New York – They were America’s finest and brightest and we were all proud of them. Physically fit, intelligent and dashing, they stood for all that was great about America. J. Edgar Hoover had fashioned a remarkable team. Here was a clean-cut agent that could outshoot the devil himself. Here was a science laboratory that rivaled that of Bruce Wayne’s alter-ego – but in real life.
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They stood at the height of morality, as they took on and took down numerous public enemies, entire corrupt police forces, the mafia, and spy networks from any and every enemy that our beloved nation faced. And we were so, so proud of them. The very letters “F.B.I.” instilled pride and admiration in the heart of every kid in every schoolyard across the nation.
Yet, somehow, some way, this once mighty force has lost its way. The recent headlines of 44 arrests in one day on account of a certain “CW” is a case in point.
These public servants were supposed to catch criminals, not create or invent them. In the broad net that they had cast, the FBI had caught an 87 year old aged Rabbi that never heard of the word “Gucchi” but allegedly assisted in laundering funds for someone who was involved in forging the brand name. The “confidential witness” had pleaded and begged the old man to assist him so that he could feed his five starving children. The 87 year old man had never committed a crime in his life.
There is no question that many real criminals are caught, people with a predisposition for crime. But let us not cross the line to go after everyone. Let us not lose focus of the mission.
There is something dark and sinister about breaking the law in order to enforce it. There is something wrong about taking people with no predisposition toward criminal activity and having someone beg and plead for them to have mercy so that they could be taped doing a “crime.”
And the careful choreography was vintage Hollywood. Forty four arrests in one day! The perp walks, the timing, the eclectic variety of criminals.
Mind you, the FBI is still a fabulous organization that has done and still does some truly remarkable work. It has captured terrorists before they had a chance to unleash their evil fury. And still does so. It has captured mass murderers, arsonists, hate-filled Klansmen and Nazis, without number. There is no question that the FBI still stands guard for this wonderful nation, vigilantly protecting it, defending it and making it one of the greatest nations in the world.
But we have to be vigilant too. We have to make sure that it not lose its direction. How so? We can dig a little deeper. Who chose the lists of criminals that Mr. Dwek, the CW, had used to bring down? What was the criterion? Methinks, however, that even a Freedom of Information Act request that will be filed fifty years hence will not reveal this information. Why? Quite frankly because it smells. And the FBI will never be caught doing something that smells.
So who chose to go after the son of Rabbi Ovadia Yoseph, the most respected Rabbi in Israel? We shall probably never know. Thank G-d he did not give in to the pathetic tears and cries of the poor father with five young children.
Perhaps the best approach would be to create a new set of guidelines. These guidelines would not entirely forbid the concept of entrapment- because that is a tool necessary to capture potential dangers that may not be headed off in time. What should be eliminated is entrapment of people that did not have a demonstrable propensity toward crime in the first place.
These guidelines should be put in place now. There is no question that this is a critical and necessary correction that must be made in our law enforcement policies. Otherwise, there is the potential of creating an Orwellian police state. We should not go fishing for otherwise innocent citizens utilizing people begging for mercy and assistance for them and their starving children. It is not the American way.
There is a Rabbi in New Jersey who is mourning the moral decline and fall of his son. Perhaps we all should be there joining him. For if the situation continues in this manner, we should all mourn the potential moral decline and fall of our fallen heroic group – the FBI.
It should be our fervent hope and prayer that this wonderful organization that is the FBI get back on track and be the agency it once was – a group of courageous and dedicated individuals dedicated to building the moral fiber and character of our nation. Amen.
Rabbi Hoffman can be reached at [email protected]
well writen. you should email it to the government.
a editorial in VIN is not gonna help u nothing, the FBI is gonna do what want,u have to write this in NY TIMES or in WASHINGTON POST.
who decided that he is the most respected rabbi in israel please advise how you researched this information
The media and the politicans including the President should blast the FBI for this type of entrapment and for the disgracefull way they made the arrest against a religion.. i would love to see them try this with christian, muslim or any other religion.
Wonderful article, sad situation. while they’re supposed to go around catch serious criminals, they’d rather go on a witchhunt with a major “bait and hunt spree” on people with no previous criminal records, in order to be able to set free a fraudster and low life criminal.
100 percent right very well written!!!!!!
This is an excellent article. Boruch Hashem, some sanity and some good writing!
Give me a break! everyone had there own free will , no one coerced these people to say these things, if something is so wrong you don’t just do it because someone pleads with you to do it, we are not pre-schoolers. Most of these people boasted on tape how they had committed these crimes in the past.
This article is despicable — blaming the moral standards of the FBI for crooked acts of a thoroughly corrupt group of individuals?? I can’t believe the author (i.e., Rabbi Hoffman) actually signed his name to this garbage.
-FFK
Couldn’t of wrote it any better. Its a great article. 100 points to vin news. Keep it up.
With all due respect to VIN, this post is a disgrace. I suggest Hoffman research the meaning of entrapment before he uses the term so cavalierly. This was not entrapment.
As I posted yesterday, everyone arrested had a chance to make a huge kiddush Hashem by refusing to engage in the illegal activities that were captured on tape. Each one failed. Worse, news of the goyim that refused Dweck have surfaced, but not one yid has come forward to say so.
The worse part thing we as a people can do is blame the outside world for our failings and shortcomings, and that’s what Hoffman does here. The feds were doing the same job they always have. White collar crimes have long been established as a priority in law enforcement, and that only explains the money laundering. The organ salesman reached a new low in bringing disgrace to us.
The chilul of last week is our fault, individually and collectively. I would sooner stand up and blame myself as a member of the tribe than blame the law enforcement who did their job. Hoffman should be a man and do the same.
very very well said!
what a crock- these guys all had their own will to do what they wanted. The FBI did exactly what they were supposed to do. Stop and Arrest corruption and crime. You don’t like it now because it was frum jews arrested- but its ok if they arrest the goyim for doing the same things. Stop having double standards- we all need to follow the same rules.
a new era of kamtza bar kamtza In the 9 days. no rationality. lette well written but to no avail. hold on tight more is coming. loi ulainu.
I am certainly not happy that this happened, & maybe there was an innocent person or two caught up in this, only time will tell , but give me a break #7 , why are these serious crimes, these people are stealing from you , no better than Mr Madoff , we all pay more taxes because of this laundering , laundering often ends up helping drug dealers & terrorists, what about the people who are paid $1,000 for their organs , while some poor family shells out $160,000 tax free ?
Go look how the FBI setup a few kids to “bomb” avi weiss’s shul in riverdale, those kids were lowlife street kids, not terrorists, they had no idea about bombs, the fbi informant gave them money, bombs, and most of all pushed them to do it.
Where will the FBI be when there is a real terrorist attack.
FBI, stop looking for arrests and look for crimes!!!
The FBI should be thrown in to Jail.
They Broke the Law.
There is a law prohibiting entrapment.
But who is going to arrest them?
Same is with Police, they regularly break more laws (passing red light for no reason and ALWAYS park illegally), – break more laws than any other citizen.
But who is going to issue the “parking Ticket” to the police or ticket them for driving without a seat belt or ticket them for talking on the cell phone or reading the news paper while stationed at their Post – crimes Police do 24/7 in NYC!!!!!
Where was this editorial when the same thing that happened to Rabbi Kassin, occured to the Spinka Rebbe?
This premise of this article is ridiculous, and the facts the author uses to support it are moronic.
Had the author taken a minute to research J. Edgar Hoover, he may not think he was so noble and moral. Aside from being a closet homosexual, Hoover arbitrarily assembled extensive dossiers on thousands of Americans he himself decided were suspicious and subversive.
The article goes downhill from there.
Greatly written!!! True there were some criminals entrapped, but some of them were kind hearted loving people, which I won’t say never did a crime, because I don’t think that there’s one reader here on VIN that can say “I’m clean”, if you work “off the books” then you’re dirty, if you take money from the government, then you’re dirty. And these people were approached by this Drek crying that he needs money, which Yid can say that he wouldn’t have rachmanos???????
Let’s hope that all the innocent people come out Me’afeila L’ora Umishibud Lige’ula, and may Moshiach come and redeem us fast, AMEN
Are you kidding?
Are you missing the days of J Edgar Hoover??
When the FBI was more like the KGB..when Hoover used the FBI to get back at opponents and to follow anyone he didn’t like..
Do you you any history at all??
please grow up guys, this is how the law gets many criminals that work in a in a close knit community or organization.
Are we to throw out all the mafia arrests because one guy was an informant or a plant for the police or fbi.
The FBI does not go after people just random looking to trick people to do crimes or make mistakes. They plant and informants to get evidence on people they know are doing criminal activities so they bring the case to court.
Dwerk was used to gather evidence and not to create criminals. Do you guys really think that the rabbis where not doing this stuff before Dwerk. If you do I can sell you the Brooklyn bridge.
Stop making excuses for the Rabbis who where arrested they have no one to blame but themselves.
Yes the FBI should not go after people who traffic in human organs buying them for $10,000 and selling them for $160,000. After all he was only a matchmaker – his words. As far as the Rabbonim who were entrapped for helping this loser, if it was all Lesham Shomayim, then why the 10 percent fee for the laundering? I believe the FBI should not be wasting it’s time with all these small time loser crooks and should be going after more important and bigger schemes, but if the evidence holds out, then these people are responsible for their actions and the FBI is not to blame for trying to uncover it. Something is wrong if you are supposedly trying to help someone and yet taking 10 percent off the top for your self and I don’t care how long or white the beard is.
great article email it to the ny times
While I certainly respect the sentiment in this article, J. Edgar Hoover was hardly the “hero” he is being painted out to be. He was a paranoid antisemite who believed that communists (mostly actors and entertainers… especially the Jewish ones) were trying to infiltrate and take over the government. He also had other psychological problems like being a transvestite. The FBI was, at that time, also involved in some pretty horrible racial discrimination and violence as well.
Perhaps he is right that the FBI overstepped its bounds (it sure seems like it)… and perhaps not. I don’t know and neither does anyone else here. While I would like to think that every last person here is innocent, I know that it is unlikely that all are.
I just wish we could turn the conversation toward “dina d’malcusoh dina”. Dwek was able to ensnare people into his perverse game because he KNEW that some yidden, for whatever reason, don’t think that US law applies to them. He KNEW that some yidden would fall for his trickery “hook, line and sinker” just because they have no regard whatsoever for the laws of this great country.
The fact is that each person who was caught had a CHOICE. Those who CHOSE to knowingly commit a crime, in the end only have themselves to blame for it.
We need to stop making excuses. As easily as that slimeball Dwek became an informant, your “illegal” maid could just as easily be one as well… taping your conversations, looking through your tax documents, etc.
Why don’t we use this as an opportunity to talk about the importance of living within the laws of the medina. A man does not get into dealing in illegal, black-market human organs for nearly a decade because he was “entrapped”.
Realize this. Nobody outside our community cares who or what kind of filth Dwek is. All they know is that a yid who dresses like me and lives in my community was a black-market organ dealer. THAT is the chillul H” here.
As a side note, I only brought up the organ dealer as an example because his guilt is almost certain. They have been tracking him for years. As for the rest, I will definitely be waiting to see the evidence before I make up my mind.
The FBI went after people doing crime. And at least some of those 44 people admitted on tape they had been doing criminal acts for decades! Money laundering is hardly petty, and even Rabbis clearly need to remember that if someone needs money, one gives them tzedakah and not engage in a criminal act.
I have been approached in the past by Jews to commit illegal acts like these, and I have turned them down. It should not even be a shaylah.
The events were scandalous because of the criminals, not law enforcement. Articles like these cause harm, because they make excuses. *WE* are supposed to be the most moral people on earth.
When does entrapment become illegal? This is one of the main questions asked pertaining to entrapment-and the answer is surprisingly simple. If an officer lures an ordinary citizen into committing a crime that this person would not have otherwise committed, then this is a iliegal act of entrapment, which transfers the blame to the officer, who has committed the act of “manufacturing a crime where none would otherwise exist.”
Then what is legal entrapment? Legal entrapment must include that the perpetrator has prior record of committing the same or similar crimes that will lead the officer to believe that the suspect has shown probable cause of the crime in action. The perpetrator must have a history of committing similar/same or else relevant crimes of nature. Thus, the suspect must show probable cause that he/she is mentally capable of committing and is probably contemplating or acting out the crime in question.
This is the most biased, factless article I have ever seen. IF they gave into Dweck b/c he was going to starve, why not offer to give him money out of his own pocket? You are a tight community with a lot of money……why not have a fund raiser? Before you go claiming that your rabbi’s are so weak and easily influenced, why not ask the rabbi why as opposed to breaking the law ( and skimming 10% for THEIR OWN POCKETS which you all forget to mention) they had other outlets to help him than FRAUD. Why have none of you asked these questions of yourself before claiming all the rabbis innocence? They are not innocent and they WILL pay the price. They could have helped him in SO many other ways……..but they went a route where THEY THEMSELVES would profit! Totally stereo-typical, HUH?
This “editorial” is ridiculous. Your argument is as baseless as Professor Gates claiming racism. People were supposedly breaking the law of the land and were arrested for it. I hope that some did not realize what they were doing, but Hashem should have mercy who broke the law B’mazid. As B’nei Yisroel, we are held up to higher standard than everyone else. I do not know how we will ever counter this massive chillul Hashem. THAT is what we should be worrying about, not whether there was entrapment!
“Gucchi”?
I guess you don’t know what you are talking about, either…
” The 87 year old man had never committed a crime in his life.”
This has not been proven.
hey #4 you definitely agree that a psychiatrist can work on anybody to convince him to do perhaps everything!
#10 you agree that there is someone in their ranks setting policy, and that ratings are based on this policy. needless to say that effectiveness and public perception are also derivatives of this policymaker. SOOOO YESSS! that would put the whole public opinion of this great org. on a different track jut like fbi catching osama, would create a ton of confidence in them sooo does a corrupt few up on top create public distrust.
now, the syrians are much more b’achdus (sadly, a big contrast from the ashkenazim) they’ll help clean up the fbi much more than we would’ve been able to with our inter bickering. they’ll hire the real good attorneys who will work tireless and will bez”h uncover and rid the fbi of this cancer.
iy”h shabbos nachmu in yerushalayim WITH MOSHIACH!
“What should be eliminated is entrapment of people that did not have a demonstrable propensity toward crime in the first place. “
from what I understand, many of those arrested admitted on tape to laundering money in the past.
“…demonstrable propensity toward crime”. ? Are you kidding? Who in his right mind would think that S. Dwek’s five children were starving? Have you seen his house? He could sell a car! He could sell his house! That’s an absurd defense of those who WILLINGLY participated in a scheme that was illegal. Dwek told these men he needed to hide his assets because of his impending indictment. This was INTERNATIONAL money laundering. Do you think this Rabbi just happened to call a friend in Israel and then he just happened to know a guy in Switzerland?? NO!! This is an established money laundering route that has clearly been used before. Stop trying to act like everyone didn’t know the details.
The bottom line is that frum peiople were caught breaking the law. We should have higher standards for ourselves. And, mind you, it is disgusting that they used “gemorah” as a code word for “money”. Read the indictment. What a chilul hashem! If they were mevazeh the Gemorah in such fashion, then perhaps they deserve what they have coming.
I agree w/4!
No one coierced these gems to take money nor to break the law.
It’s about time we all look at ourselves, and in our hearts, and begin to teach our children the basic facts of life. INTEGRITY, HONESTY, to live a G-d fearing life. To have a good moral compass.
To teach that we are responsible for our own mistakes, and can not blame them on everyone else. That means “we” take responsibility for our own actions!
Entrapment is a very hard claim to prove even if one is coaxed into commiting a crime. The best answer is allways “NO”
I don’t understand why we can’t get our selfs together and go down to FBI headquarters in newark to make a peaceful protest (not like in israel)…
Great article! thank you Rabbi Hoffman for bringing out those sharp and clear points.
You left out the kidney saleman. I assume hes also poor and innocent?
The FBI failed to protect this nation on the events leading up to 911 all the clues were there but they were too busy going after the little guy with entrapment and the result was the horrific attacks of 911.
Now to show that they are not discrimanating against radical muslims they went after the Jews in splashing headlines on all major media to show “even handness” I hope and pray that the real criminals planning on attacking this great nation are being sought after and not overlooked or ignored with the FBI going after innocent victims.
are
Every time I read one of Rabbi Hoffman’s articles I am wowed. He can write beautifully and his points are always right on target.
I love the eloquent and the politically correct bias coming from the author. This rabbi like many has no clue on contemporary research on criminology which will teach you that there is no such thing as “predisposition to crime.” There is no crime gene in your blood. Besides, to suggest that others may have “predisposition to crime” and it is fine for FBI to use the “entrapment technique” then but not on Jews or rabbis because apparently 87 year old rabbi can never have this “predisposition” to crime is beyond ludicrous and more.
The FBI is and was one of the most elite law enforcement organizations in the world. There is no other federal agency in the U.S. that is extremely selective in picking its agent recruits.
An 87 year old doesn’t need to know what Gucci is. When that 87 year old agrees to “help” with checks but slams a 5-10% fee for “helping” in potentially laundering sources of monies, that is a crime.
Maybe Dwek felt the urge to get back at everybody for not helping him when he needed it. When he had money everybody lined up to take it from him. When he fell on hard times, the best they could do was take 10% off the top. In a way I kind of understand why he wanted to screw everybody.
This is very well written as someone above pointing out this should have been an edotorial in a reputable news paper (if possible even to get it into The Jewish Press or Hamodia… forget about the Post or the Times they are not on our friends..,……… )but I have a different Q , why should people use this outlet to bash others in our days , I belong to chasidic group , should it bother me somebody saying that “R’ Oivadye is the biggest leader in E”Y …”? we need to find things that unite us , rather then the opposite….. after all we are one nation & we are all brothers, & when we are discriminated against by our enemies they don’t differ between ashkenazi or sephardic…. the strongest weapon we have today is not our great gedoilim, nor is it our great mesirus nefesh for tznius or kedushas Beham”d ….. one thing we have today is Chesed people doing tremedous things in helping one another, & we should be proud of this ( of course there are bad apples as we see with this “oisvurf..”) we can see how much the Yetzer is putting so much emphasis on this to keep us apart , comes 1 Silly comment here & everybody else jumping on it , it really brings us down as a group & community, we need to keep our heads up with dignity & respect Why not , its the Jewish way & pride ……. Thanks for posting….
R. Hoffman didn’t say that J Edgar Hoover was a great man – he said he built a great organization. There is a huge difference. Read carefully in the future. Rabbi Hoffman is pretty on the ball.
I suggest that Rabbi Hoffman read the criminal complaints and affidavits filed with the court. Either the FBI Agent has commited gross perjury for which he will spend the next 5 years in jail or the 87 year old Rabbi is guilty as sin. I choose to believe the FBI. We attorneys who represent the Syrian or Chasidic businessman know what is going on. In 37 years of practicing law, I can truly say that I have never met a Satmar businessman who is straight, i.e., yosher. That is not a prejudicial statement. It is the truth. Rabbi Hoffman should get his head out of the sand (Torah?) and look reality in the face.
I have no doubt that these arrests last week, and the magnitude of the 44 arrests, was only to bring back honer for the FBI, they have lost there honer since 9/11 when they were unable to intercept and stop the real enemies of country, and that is the sole reason they recently begin this tactic of planting the crime, two months ago when they encouraged a few bums from the Bronx to bomb a Riverdale synagogue, I did not hail them as heroes, after hearing the details of that story, it made me wonder who the real terrorists are, this recent activity of the FBI is to terrorize people, and to re-brand their organisation. They are having a hard time hunting down successfully the real criminals, so they are creating them for media attention,however, their deeds is only encouraging crime, and not preventing them, for them to restore their honer, they will need to engage in some old school tactics, that have been used by intelligence communities for decades…..look at the Mossad, and how they got their honer of being one of the world’s best intelligence organisations…..
For everyone who keeps saying they want to arrest the fbi for “illegal entrapment” understand that entrapment is not a crime. It is a defense to a crime, just like insanity .
This piece is what’s wrong with the frum world and portends many more Chillulea Hashem to come.