Here in this country we can read a plethora of news dispatches that emanate from Israel by a combination New York Times reporters.  The stories are reports are generally critical of the Jewish state, mostly attempting again and again to demonstrate that on both a governmental and Jewish religious level, Israel runs generally on a double standard riddled with hypocrisy.

That’s the theme of the Times.  There’s not much that we can do about it but when these stories appear just shake our collective heads in disgust and disbelief and move on perhaps to the Wall Street Journal that serves as something of an antidote to the usual Israel poison spewed by The Times.

More than just a few people that I know comment—when this subject arises—that for these and other reasons they have ceased their subscriptions to and reading in any way the Times.  It’s a nice idea but, a good protest but I don’t think it has been effective or has had any real impact.  A great number of homes that I drive by early on most mornings have their blue plastic bag that the Times is delivered in lying in their driveways.

While that may be a problem here in New York as well as elsewhere in this country, the real issue is that Israel has its own version of the Times in the left leaning widely read daily Haaretz newspaper.  Haaretz exists to attempt much of the same that the Times tries to do here in the states.  Both papers that were once committed to honest reporting and balanced journalism but today more than anything else have taken on clear political agendas that support candidates with much more than simple endorsements.  They both do their best to make those who oppose their political philosophies and agendas like god awful monsters.

The Times has been doing their utmost over the last year to make Republican presidential candidates as double talking devils.   They frequently focus on Mitt Romney and his experience as a successful businessman.  The goal of the Times is to show that if you are inordinately successful in business then you probably trampled over thousands of people and destroyed numerous lives on the way to achieving that success.  Now, they will be gearing up and getting to work on dismantling and deconstructing the many accomplishment of Vice Presidential pick, Paul Ryan, a 42-year —old Congressman from Wisconsin.

Haaretz tries to do much of the same with Prime Minister Netanyahu.  Though Bibi is in firm control of his government and all polls predict that whenever elections will be held that Netanyahu’s Likud will be victorious, Haaretz is relentless in its effort to support other candidates while trying to punch holes in Netanyahu and his political stances.

Take a look at Haaretz online almost on any day and you will see that the lead the charge when it comes to exposing and probably exaggerating the possible consequences of a strike at Iran’s nuclear facilities.  The point is that even threatening to strike Iran for Haaretz is irresponsible.  So instead of serving as a conventional newspaper Haaretz, very much like the NY Times here, is trying to tear down those in power and those who do not espouse their positions on issues.

It is not their concern that Israel feels that it is vital that Iran is convinced that Israel in tandem with the US and perhaps several other countries are not just blowing bluster but are genuinely preparing to militarily take on Iran and their nuclear program considered an extreme danger to many countries.  Both Israeli and American officials have expressed frustration with their inability to convey the message to Iran that they are in imminent danger of being attacked and having their population incur significant casualties along with untoward destruction.

These newspapers though, are busy with essays and exposes discouraging the US or Israel from attacking or even threatening to mount any kind of an attack.  And these kind of foolish undertaking are not limited to these two and perhaps a few other newspapers.  Officials and former officials like former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert are indulging in the same kind of counterproductive and potentially damage causing folly.

So far it look like in the credible threat department dealing with Iran’s nuclear capability that Iran is doing a much better and more effective job that either Israel or the US are doing.  The fashion in which Iranian officials talk about and threaten to bomb Israeli cities seems much more ominous that the way Israel talks about Iran.  Anytime PM Netanyahu talks about a date or a deadline to undo Iran’s’ nuclear designs he is immediately questioned or criticized by some former intelligence or other high official who served in some senior capacity in one of the recent governments.  That’s no way to mount an attack and certainly no way to talk about one. More in this weeks 5TJT

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