|
|
| By israelinsider staff August 20, 2004 |
|
| |
Pundit claims NJ governor's ex-aide was Mossad sex aid; judges decide disqualified Iranian judoka had an affection for junk food and jellybeans.
Our Israel's Day feature is presented on an experimental basis. Your feedback and story suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Boys and their toys
Self-proclaimed intelligence expert Andy Martin claims to have discovered what really went on in the tony New Jersey suburb where Governor James McGreevey and his former homeland security advisor, Israeli poet-turned-pr guy Golan Cipel, were having their professional consultations.
Martin contends that "McGreevey's dilemma is not a gay sex scandal. It is an Israeli intelligence operation gone sour. This is not a scandal about 'sex.' It is a scandal about 'secrets.'"
"McGreevey said he had sex. He did. Golan Cipel says he is not gay. He's not. They are both right. Mr. Cipel was a junior Mossad case officer, originally posted to New York under official cover. The Mossad is well known for using human sex toys. McGreevey was lured into a relationship that was intended to penetrate New Jersey's homeland defenses."
Although the Governor thought he was defending his homeland defenses from penetration, Martin contends that the Cipel's homeland security position was seen as a "back door" way to spy on anti-terror preparations in the New York-New Jersey area, and possibly nationally."
Despite his fervent efforts to find the "back door," Golan never managed to get security clearance into any of those top-secret meetings, where New Jersey officials no doubt reviewed shoe-removal policy and random-octogenarian screening procedures at Newark airport.
Martin shows off his magnificent prognostication skills: "Based on my extensive experience with foreign intelligence agencies, I think you will see Mr. Cipel, who is now exposed by his non-official cover, on a plane back to Israel very soon."
Andy's prediction turned out be be correct--retrospectively. Turns out that Golan had returned earlier in the week from the Heights of his New York skyscraper to humble Rishon Letzion, where he now is drawing strength from family and friends as he decides whether to sue his former boss for sexual harassment, and spills out his heart (within the constraints imposed by his lawyer) to the friendly Israeli media.
Cipel Arithmetic
In an interview with Haaretz, the former Navy lieutenant portrays himself as the helpless victim and, according to the reporter, "occasionally looks as if he might break into tears at any moment."
Since the affair broke, the U.S. media have filled with claims that Cipel, whose salary soared from $30,000 to $150,000 in a year as a result of his special relationship with McGreevey, are attempting to blackmail the now-out-of-the-closet governor. Published figures range from $2 million to $50 million to buy Cipel's silence, who says he is in the midst of the most difficult period in his life.
"On one hand, I feel excruciating pain, frustration and fear," he says. "On the other hand, I am relieved that it all came out. When you are the subject of sexual harassment, you can't just forget about it and run away. I tried. I went from denial to escape and from escape to depression. And it didn't end. It's like a black hole. You are drawn in and can't get out. I understood that I had to cope with the problem, particularly because such a powerful man was involved."
Cipel says that he now lives as if he is in "confinement." According to him, "The media is waiting for me at every turn, but I also get a lot of support from friends and individuals - male and female - who were victims of sexual harassment. The message that I want to give them is that you must not give in or live in denial when you are sexually harassed."
The interview did reveal how Golan managed to land his homeland security position. "When I saw that the New Jersey driver's license was a piece of paper, I told the relevant authorities that it could easily be counterfeited, and that it should be replaced with something more trustworthy.... The governor was impressed and told the press about the Israeli guy who advised him on this matter."
Well, it all adds up. Definitely Mossad material.
Judo judges say Iranian judoka's weight jump from junkfood
Well, maybe it wasn't an overdose of Ben and Jerry's, but apparent the International Judo Federation deliberated long and hard before determining that the Iranian world Judo champion who disqualified himself by showing up at his pre-match with an Israeli weigh-in five kilos overweight really didn't do it for political reasons.
Israel Insider previously reported on the suddenly overweight judoka had a "medical disorder."
AP reports that "After a hearing that included the president of Iran's judo federation, the commission concluded that Miresmaeili said he had no pre-planned intentions for not competing and that "he made no statement of any sort to any press," according to an IJF statement."
That would be news to the Iranians, as we noted in our original report. After the match against the Israeli was announced, Miresmaeli told the Iranian media he would refuse to fight an Israeli as a gesture of support for Palestine. "Although I have trained for months and was in good shape I refused to fight my Israeli opponent to sympathize with the suffering of the people of Palestine and I do not feel upset at all," he told the IRNA news agency."
Note: Some of the links in this article, provided as a service to Israel Insider readers, are on outside sites not under our control. Certain links may be unavailable or require registration.
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
|
