Monday, September 17, 2012

Israel Bashing and Journalistic Ethics at The New York Times: They Don't Mix

Less than a week ago, The New York Times published an Israel bashing guest op-ed entitled "Seven Lean Years of Peacemaking," written by Daniel Levy, whose inaccuracies were egregious (see: http://jgcaesarea.blogspot.co.il/2012/09/daniel-levy-seven-lean-years-of.html). Worse still, the Times didn't bother to inform its readership that Levy was a founder of J Street and continues to serve on its advisory board (see: http://www.newamerica.net/people/daniel_levy).

Today, on Rosh Hashana, the Times "feted" us with another Israel bashing guest op-ed entitled "A Preventable Massacre," written by Seth Anziska, a graduate student, whose casual attitude toward historical facts speaks volumes about his inclinations (see: http://jgcaesarea.blogspot.co.il/2012/09/seth-anziska-preventable-massacre-more.html). Again, the Times didn't take the trouble to inform us that Columbia University lists Anziska's "Advisor" as Rashid Khalidi (see: http://history.columbia.edu/graduate/Anziska.html), a Columbia professor once linked to the PLO (see: http://www.martinkramer.org/sandbox/2008/10/khalidi-of-the-plo/). As known to all, a tape of Obama's 2003 tribute to Khalidi at a farewell party in Chicago is locked away in the offices of The Los Angeles Times (see: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/226104/i-l-times-i-suppresses-obamas-khalidi-bash-tape/andrew-c-mccarthy).

Such background information is of course critical in assessing the objectivity of both Levy and Anziska.

Needless to say, the Times is free to persist with its anti-Israel agenda, but is there also no obligation to occasionally offer reasoned rebuttal? I have asked the new public editor of the Gray Lady, Margaret Sulivan, for her opinion regarding both these issues, and let's see if she has the courage to reply.

3 comments:

  1. I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you waiting for that reply from the NYT. While it seems like you're concerned about letting the truth be told, their priorities are to follow an unwavering agenda in the name of the Greater Good.

    BTW, I noticed that you haven't written anything regarding the recent attacks on US embassies in Libya
    Now that the US State Department has refused to term the attack on the US embassy in Libya a terrorist act, I'm looking forward to reading how the NYT will spin it into something entirely different to avoid further embarrassment to the White House.

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  2. Everyone is calling the egregious attacks against the US embassy in Libya an act of terrorism - even Al-Qaeda, of course not in so many words. Surprisingly though, who is not terming it a terrorist attack?
    The US State Department. That's right, until they have all the facts that is.
    http://www.timeslive.co.za/africa/2012/09/18/too-soon-to-call-libya-attack-act-of-terror-state-department

    Having read that, I immediately searched for the spin and redirection in three places I knew I was gauranteed to find it.

    CNN: Video purportedly shows Libyans rushing to aid U.S. ambassador
    http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/17/world/africa/libya-benghazi-video/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

    HuffPost:
    Right-wing Bloggers Say Amb. Stevens Was Gay -- And They Care Deeply About What Happened to Him, Really, They Do
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelangelo-signorile/right-wing-bloggers-say-a_b_1888990.html

    And lastly but not least, the NYT.
    Even Roger 'Iran is not a totalitarian rgine' Cohen, is telling us that "...it is far better to have his Muslim Brotherhood grappling with Islamic extremists than an isolated U.S.-backed dictator". And who does he blame for all this Muslim rage? Of course Benjamin Netanyahu. The good guys? Iran. After all, they're Persians not Arabs, regardless of the fact that they just increased the bounty on Salman Rushdie's head.
    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/18/opinion/18iht-edcohen-never-wrong-for-long.html?_r=1&hp

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  3. The New York Times illustrates
    - the descent of the leftist mainstreat into pure anti-Semitism
    - the extent of the "LIFA" - the de facto Leftist-IslamoFascist Alliance.

    As examples:
    1. The decisions in the Afgh and Iraqi wars were taken by gnetiles Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Powell - yet Down repeatedly blames Wolfie, Perle, and Feith
    2. Freeman's rejection for the NSA was blamed on Jews by the NYT on page 1 above the fold. The article didn't mention Chinese dissidents' objections until two sentences deep inside, and made no mention at all of the public letter by 88 Chinese dissidents criticising Freeman.
    3. Thomas Friedbrain stated on the Times op-ed page that Jews bought Congress - and the Times hadn't even the decency to apologise.
    4. The Times' blog published Carlos Latuff's caricature equating Israel with Nazis.

    ReplyDelete