A Void Not Filled

Posted on: March 25th, 2013

The late Michael Kelly was a brilliant writer and editor (The New York Times, Washington Post, The New Republic, The Atlantic) who coincidentally happened to be an American patriot and a strong supporter of Israel – a combination not commonly found in the circles in which he traveled.

Giuliani Still Being Slighted by Media Elites

Posted on: March 13th, 2013

Even as he left office in January 2002 on a note of unprecedented triumph and popularity, the tone of the New York Times’s editorials and most of its news coverage was startlingly jaundiced.

Recalling Ed Koch’s Political Hypocrisy

Posted on: February 20th, 2013

Koch became a chronic – some would say compulsive – critic of Giuliani.

Al Gore, Heavyweight Phony

Posted on: January 16th, 2013

Al Gore has been in the news again, and even some of his biggest admirers are upset with Gore’s decision to sell his Current TV cable network to Al Jazeera, which is owned by the oil-rich Islamic monarchy of Qatar, for $500 million.

When Barak Made Rabin Spin In His Grave

Posted on: December 12th, 2012

Ehud Barak may or may not be out of Israeli politics for good, but his recent resignation announcement reminded the Monitor of just how much the man had been willing to give up to Yasir Arafat at the tail end of Bill Clinton’s presidency.

The Ever Reliable Jewish Voter

Posted on: November 21st, 2012

Roughly 30 percent of those Jews who had voted for Reagan in 1980 went for Mondale in 1984.

A Neglected Anniversary

Posted on: October 17th, 2012

With all the media attention paid to the recent 40th anniversary of the Munich Olympic massacre, another anniversary – this one related to something far more consequential in terms of Israel’s history – slipped by relatively unnoticed.

The Public Is The Last To Know

Posted on: September 5th, 2012

The charade is played out every evening on election day. Television news anchors and beat reporters, on local stations and the networks, come on the air full of breathless anticipation, seeking to build an atmosphere of nail-biting uncertainty.

U.S. Presidents And Israel

Posted on: August 8th, 2012

Several years ago the Monitor ranked the U.S. presidents (from Truman through Clinton) in terms of their relationship with Israel. Since then, readers occasionally have asked whether time and added perspective have had any effect on the list and where Barack Obama would place on it.

The Truth About Cronkite

Posted on: July 11th, 2012

A new biography of the late Walter Cronkite has forced even admirers of the iconic CBS anchorman to reassess the man long held up as a paragon of journalistic ethics and objectivity.

Edward Klein On Obama And Wright

Posted on: June 20th, 2012

Wright, Klein writes, “became far more than a religious and spiritual guide to Obama; he was his substitute father, life coach, and political inspiration wrapped in one package. At each step of Obama’s career, Wright was there with practical advice and counsel…. It would be no exaggeration to say that Jeremiah Wright…prepared him to run for president.”

Brushing Up On The Presidents

Posted on: May 31st, 2012

About a decade ago the Monitor recommended a bunch of books on U.S. presidents and the Middle East and then updated the list a few years later. With interest in the 2012 presidential race heating up, another look at the list seems in order.

Back In The Tank For Obama

Posted on: May 23rd, 2012

A good portion of the reliably liberal mainstream media had soured on Barack Obama once his historic 2008 ascension to the presidency gave way to a mostly lackluster performance when he actually moved into the White House.

Mike Wallace Shuffles Off This Mortal Coil

Posted on: April 18th, 2012

Mike Wallace died earlier this month at age 93, and while some may find it preferable to focus on the positive when speaking or writing about an individual on the occasion his passing, the Monitor had little good to say about Wallace while he was living, so why start now?

Tenth Anniversary Of A Media Feeding Frenzy

Posted on: April 4th, 2012

The media wolves were in full feeding frenzy ten years ago this month as Israel, after dozens of Palestinian suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks, mounted its largest military operation in the West Bank in decades.

An Anti-McCarthyite’s McCarthyism

Posted on: March 28th, 2012

Lawrence Hoffman is a politically liberal Reform rabbi who writes about his favorite Jewish books in his own recently released book, titled, not altogether unexpectedly, One Hundred Great Jewish Books.

Unarmed Debaters

Posted on: March 14th, 2012

A little research – on the Internet or at a good public library – will yield a rich harvest of facts and quotes buttressing Israel’s case and highlighting Palestinian dishonesty and double talk.

Ten Years Ago This Week: An Icon Exposed

Posted on: February 29th, 2012

Billy Graham had for decades been one of America’s most admired figures, a national icon, a man respected across the board for his seeming sincerity, rock-solid faith and openness to working with those whose beliefs differ from his own. He was also a staunch friend of Israel. But a different side of Graham emerged during the 90-minute White House meeting with Nixon. Graham was particularly exercised by what he saw as the “stranglehold” Jews maintained on the American media.

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Popular Israeli TV Host Calls for Reducing Number of “Ultra Orthodox Grandchildren”

Posted on: February 28th, 2012

Yaron London is spelling stuff out, having moved, like many secular Israelis, from bemused disliking of the Ultra Orthodox to outright loathing anyone wearing a black hat and a beard. Now he's out for blood. His op-ed piece in Y'net Tuesday recalls earlier solutions to "the Jewish problem."

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Off To The Races

Posted on: February 15th, 2012

The common lament from the smugly high-minded is that the media’s fascination with polls gives too much weight to the horse race aspect of a campaign, at the expense of the important and weighty discussions of policy for which voters presumably hunger. The Monitor says: Give us more of the horse race!