I have often criticized Haaretz anti-Israel, anti-Zionist, pro-Palestinian Extremist editorials and staff. Such observations have usually been dismissed as a function of who I am and where I live.
Now, however, David Landau, the anti-Zionist Haredi editor of the paper has done a lot of us the favor of coming clean, (as reported by Isi Liebler):
According to The Jerusalem Post, at the recent Russian Limmud Conference in Moscow, Landau, one of the few non-Russian-speaking participants, dropped a bombshell. He stunned those present by boasting that his newspaper had "wittingly soft-pedalled" alleged corruption by Israeli political leaders including prime ministers Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert, when, in the opinion of Haaretz, the policies of those leaders were advancing the peace process.
When participants challenged him concerning the morality of such an approach, Landau responded with the extraordinary assertion that "more immorality happens every day at a single roadblock [in Judea and Samaria] than in all the scandals put together."
He then unashamedly assured those present that Haaretz was ready to repeat the process in order "to ensure that Olmert goes to Annapolis."
Even former Bolsheviks in the audience must have gasped at such views, openly stated, which incorporated all the hallmarks of the Stalinist era.
It is surely scandalous for the top editor of what purports to be a reputable and prestigious daily newspaper to publicly proclaim - and take pride in - having deliberately "soft-pedalled" and possibly even covered up acts of corruption by senior political leaders in order to promote his own political agenda, and, moreover, boast that his paper would continue to do so in the future.
'Nuff Said.
4 comments:
Liebeler writes for the Jerusalem Post, a competitor of Haaretz (and as I recall one with very different politics). How do you know he isn't distorting Landau's words?
Because it would be totally in character for him. I base that both on talks I've heard him give and the interview he gave to Yedidya and Sivan Meir in their book, Yamim Ketumim.
Also, Liebler is an OPED columnist. He is an extremely wealthy man and beholden to noone but himself and the TRuth as he sees it.
I agree with you that Landau's world-view is clearly explicated in the interview he gave the Meir's. But what's important to note is that this world-view did not soley develop in the Haaretz milieu. He claims to be religious and he didn't pick up his fervent anti-messianism in the Haaretz editorial room, but rather in his religious surroundings. Certain statements made over the years by a number of intellectual orthodox rabbis fell on fertile ground in Landau's case and this is the result.
Did you read in the same day Haaretz english editorial comparing Hamas and Likud.
Landau as Liebler stated has broken all the basic rules of journalism.
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