There are two mainstream media blockbusters out there this week that supposedly shine harsh lights on corners of our little Jewish world.
They’re both long, packed with entertaining color — but I’m hard pressed to see a lot of there there.
The Daily Beast/Newsweek explores Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s ties with Irwin Katsof, a rabbi with ties to Israel’s government.
It’s true, Katsof’s weird evasions do merit further attention. Wayne Barrett, the writer, keeps catching him saying he’s not really close to Aish HaTorah/Perry/various investment schemes, and then is able to prove otherwise.
But the rest — Perry favors the Israeli right in its vision for the country and is likelier than not to agree with Benjamin Netanyahu on policy. We knew this; Perry has said this.
Katsof gets prominent Jewish Republican donors and pols to go to Israel and they make deals that make the donors money and create jobs (or at least are meant to create jobs) back home.
This is shady? Help Israel, make GOP pols look good by helping them do good, make bucks — three items I’d imagine top the to-do list of every Republican Jewish Coalition board member. So what?
At Salon, Ken Silverstein rips into Eli Lake (who happens now to be at the Daily Beast/Newsweek) for … what? Taking meals with sources? The only hint of scandal here is that Orion, the pro-Georgian (and pro-Israel) lobbying shop, seems to be listing on its tax forms meals Eli says he pays for. I tend to believe Eli.
So Eli gets sourced stuff from an interested party. Who doesn’t? His reporting does not hew to his source’s preconceptions, and not even to his own. Read deep enough into the Salon piece, and Silverstein acknowledges as much, in however a backhanded way.
Or there’s an example from today: Eli does not shy from expressing his opinion. During the dawn of the Arab Spring, he Tweeted, with approval, Obama administration backing for the protesters. Today he runs a story on what might have been the deleterious impact of that backing on U.S. influence among Gulf states.
But like I said, the color is great. Perry stroked Katsof’s cheek? And a thousand bucks for a meal at Morton’s? What did they eat, the whole cow?
Don’t answer that.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
