Benjamin Netanyahu

NYT Columnists Gone Wild: Dowd Accused of Anti-Semitic Tropes, Kristof Says Netanyahu Interfering in US Election
By Clay Waters | September 17, 2012 | 12:19 PM EDT

Has Maureen Dowd's documented hatred of Paul Ryan pushed her over the edge? The New York Times columnist is accused by several pundits of employing anti-Semitic tropes in her latest Sunday Review column, the charmingly titled "Neocons Slither Back," currently the #1 e-mailed Times story as of noon Monday. Meanwhile, Times columnist Nicholas Kristof harshly criticized Mitt Romney and accused Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "interfering in American elections."

Paul Ryan has not sautéed in foreign policy in his years on Capitol Hill. The 42-year-old congressman is no Middle East savant; till now, his idea of a border dispute has more likely involved Wisconsin and Illinois.

....

Ryan was moving his mouth, but the voice was the neocon puppet master Dan Senor. The hawkish Romney adviser has been secunded to manage the running mate and graft a Manichaean worldview onto the foreign affairs neophyte.

David Gregory Calls Benjamin Netanyahu 'The Leader of the Jewish People'
By Noel Sheppard | September 16, 2012 | 5:03 PM EDT

NBC's David Gregory on Sunday actually referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as "the leader of the Jewish people."

This happened during a Meet the Press interview that included the host vociferously grilling Netanyahu about whether Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney was correct when he said, “President Obama has thrown allies like Israel under the bus” (video follows with transcript and commentary):

New York Times Again Runs Bad Headline Calling Netanyahu a Failure
By Clay Waters | September 14, 2012 | 8:40 AM EDT

The New York Times has again used a misleading headline to falsely imply failure on the part of conservative Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: Thursday's story by Isabel Kershner, "Israelis Fear Fallout From Netanyahu’s Blunt Comments." But the underlying story fails to come close to making that case, quoting only a single opponent of Netanyahu -- the opposition leader in the Israeli Parliament.

Time's Joe Klein: Netanyahu's Behavior Is 'Absolutely Outrageous and Disgusting'
By Noel Sheppard | September 12, 2012 | 10:20 AM EDT

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came down strong on the Obama adminstration Tuesday for its failure to implement a foreign policy that would prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

On MSNBC's Morning Joe Wednesday, Time magazine's Joe Klein called Netanyahu's actions "absolutely outrageous and disgusting" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Roseanne Barr: 'You'd Think Israel Had Oil the Way Our "Leaders" Keep Their Lips On Its Ass'
By Noel Sheppard | September 6, 2012 | 10:07 AM EDT

"Jeez, you'd think Israel had oil the way our 'leaders' keep their our [sic] lips on its ass."

So poorly wrote comedian Roseanne Barr in a piece published by the Huffington Post Thursday entitled "I Approve This Message":

Piers Morgan Tells Israeli Defense Minister Obama 'Would Prefer' No Action on Iran Before Election
By Noel Sheppard | May 16, 2012 | 10:16 PM EDT

Just how in the tank for Barack Obama is CNN's Piers Morgan?

During an interview with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak Wednesday, Morgan actually said to his guest concerning Iran, "President Obama clearly would prefer not to see Israel take any action before the election" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Rich Lowry Scolds Eleanor Clift: 'You Are Okay With' Iran 'Getting a Nuclear Weapon'
By Noel Sheppard | March 11, 2012 | 6:07 PM EDT

Newsweek's Eleanor Clift and National Review's Rich Lowry got into quite a heated debate on PBS's McLaughlin Group this weekend.

With the topic being President Obama's Middle East policy, after much back and forth, Lowry scolded, "If you’re honest about it, that is your bottom line. You are okay with [Iran] getting a nuclear weapon" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Zuckerman Smacks Down Clift: 'That's Nonsense to Say Israelis Don't Think Through Consequences of War'
By Noel Sheppard | March 11, 2012 | 4:20 PM EDT

Newsweek's Eleanor Clift got a bit of a tongue-lashing from US News and World Report's Mort Zuckerman on this weekend's McLaughlin Group.

After Clift predictably praised President Obama's press conference last week, Zuckerman aggressively shot back, "That's nonsense to say the Israelis don't think through the consequences of war! That’s ridiculous!" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Chris Matthews: Benjamin Netanyahu Should 'Stay Out of Our Elections'
By Noel Sheppard | March 7, 2012 | 10:53 AM EST

Chris Matthews doesn't just hate American conservatives.

On MSNBC's Morning Joe Wednesday, the Hardball host said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should "stay out of our elections" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

WaPo's Ignatius Predicts Obama to Take on Israel's Netanyahu in 2nd Term
By Brad Wilmouth | January 1, 2012 | 3:41 PM EST

Appearing as a panel member on the syndicated Chris Matthews Show on Sunday, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius predicted that President Obama would be more aggressive in taking on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a second term, as he cited the  belief by Obama's people that the President "has had success" in Middle East policy so far. (Video below)

Ignatius seemed to go along with the idea that President Obama has a "strong foreign policy record" as he ended up asking rhetorically:

Netanyahu Refuses to Write Op-Ed for New York Times Due to Paper's Anti-Israel Bias
By Noel Sheppard | December 16, 2011 | 5:47 PM EST

The New York Times learned Thursday that its biases have consequences.

In a letter from his senior adviser Ron Dermer obtained by the Jerusalem Post, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scornfully declined the Gray Lady's offer to write an op-ed due to the paper's long history of anti-Israel sentiments:

NYT's Friedman: Netanyahu's Standing Ovation in Congress 'Bought and Paid for by the Israel Lobby'
By Clay Waters | December 15, 2011 | 9:03 AM EST

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, who poses as a tough friend of Israel, offensively referred to the “Israel lobby” in his Wednesday column “Newt, Mitt, Bibi and Vladimir."

After bashing Newt Gingrich for suggesting the Palestinians are an “invented” people, Friedman reiterated the usual talking points in support of a Palestinian state, but with a hostile and paranoid twist.