Anti-Semitic Senior Foreign Policy Fellow MJ Rosenberg is leaving far-left, Obama-connected Media Matters for America. At the Political Correction page on the Media Matters website, Rosenberg posted a piece explaining that he would be exiting the organization:
The reason for this step is that it disturbed me greatly to see an organization to which I am devoted facing possible harm because of my critical writings about Israel. I have no doubt that the crowd that opposes any and all criticism of Israeli government policies will continue to turn its guns on Media Matters if I am associated with it.
I could not live with myself if that happened — not only because I care deeply about the organization and my colleagues, but also because Media Matters does such important work confronting the lies that emanate from the far right and especially Fox News.
My presence here is being used in an effort to shut Media Matters up. That won’t happen, of course. This is an incredibly successful organization. (Just ask Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh — or Rupert Murdoch, for that matter — about its impact). But the last thing I want to do is allow the right to use my support for a reinvigorated Middle East peace process to distract Media Matters from its primary mission: fighting for truth in the media.
Rosenberg routinely uses anti-Semitic rhetoric; he has suggested in the past that any Jew who supports Israel is an “Israel firster” – a typical white supremacist slur. He has stated that Israel’s supporters would support Israel no matter what Israel did, and he has especially singled out Jewish Congresspeople for such comments. He recently tweeted, “I wonder if any candidate in either party other than Joe L [Lieberman] would slobber over Israel if it wasn’t for the $. Actually I don’t wonder.” Rosenberg is a big fan of anti-Semitic canard-masters John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, who suggested that the Israel lobby pays its way to power in the United States.
The notion that Rosenberg is leaving voluntarily seems quite suspicious. Media Matters is feeling pressure – possibly from the White House – to oust Rosenberg because conservatives have rightly focused on Rosenberg as the tip of the spear of Media Matters anti-Semitism. If Media Matters isn’t firing him, they remain as anti-Semitic as they ever were, and Rosenberg is just taking one for the team. If Media Matters is firing him, the question is: why now? The answer is clear: Obama and Media Matters are coming under severe scrutiny for their anti-Israel and anti-Jewish positions, and they want to disassociate from Rosenberg before American Jews realize with whom they are in bed.
It is also worth noting here that Media Matters is claiming credit for boycotts against Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. This shows that Media Matters is a partisan organization dedicated specifically to putting conservatives out of business. They’re not interested in what Beck and Limbaugh say – they’re interested only in shutting them up, in coordination with Democrats and the White House.
In any case, this isn’t an ideological break between Media Matters and Rosenberg. As Rosenberg writes:
So I am moving on, although my readers won’t notice the difference. The twice-a-week email columns will continue to be sent to the same list. (If you aren’t on it, just click here). My columns will continue to appear on Huffington Post, Al-Jazeera and dozens, if not hundreds, of other outlets where they tend to be re-posted. And then there is my twitter account: @mjayrosenberg.
When you click on the link to sign up for Rosenberg’s email list, it goes to Foreign Policy Matters, a subset of Media Matters. And Rosenberg is keeping his mailing list, which heretofore had likely been the property of Media Matters. Not only that:
Additionally, there will be the new blog, which will not be limited to Middle East issues and which will be continuously updated. And there may be a book in the works too. More on that later. A final word of thanks to Media Matters, which is a great organization. I started here at 62 years old, and it’s the best job I’ve ever had.
Richard Nixon famously said to the press after his failed attempt to become governor of California, “just think how much you’re going to be missing. You don’t have Nixon to kick around anymore.” I, however, will most definitely be around. More than ever.
Media Matters remains a deeply anti-Semitic organization. They’re just not a stupid one. And they realize that having open anti-Semites like Rosenberg on staff is a losing proposition. Nobody, however, should be fooled by the move. It means nothing. It’s just for show. And Media Matters remains just as anti-Israel and anti-Semitic as it ever was.
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