The Jerusalem Post’s Gutlessness
Blogger Joe Settler posts on how the Jerusalem Post seemingly caved in to pressure from an anti-Israel blogger called Seth Freedman, and My Right Word neatly summarizes the chain of events.
Let’s make it simple:
1. Seth Freedman publishes a takedown of Israel.
2. Edwin Bennatan published a takedown of Seth.
3. David Horowitz, JP editor, takes down Bennatan’s piece – literally – he censors it out completely.
4. David Horowitz then publishes this apology:
Thursday Sep 11, 2008
Point / Counterpoint: Apology to Seth FreedmanPosted by JPost.com staffThe Jerusalem Post would like to apologize to Seth Freedman for certain comments that appeared on our site following a September 1 blog entry written by Edwin Bennatan that were defamatory, threatening, and inappropriate.
The Jerusalem Post apologizes for any distress caused to Mr. Freedman, expresses its sincere regret that such a situation was allowed to occur, and will endeavour to prevent any recurrence.
A donation will be made by the Jerusalem Post to a charity of Mr Freedman’s choice.
Actually, this is not the only example of gutless placating of anti-Israel bloggers by the Post.
A few years ago, anti-Israel pest/blogger Richard Silverstein went after the Jerusalem Post for helping me to run the JIB awards.
If you take a look at their logo here you’ll notice the two sponsors: the Jerusalem Post and Israelly Cool. A little ideological background is in order. The Post at one time in its history (I know because I read it sporadically when I lived in Israel for two academic years) was a sleepy little Anglo-Israeli paper that took an uneventfully centrist political stance on Israeli politics. That all changed when Conrad Black (does he still have that Lord’s title or do they take it away once you’re accused of a felony??) bought the paper, turning it into the spitting image of his neocon, hardline pro-Likud views.
Now the kleptomaniac buccaneer is gone. Derek Fattal, the Post’s director of internet services assures me that post-Black the Post moderated its politics:
The Post’s position in the local spectrum is now straight center on most issues and I don’t think many informed pundits would currently cast us as right wing.
But that’s what George Will would say about Sam Alito’s judicial philosophy, now wouldn’t he? It all depends on where you locate your center. One could believe the paper has moderated its views. But I don’t believe it will ever fully divorce itself from Lord Black’s political philosophy.
So you have a conservative Israeli daily allied with Israelly Cool.
Well, today, after a referral from the Post’s blog page, I noticed their blogroll:
Tikun Olam is Silverstein’s blog.
In other words, the Jerusalem Post made a conscious decision to include Richard Silverstein’s overtly anti-Israel blog on their blogroll, presumably because he raised a stink about the Post’s conservative politics. Or threatened them.
Either way, it is yet another example of the Post caving in to an anti-Israel blogger.
I have always seen the Jerusalem Post as being incompetent. I guess I will now add gutless to the list.
About the Author
An Australian immigrant to Israel, Aussie Dave has been blogging since early 2003.Filed Under: General
A donation to Seth Freedman's choice of charities? Suppose it's Hamas? Oh, the social services division of Hamas, to be sure.
Despicable, but the Jpost has gone very rotten, and while they have a few pro-israel columnists left, these days it's a stretch to call them pro-israel. Adding Tikkun Hamas to their bloglinks, well they might as well just add Electronic Intifada. There's not much of a difference in content except that EI may be more moderate than Richard Silverstein
Israels freedoms are eventually going to do it in…Why are so many Jews self loathing ?…It goes on in America here also…What also amazes me is the blind Jewish support of the Democratic ticket…It is very sad to watch the demise of the Jewish people slowly and not helped at all by their own self loathing perhaps guilt ridden actions
You should demand to be taken off their blogroll, as should any blogger with any sense.
You and me both. I used to have a "We stand with Israel" sign it my window (until it fell apart–have to get a new one). It was always Jews who questioned it.
Here is another take on the story. http://www.hurryupharry.org/2008/09/15/an-apology…” target=”_blank”>” target=”_blank”>http://www.hurryupharry.org/2008/09/15/an-apology…
The way things read there, Seth Freedman won't have nuts left by the time I get around to kicking him. And it should be, it should be, it should be that way.
Freedman is a loathsome traitor to Israel. Your blog is excellent – kol hakavod!