 2002,
MetLife struck a deal in Chicago with Goldman, Feil and others,
selling them a 37-story building at 10 S. La Salle for $120 million."

[Contributor's Note: "Chairman & CEO of Metropolitan Life Insurance
Co.: Robert H. Benmosche. Does he personally know the new buyers of
the Sears Tower?" Older article below, per the one above about Met
Life and the Sears Tower:]
Borscht Belt-born success Deliveryman turns chairman/CEO,
By RICH NEWMAN, Times Herald Record, April 14, 1998
"As a 17-year-old military prep school student, Robert H. Benmosche
used to drive a Coca-Cola truck, selling beverages and making
deliveries to all the Borscht-Belt hotels "I made 85 percent of my
(college) tuition during the summers," he said. Benmosche, a
Monticello native, now 53, has come a long way since then. After 14
years as securities industry executive with PaineWebber, he joined
Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. in 1995. And last month, MetLife
announced he will succeed Harry P. Kamen as the insurance giant's
chairman and chief executive officer. MetLife has $1.7 trillion worth
of insurance in force in the U.S., more than any other insurer in the
nation, Benmosche said. Benmosche says the foundation for his
extraordinary success in the business world can be found in his
Borscht-Belt upbringing. "We were in the hospitality business," he
said in a recent telephone interview from his New York City office."

Real-Estate Tycoon, Falsely Accused, Philanthropist, Political Power
Player ... What Abe Hirschfeld is? - The Right Man for the Job,
Yahoo!, (Source: Abe Hirschfeld for US Senate), September 22, 2004
"Master Builder Abe Hirschfeld's vision for the proposed West Side
Stadium, will not only result in a beautiful new, state of the art,
athletic facility, but also accomplish this fete without costing the
taxpayers a cent, or putting unnecessary stress on the environment or
the residents of the West Side. Confident in New York City's ability
to secure placement as the 2012 Olympic venue, Hirschfeld plans to
leave his mark in New York through the development and building of an
Olympic Stadium and integrating it with the existing Javits Center
into an "Olympics for life stadium club of New York." The feat would
be accomplished earlier than the 2012 Olympics so that New Yorkers can
enjoy the facilities even before the games begin. According to
Hirschfeld his formula will result in a "win win" situation ... Abe
Hirschfeld is best known as a hugely successful builder whose goal in
his business ventures has always been to make people happy ... .
Described by billionaire real estate developer and reality television
icon Donald Trump as, "The smartest developer" he knew, Abe Hirschfeld
has known nothing but success in his real estate ventures. He invented
the open air garage in 1955, and used that model to build his fortune
and today 90 percent of the garages in lower Manhattan were built by
Hirschfeld and his company ... He rose from a man who worked in the
scrap metal business to a real estate tycoon with developments around
the globe. He has become a trusted political advisor to some of
America's most influential people."

Lawrence and Eris Field Donate $12 Million to Baruch College in New
York, Gift Will Support Restoration of Historic Manhattan Building
That Is Site of First Public College in America and Establishment of
Chair in Entrepreneurship,
PR Newswire, October 11, 2004
"Baruch College announced that Lawrence N. Field and his wife Eris
have made a $12 million donation to the New York school. The donation
includes $10 million to support the renovation and modernization of
Baruch's historic classroom building at 17 Lexington Avenue, which
will be renamed the Lawrence and Eris Field Building. An additional $2
million will fund The Larry and Eris Field Family Chair in
Entrepreneurship. When Larry Field first walked through the doors of
17 Lex more than half a century ago, he had no idea how that historic
building would change his life for the better. Now Field, a successful
California real estate developer, is making sure that the building
will continue to provide future generations with similar positive
opportunities ... Through Southland Investment Company, The Richlar
Partnership and NSB Associates, Mr. Field has developed or acquired
more than two and a half million square feet of commercial property
and developed more than 1,000 homes."

Tshuva buys Jacksonville skyscraper,
Eli Daniel, The Marker (Israel), September 5, 2004
"[Israeli] Yitzhak Tshuva's private company El-Ad Group has heady
ambitions for North America, it appears. El-Ad Group Florida recently
acquired the BellSouth Tower in Jacksonville for $91 million. The 32-
storey BellSouth Tower was built in 1983. It is the third-highest
skyscraper in Jacksonville, rising 145 meters. It comprises rental
space of 88,000 square meters, of which 92% is occupied by the phone
company and other businesses. During the second quarter of 2004, El-Ad
Group subsidiary El-Ad Properties acquired the Plaza Hotel in New York
for $675 million"

Equity One sells Miramar plot and Baton Rouge shopping center,
by Eli Daniel, The Marker (Israel), September 8, 2004
"[Israeli] Gazit Globe company Equity One announced with the dawn that
it has sold two assets in the U.S. for a total of $4.2 million. It
stands to post a $1.25 million capital gains from selling the
properties, which will be booked in its third-quarter financial
statement. The company, which develops and operates community and
neighborhood shopping centers located predominantly in high growth
markets in the southern United States, said it sold a development
parcel in Miramar, Florida for $1.5 million. On that it will be
gaining $150,000. It also sold the Millervillage shopping center in
Baton Rouge, Louisiana for $2.7 million, with an associated gain on
sale of approximately $1.1 million ... The Miramar development parcel
is a two-acre site located about three miles from Interstate 75 in
southwest Broward County. The company's chairman and CEO, Chaim
Katzman, explained that Equity One had decided to sell off non-core
assets. Equity One, which says Hurricane Frances did not substantially
damage any of its assets, sold the Plaza Del Rey shopping center in
Miami for $9 million when the third quarter began ... First-half
revenues were $109.5 million, an increase of 34% from the same six
months of 2003. It netted $18.5 million in the second quarter, and
$38.8 million for the half-year."

[Yes, Sterling is Jewish. Jewish domination of the business side of
professional sports, here.]
NBA Owner In Sex Scandal. Los Angeles Clippers boss admitted he paid
to play,
The Smoking Gun, August 12, 2004
"Just what the NBA needs, another sex scandal: Donald Sterling, the
miserly tycoon who owns the Los Angeles Clippers, testified last year
that he regularly paid a Beverly Hills woman for sex, describing her
as a $500-a-trick "freak" with whom he coupled "all over my building,
in my bathroom, upstairs, in the corner, in the elevator." Sterling's
graphic testimony--which came during a two-day pretrial deposition in
connection with a lawsuit he filed against the woman, Alexandra
Castro--will surely nettle basketball commissioner David Stern, who
normally has to explain away the behavior of 20-something athletes,
not married 70-year-old club owners worth nearly a billion. During a
sworn January 2003 deposition, Sterling denied having a relationship
with Castro, though he changed his testimony when questioned again
last August. In often explicit detail, Sterling recounted three years
of transactions with Castro, whom he met in mid-1999. While
acknowledging that, "maybe I morally did something wrong," the
Clippers owner was not shy when it came to describing hour-long
sessions with Castro, whom Sterling credited with "sucking me all
night long" and whose "best sex was better than words could express."
Testifying that he was "quietly concealing it from the world,"
Sterling had a blunt appraisal of his "exciting" relationship with
Castro: "It was purely sex for money, money for sex, sex for money,
money for sex." Sterling, a Los Angeles real estate mogul, bought the
Clippers in 1981 for $12.5 million and the franchise--one of the most
profitable in the NBA--is now worth more than $200 million. Since
Sterling's purchase, the team has amassed the NBA's worst combined
record and gained a reputation as a stingy operation that will trade
an exceptional player before paying him a superstar's salary."

[JTR contributor's note: "Here is an older article about alleged
racist doings of the alleged tightwad multimillionaire [Sterling], who
is alleged to engage in classic alleged Jewish money-clinching
behaviour":]
Sterling's myriad legal battles tied to bottom-line business
orientation,
by Amanda Bronstad, Los Angeles Business Journal, February 17, 2003
"Donald Sterling, billionaire owner of the L.A. Clippers, Malibu Beach
Club and hundreds of apartments throughout Santa Monica, Beverly Hills
and Koreatown, is embroiled in new litigation challenging his business
practices. Hit on Feb. 6 with a $750,000 racial discrimination
lawsuit, Sterling also has a date to go to court Feb. 24 over claims
he committed fraud and breach of contract in the $3.5 million purchase
of the land beneath Sterling Plaza, his 7-story art deco headquarters
in Beverly Hills. Litigation is not new to Sterling, who last year
settled claims brought by the city of Santa Monica that he harassed
tenants to keep rents up in apartment complexes in that city. But the
Sterling Plaza case is one of the only suits involving his commercial
investments. Most of the suits -- and there are dozens filed in L.A.
Superior Court -- involve tenant harassment complaints, the sort of
litigation not uncommon for landlords of any size. Suits by tenants
and vendors, said real estate executives, are just one of the risks
associated with investing in apartment complexes, especially in
Southern California. They say Sterling may be unfairly targeted
because of his high profile and net worth, estimated at $1.4
billion ... Where Sterling stands out among real estate investors is
in his focus on the operational aspects of his holdings -- following
the age-old axiom to buy low and holds tight to his properties, all
the while watching every dime ... But his penny-pinching style, well
known among fans of the L.A. Clippers, has been at the crux of most of
the real estate litigation filed against him. Numerous battles In
2001, the city of Santa Monica brought a case against Sterling based
on allegations that he harassed eight tenants in three of his rent-
controlled buildings by threatening to evict them for having potted
plants on their balconies. Sterling ended up paying $25,000 to settle
the case. Earlier this month, he filed an eviction notice against a
family in a rent-controlled apartment complex on 1021 Lincoln Blvd.,
claiming one of the family members had torn down notices in the
elevator. The tenant has filed an answer to the eviction notice,
according Denise McGranahan, staff attorney at Legal Foundation of Los
Angeles. "I've never seen someone evicted for this reason in my life,"
she said. "And I've been doing this work since 1993." On Feb. 6, the
Housing Rights Center, a tenant rights non-profit organization
representing six tenants, sued Sterling for discriminating against
blacks, Hispanics and the disabled at two apartment complexes. The
suit claims Sterling visited Mark Wilshire Towers at 691 Irolo St. in
May 2002 to tell his staff to rent apartments only to Koreans, not
blacks or Hispanics. He also changed the name of the complex to Korean
World Towers and fired the non-Korean staff. Gary Rhoades, litigation
director and lead counsel in the case for the Housing Rights Center,
said he has evidence Sterling's behavior is a "widespread problem" and
more blatant than in other discrimination cases. "There are direct
statements made by the defendants, and their advertising shows a
preference for a certain type of tenant based on race or national
origin, Rhoades said. "We rarely have that in discrimination cases."

Major international Israeli real estate acquisitions in the year 2002,
as noted by the Jewish Agency's "Global Jewish Agenda" newsletter.