Blakeman and his man in Budapest?

Daily Point

Blakeman, far-right Israeli minister met at home of nursing home operator

Benjamin Landa, who is awaiting Senate confirmation as President Donald Trump's ambassador to Hungary, is a Lawrence resident best known locally as a big investor and owner of nursing homes, Republican donor and philanthropist.

Landa's nomination, revealed Nov. 7, was officially sent Jan. 13 to the Senate, where it has been referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. How rigorously his background might be vetted during public confirmation hearings and questioned by Democrats remains to be seen. So far, there is no sign that the nomination faces any headwinds.

Landa has international contacts that extend beyond his business ventures. Last May, an Orthodox Jewish news site called FrumNews described a visit to Landa's Five Towns residence by Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister of national security in Israel and a leading far-right political figure there.

On hand for Ben-Gvir's visit was now-GOP gubernatorial nominee and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, according to FrumNews, which ran a photo of the two men conversing at a table. The piece said Blakeman was accompanied by Landa’s son Sheya, who was listed as a part-timer on the Nassau County public payroll. Political positions on his X account have long attacked former President Joe Biden and other Democrats.

In New York, Benjamin Landa is the CEO of SentosaCare LLC. He and his-then business partner boasted in the 2010s that it was the largest for-profit nursing home company in the state, Newsday's news division reported. Landa is a former owner and operator of Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation in Woodbury and was sued in 2022 on charges of financial fraud and resident neglect there.

Landa's name appears on a state Health Department disclosure site as having a 45% interest in South Shore Rehabilitation LLC. On Jan. 19, Newsday reported that state Supreme Court Justice Christopher McGrath upheld an unusually high $5 million jury verdict against that enterprise, for the family of the late Army veteran Henry Serrapica from Lynbrook, who suffered from pressure ulcers and was found to have received improper care inside South Shore's Freeport nursing home.

Whether Landa's business activities or investments become relevant to the Senate confirmation process also remains to be seen.

As for Hungary, Landa's positions are expected, of course, to be set by Trump, who has cordial ties with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and alignment on immigration and nationalism. "J Street," a self-styled liberal Zionist group, last year criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for having a "particularly strong bond" with Orbán's Fidesz Party.

Trump's selection of Landa, a son of Holocaust survivors, is expected to reflect an about-face on Orbán and Hungary since the Biden administration. The previous ambassador, David Pressman, drew parallels at one point between President Vladimir Putin’s Russia and Orbán’s Hungary regarding democracy and LGBT rights. 

— Dan Janison dan.janison@newsday.com

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Final Point

Some pols play the name game better than others

The campaign name game is more than slinging mud at your opponent — it's a chance to get your name front and center in voters' minds.

Savvy pols across the state and right here on Long Island use clever jeu de mots with their names when forming committees to gain traction as opposed to ho-hum candidates going vanilla with names like "Joe Smith for Legislator."

The Point offers for your consideration for best use of name in a campaign committee in 2025 these entries: Truitt Will Do It (Will Truitt, Dutchess County comptroller); Committee for Kitty (Kristina "Kitty" Karle, Ontario County Court judge); Grow With Gwen NY (Gwen Dougherty, Patterson Town Council); and Long Island's own Win with Chin (Juleigh Chin, Nassau County Legislature).

Missed opportunities include: Friends of Guy Roemer (should have been "Elect This Guy"); Friends of Noseworthy (should have been "He's Got a Nose for Politics"); and Bonnke for Legislature ("Go Bonnke-rs at The Polls!").

Too many candidates' names in '25 begged for humorous campaign slogans but they clearly didn't get the message. So, The Point is providing some pointers:

• John Fix, Cape Vincent Town justice: "The Fix is in!"
• Helen Bunt, Cornwall Town supervisor: "Hit a home run with Bunt!"
• Michael Crook, Albany mayor: "Vote for this Crook!"
• Ronnie Goodnough, Albion Town Council: "Make Albion Town more than Goodnough!"
• Favor Smith, Wilmington Town supervisor: "Do yourself a Favor and vote for Smith."

As the 2026 election cycle starts heating up, candidates should remember an essential rule of politics: Name recognition gets results on Election Day.

— Mark Nolan mark.nolan@newsday.com

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