Ben Norton, who has written and interned for the far left-wing Think Progress blog, sat down with Iran’s state-run Fars News to discuss how “Israel is the Master of Racism and Dehumanization.”
In the interview, Norton talks about how “The United States is complicit in the atrocities of Israel,” and how people should support the Nazi-like BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) movement against Israel. Norton explains in the interview how he believes that the Zionist movement is inherently anti-Semitic, and that the reason why anti-Semitism is a worldwide issue is because of Zionism. Norton ends his interview by encouraging people to continue to boycott Israel’s Jewish institutions. He concludes, “When Palestinians are oppressed, boycott, sanction, and divest!”
Norton held an extensive interview and espoused anti-American and anti-Israel sentiments with a state-run outlet that is controlled by a U.S.-designated State Sponsor of Terrorism. Iranian officials have publicly acknowledged that they are actively arming and supplying terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as the Assad regime in Syria. The Islamic Republic also maintains close relations with America’s adversaries in Latin America, such as Venezuela.
The Think Progress blog is owned by the Center for American Progress (CAP). The Center is a left-wing think-tank founded by former Clinton and Obama operative John Podesta. CAP is now run by Neera Tanden, who has also worked for both the Obama and Clinton administrations. Countless members of CAP’s staff have gone on to serve in the Obama Administration.
In 2012, the Center For American Progress came under fire when bloggers who wrote for the site published multiple social media posts accusing US supporters of Israel as being “Israel-firsters,” which was construed by several Jewish organizations and humanitarian watchdog groups as anti-Semitic language.