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Friday, August 5, 2022
Vol. 97, No. 31
BEST OF NASSAU COUNTY
A FATHER’S QUEST FOR JUSTICE
LAFAZAN MAKES CASE FOR CD3 NOMINATION
PAGES S1-S52
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Bral announces two sister city agreements
C A M P PA R K W O O D
Great Neck mayor signs with towns in occuppied territories BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Village of Great Neck Mayor Pedram Bral announced partnership agreements last month for the village to become sister cities with two territories in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Bral, who traveled to Israel last month, said the village was approached by officials from the Township of Eli and the Town of Mitzpe Yericho, both located in the West Bank, to sign friendship agreements. The mayor said the reason the village signed the partnership agreements between the two Israeli municipalities was because he wants to “build bridges” with a variety of other communities throughout the world. Other international municipalities, he said, have already reached out to establish these agreements and he told village residents during last month’s Board of Trustees meeting that more will be coming. “To hear that people are actually approaching us, wanting to make friendship agreements and build bridges… I think it’s extremely heartwarming,” Bral said. “I was more than happy to meet with them and it’s really my honor and privilege to sit here and announce these sister cities.” Bral said officials from both territories reached out to him a week
before his planned trip to Israel and did not announce the agreements until he was back from his trip. The agreements mentioned both partieshaving a “desire to strengthen friendly and cooperative relations” between themselves. The village’s agreements came months after Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed a similar agreement between the county and two communities in what is termed by some Judea and Samaria in May. Judea refers to all the regions south of Jerusalem. Samaria refers to the area north of Jerusalem. The agreement between Nassau and the communities in the occupied territories, Blakeman said, will be one also based on economic and cultural aspects. Officials said the Palestinian Authority and the international community do not recognize Samaria, an area within the Jewish homeland. The Shomron Regional Council provides services for the Jewish towns and Israeli settlements in the Samarian Hills with a population of more than 23,000 people. Blakeman was joined by various community and religious leaders, including Yossi Dagan, chairman of the Shomron Regional Council, located in the northern West Bank. Dagan thanked Blakeman and the county for Continued on Page 38
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GREAT NECK PARK DISTRICT
Throughout the summer, children along the peninsula have attended the Great Neck Park District’s Camp Parkwood.
Kings Point doctor ran kickback scheme: AG BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z
medical tests to defraud Medicaid, according to state Attorney General A Kings Point doctor was Letitia James. Payam Toobian, 51, operated indicted Monday for allegedly running a kickback scheme and Empire Imaging, a diagnostic radiforcing patients to receive invasive ology center in Queens through his
corporation, America’s Imaging, according to a release from James’ office. From 2006-2017, officials said Toobian is accused of giving three unnamed physicians more than Continued on Page 39
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