Enemies List 2001 (Part I)

Two years ago the Monitor, inspired by the political humorist P.J. O’Rourke, published an “Enemies List” of anti-Israel journalists. The column struck such a responsive chord, with readers nominating dozens of their own media enemies, that a couple of follow-ups to the original list soon appeared.Given the renewed controversy over media coverage of Israel during the past nine months, the time seemed right to offer readers a chance to send in suggestions for a revised Enemies List. A brief announcement was made in this space several weeks ago, and letters, faxes and e-
mails began pouring in.

There were few real surprises. The list reflects the fact that responses came primarily from the U.S.; for example, no British journalists were submitted (the Monitor will rectify that in next week’s column). The following were the top vote-getters, their names arranged in order of negative mentions received.

Peter Jennings: ABC anchorman is still the champion after all these years.

Deborah Sontag: New York Times Jerusalem bureau chief sets the standard for biased reporting.

Anthony Lewis: A relic of Liberalism Past, this Times columnist insists on viewing the world from a Palestinian perspective.

William A. Orme: Deborah Sontag’s husband and partner in propaganda for the Times.

Mike Wallace: Hasn’t been particularly active on the Mideast front recently, but past performance makes the former Myron Wallace a prime exhibit in the anti-Israel hall of shame.Robert Novak: Long-time partner Rowland Evans left us for his eternal just desserts, but Jewish-born Novak keeps going as one of the nation’s most relentlessly anti-
Israel pundits.

Joel Greenberg: Junior varsity version of his New York Times Jerusalem Bureau colleagues Sontag and Orme.

Leonard Fein: Despite half-hearted mea culpa for having trusted too much in Arafat, Forward columnist remains a devotee of Israeli concessions and creation of a Palestinian state.

Joshua Hammer: Newsweek correspondent’s Middle East dispatches read as though they were initialed by the Palestinian Authority.

Thomas Friedman: Better in recent months – seems genuinely shocked and disillusioned by the Palestinian intifada and apparently dreads being seen as a sucker – but, based on his track record, don’t expect this to be a permanent change of heart.

Taki: Veteran political and lifestyles writer whose Israel bashing often crosses the line into outright Jew- baiting. Made news earlier this year when British publisher Conrad Black attacked him in print after he’d penned a particularly nasty piece on Jews and Israel.

Joseph Sobran: Got himself fired from National Review 10 years ago because of his anti-Israel, anti-Jewish invective; he’s still very much at it as an on-line columnist.

Michael Lerner: Not a media person in the usual sense, but this so-called “New Age Rabbi” does publish the radical magazine Tikkun, and his pro-Palestinian views are quoted often by sympathetic journalists.

Charley Reese: There was a time when the Orlando Sentinel columnist was as pro-Israel as they come. But several years ago, for reasons that remain unclear, he did a sudden about-face.

Bob Simon: Veteran CBS newsman now seen regularly on “60 Minutes” and “60 Minutes II.” Never met an Israeli government official he trusted.

Victor Navasky: Publisher of The Nation, the left-wing opinion journal that regularly portrays Israel as a nation of war criminals and the Palestinians as persecuted saints.

Gillian Findley: ABC’s Israel-based correspondent is a perfect fit for anchor Jennings.

Alisa Solomon: Village Voice writer whose articles drip with sympathy for the Palestinians and contempt for Israel and its American Jewish supporters.

Next week: Reader comments and more names.

Jason Maoz can be reached at [email protected]