Israel Donor’s Gaming License Opposed

A group of peace and local activists urged state regulators Wednesday to deny a permanent gaming license to a Hawaiian Gardens casino owner who has funded right-wing Israeli causes in the Middle East.

Dr. Irving Moskowitz has operated a bingo parlor and card club for several years in the southeast Los Angeles County community, drawing praise as a philanthropist and criticism for using profits to buy land for Jewish settlers in Israel.

His application for a permanent gaming license has met with the most opposition for any card club in California, state officials said. Though the state attorney general’s office recommended that the license be approved, activists told Gambling Control Commission members that Moskowitz’s business empire required further scrutiny.

“The bingo money is Moskowitz’s box of matches.... Granting Moskowitz a permanent license would be like handing him a can of gasoline,” said Haim Beliak, the co-director of the Coalition for Justice in Hawaiian Gardens and Jerusalem.

Turning the focus on Hawaiian Gardens, Moskowitz supporters said the revenue generated by the casino had helped turn around the working-class city.

What Moskowitz does with his money is his business, said his attorney, Beryl Weiner. He said state officials had investigated all of Moskowitz’s contributions and found no reason to deny him his license.

“I’m sure Mr. Moskowitz has made contributions to Israel, but he has every right to do so,” Weiner said.

The commission scheduled another hearing in January.