Bibi Snubs The New York Times

                                                                                                ב"ה                                                        

22 Kislev 5772                                                                                                                                            December 18, 2011 

                                                  

                                                         Missed Opportunity to Inform and Educate    

    

                Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu's senior adviser, Ton Dermer, wrote to the New York Times, to explain why his boss "respectfully decline" to submit an op-ed piece. That's too, bad, as a general proposition, for key news maker missed the opportunity to explain his position to a discriminating and discerning audience, including Washington policy makers. More distressing, is a stream of consciousness thoughtlessness which both undermines the efficacy of the prime minister's position(s), even as it regurgitates discredited bromides, the usual platitudes voiced by incurious persons. It's a classic case of cutting the nose to spite the face. 

                Belittling the generally-accepted notion, the Times is intentionally framed as the much quoted "paper of record," along the official charges that, when it comes to Israel, the op-ed page has failed to adopt the late Senator Moynihan's admonition not to invent their own facts in order to conform to a preconceived opinion. Specifically, it referred to Palestinian President Abbas who, in his General Assembly speech promoting formal recognition of his yet unborn nation by the United Nations, was not taken to task for infuriatingly asserting the incendiary slander that in 1947 "Zionist forces expelled Palestinian Arabs to ensure a decisive Jewish majority in the future State of Israel ... " 

                Of course, as any simpleton, and anti-Semite knows, Resolution 181, the quintessential two-state solution plan, was overwhelmingly endorsed by the world body on November 29, months before modern Israel was proclaimed, with the additional application of martial might, May 14, 1948! There were thirteen nations voting against simultaneous birth of Jewish and Palestinian nations, including my native Greece, which earlier in the decade had seen 87% of its Jews gassed and cremated in Auschwitz. Joining Hellas were, Afghanistan, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen, in the main a group which included some of the most repressive regimes extant.

In recent months, it has been my sacred obligation to join the grassroots effort to have Greece reverse that unfortunate vote, then the only European country to do so. Please write to, Ambassador Vassillis Kaskarelis, Greek Embassy, 2217 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, demanding that such action is both historically required, and as a tangible demonstration of the recent amity forged between Greece and Israel on the economic, diplomatic, and military spheres.

Disagreeing with The NY Times has also been my occasional pastime, but never would I forego responding to their interpreted outrages, nor the mostly enjoyable daily morning routine, prior to joining the minyan, quorum, for worship, going to the computer to access the opinion pieces in http://www.nytimes.com/. Thus, my instruction to Ron Dermer, the aforementioned adviser (how did he become senior with such thin skin?), is to recall the decision not to offer Bibi's view in a column to the still greatest publication in the world, for the loss is too extensive to contemplate! After all, The New Times is not The Five Towns Jewish Times, operating under an editor-publisher, villain par excellence, who cannot fathom the depth of his perfidy in dividing our local Jewish community.

               

                Finally, I am gratified that, while the string of issues on which Rabbi Heshie Billet and I see differently grows, I commend him for having the courage to present them to his Young Israel of Woodmere congregants, as the "Dear Sasha" letter from Natanyahu's office to the New York Times, explaining his declination, and reported erev Shabbat by the Jerusalem Post staff. Noting the strong bipartisan support that Israel enjoys in the United States, the State's prime minister's comments could only have further advanced our America's perennial, justifiable, enthusiasm and esteem. We, keen lovers of Zion, pray that such a strategic blunder not be repeated. Shavua tov, veHag Hanukkah sameach!

                Sincerely, and with fraternal affection,

                                Asher

                Prof. Asher J. Matathias

               

312 Longacre Avenue, Woodmere, NY 11598-2530

                516-374-2958 Mobile: 369-5799 AsherJmat@Aol.com

*Asher, Respectfully, your note is not up to your usual standards of excellence in communication; too many subjects in too few paragraphs to do any of them justice. On the main (?) point, as to whether or not Prime Minister Netanyahu should have replied substantively to the NY Times request for an Op Ed piece, sometimes I think it is more courageous to hold your water and wait for a more appropriate time and/or venue. In my opinion, the Times has become terribly slanted against Israel and against the Netanyahu Administration in particular. I do not want to debate the merits of that view, I provide it only to say that the Prime Minister MIGHT HAVE VALID CAUSE to hold his words and wait for a more appropriate time and venue. These days and years have become as dangerous for Israel as the early 1930s were for European Jewry.  Israel's leader holding his own - and not volunteering an Op Ed piece to the NY Times - is certainly understandable to me. David, LAW OFFICES OF D.D.C., Jericho, NY Asher, You are a gentleman and a scholar. I only comment on your writings because I know you will take my comments in stride. Thank you. David 

**Thank you. G.F., Teaneck, NJ

*Whewww! M.D., New York, NY

**Asher, Kol ha kovot. Happy Chanukah to U and the family. Paul and Sue K., Bayside, NY

*This is not good for Israel. The Palestinians have created armies of sympathizers, legions of apologists, and one of the best-crafted public relations and media strategies ever-created. Their propaganda ministry makes the Nazis look like amateurs. Netanyahu must figure that whatever he says will be negated and brutally criticized. He should hire the best public relations people to push Israel's policy positions and interests. He underestimates the power of propaganda. The Israeli attitude was best expressed by a former pilot who bombed the Egyptian planes in 1967. He said, "we don’t talk, we act; ein brera." We are the only ones we can count on." His dismissal of world opinion is not in Israel's best interest and Netanyahu should know this. J.N., Cedarhurst, NY

**Asher, Enough is enough. Ron Dermer is not an ideologue. He is objective enough to understand that it would not make a difference having Bibi's voice in The New York Times. As Zionists, we've tried numerous times to sway the esteemed newspaper, through letters to the editor, story pitches, subscription cancellation threats, and the newspaper remains hostile towards Israel. At this point, writing a letter or op-ed to NY Times is a waste of time. Kadinsky (S.), Garden City, NY

*Hi, Asher. Hope you are well. What is the one thing that The New York Times, Pat Buchannan, and Islamic terrorists have in common? They always have something bad to say about Israel! Keep up the great writing! Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year to you and yours! Bro. H.A.M., Norwich, NY