Joe Klein: Journalists Have Smarter Read on Mideast Peace Than Average Israelis

Joe Klein: Journalists Have Smarter Read on Mideast Peace Than Average Israelis

By Ken Shepherd (Bio | Archive)
July 29, 2009 - 16:09 ET

The average Israeli -- unlike globe-trotting liberal journalists -- is provincial and blissfully unaware of how wrong-headed his government is. That's why Barack Obama needs to work his persuasive charm on the Israeli public in order to put pressure on the Netanyahu government to accede to the Obama administration's demands as regards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

That's according to Time's Joe Klein, who of course argued thus in a longer-winded and softer-sounding manner in his July 28 blog post (emphasis mine):

It's taken me decades to realize this. Most Israelis--especially those who live in Tel Aviv and environs--not only don't see settler types, they also don't see many Arabs. They live their lives, do their work, have fun at the beach. By contrast, when journos like me parachute in, we usually go to Jerusalem, where the government and a significant Arab population lives, and usually (in my case, at least,) combine it with a visit to the West Bank or Gaza. Most journalists based in Israel live in Jerusalem and spend lots of time in both communities. They are aware of the proliferation of settlements and they have experienced the outrageous conditions in the Palestinian territories.

If you believe Obama's policy is the right one, as I do, the latest public opinion surveys from Israel are disappointing--but not insurmountable. Obama needs to explain his policy to the Israeli public.... But progress will only be made if Israelis understand that a settlement freeze (and, ultimately, a retrenchment) and the peace process that follows are in their long-term best interests. The President needs to address that, especially since Benjamin Netanyahu won't.

—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters

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What audacity this man

July 29, 2009 - 17:05 ET by bigtimer

What audacity this man has...what an utterly disdainful thing to even say, print etc.

He should be embarrassed from others in the press for saying anything like this, of course they won't as they probably agree for the most part...I'm angry as heck here, I have to stop, or I will say things here you just can't.

I usually take him as the joke he is, but this is not one bit funny.

The SRM will do anything for their messiah...anything...and this proves that.

What a filthy sloth he is...to think he can speak for others who live in Israel, I hope he has real trouble next time he decides to 'parachute' in.

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

Filthy Sloth

July 29, 2009 - 18:02 ET by jdlybrand

You're kinda' going easy on him bt. Stinkin', slimey, no-good, sorry, piece of crap, bottom dwelling, scum-sucking filthy sloth is more accurate. But I like they way you're thinking!

"What a revoltin' development this is!"

Chester Riley

Hey Joe, heard you shot Israel down...

July 29, 2009 - 17:13 ET by acumen

"But progress will only be made if Israelis understand that a settlement freeze (and, ultimately, a retrenchment) and the peace process that follows are in their long-term best interests."

Er...Joe, the withdrawal of settlers from Gaza didn't work out too swell for the Palestinians and Israelis. Thought I needed to address that, especially since Joe Klein won't. In Joe's utopian world, dreams of jouranalist obviously trump history.

On Jan. 25, 2006, Hamas, the militant, Islamist Palestinian group, won legislative elections in Gaza. Israel, the United States and the European Union, who consider Hamas a terrorist organization that’s pledged to destroy Israel, cut off aid funds going to Gaza, leading to economic collapse in the strip. The United Nations continues to help feed most Palestinians in Gaza.

In June 2007, a brief, violent civil war between Hamas and Fatah exploded. Fatah, founded by the late Yasser Arafat, is the once-dominant organization of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In a month-long war Hamas routed Fatah in the Gaza Strip, assuming complete control there and resuming periodic rocket attacks on Israel.

The so-called Qassam rockets are crude. More than half fall within Gaza after being fired. The rest, aimless and unpredictable, overwhelmingly fall where they can do no harm. A few have hit civilian targets, causing property damage and loss of life. Some 3,000 rockets have fired since the beginning of 2008.

Is this goober serious?

July 29, 2009 - 17:31 ET by R D Helm

How do you convince the citizens of a nation to actually WANT to be nuked off the face of the planet?

Not even Dr. Chicago is that persuasive.

-Dave

Joe Shihtzu

July 29, 2009 - 17:40 ET by AgentAmerican

Joe Klein is not just a hack. He is THE hack. Harry Smith licks his boots in masochistic fashion...f**kin' perverts.

Klein's from-the-ivory-tower view of things (viewed through the lens of water-walking liberalism and plain snobbery we come to expect from the East Coasties) gives others the wrong idea of how journalism is performed in the U.S., though he is a commentator.

He writes opinions, and everyone has one like that exit in your pants...they all smell.

Thank you.

2010: A GOP Hill

Outrageous Conditions?

July 29, 2009 - 17:54 ET by slickwillie2001

Good article from a week ago: What the West Bank Actually Looks Like: http://www.windsofchange.net

This is important to understand because many in the West hear 'refugee camp' and they get an image of windswept tents and children with distended bellies and blank stares. The so-called palestinians cultivate this image to generate sympathy for themselves and make it easier to spread their hatred of Jews. It also keeps the money rolling in from naive Westerners that believe the propaganda.

I just spoke with an Israeli citizen about Obma

July 29, 2009 - 20:18 ET by jefflebowski

An Israeli friend of mine recently returned from Israel for a two month visit and is going back soon. He said the Israeli people have NO love for Obama. They know Obama wants them to give up their land to enemies sworn to destroy them.

Israelis will not listen to the DemonRats. Good for them. I hope Americans will do the same.

Angry White Dude

www.angrywhitedude.c...

It has begun

July 29, 2009 - 21:27 ET by Defector01

The turning of Jews into 'angry redneck conservatives' so they can be cast aside and dismissed. Begins with the belief they are not well travelled, provincial and don't see the big picture. Sooner rather then later it'll be that they're racist bigot knuckledraggers.

And I doubt many liberal Jews will object, instead to prove they aren't 'their cousins' they will call them worse

I have only ever made one prayer to God, a very short one: O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous. And God granted it - Voltaire

Cranial Location Makes All The Difference

July 30, 2009 - 08:26 ET by Pilgrim1949

Not at all surprising that this nit-of-wit should come to such a sage conclusion. It's awfully dark where his head spends most of its time.

From what so many of these Libs-in-the-news propound it's obvious that it's really hard to gather a wide-angle view of the world when one's head is in the process of providing a do-it-yourself deep colonoscopy.

The hubris of these self-important gasbags is seemingly unlimited.

A comedian of decades ago once stated, "Ancient Chinese proverb say, 'Best way to keep from losing face is to keep lower half shut!'"

"Ye canne change the laws of physics....." but some politicians believe that with the right legislation you can pretend they don't really apply to your own pet projects...

July 30, 2009 - 09:14 ET by jessieH

The United States has no right to tell ANY country what to do, especially an ally. The Israelis can handle themselves pretty well. We should stand beside them, not try to push them. We need all the friends we can get, with the world in the shape it's in.