Sunday, January 22, 2012

Newspaper Editor: Israel Should Consider Assassinating Obama



Andrew Adler, the owner andpublisher of the Atlanta Jewish Times, a weekly newspaper servingAtlanta's Jewish community, devoted his January 13, 2012 column to the thornyproblem of the U.S. and Israel's diverging views on the threat posed by Iran.Basically Israel has three options, he wrote: Strike Hezbollah and Hamas,strike Iran, or "ordera hit" on Barack Obama. Either way, problem solved!

Here's how Adler laid out"option three" in his list of scenarios facing Israeli presidentBenjamin Netanyahu (the column, which was forwarded to us by a tipster, isn'tonline, but you can read acopy here):

Three, give the go-ahead for U.S.-based Mossad agents totake out a president deemed unfriendly to Israel in order for the current vicepresident to take his place, and forcefully dictate that the United States'policy includes its helping the Jewish state obliterate its enemies.
Yes, you read "three" correctly. Order a hit on apresident in order to preserve Israel's existence. Think about it. If I havethought of this Tom Clancy-type scenario, don't you think that this almostunfathomable idea has been discussed in Israel's most inner circles?
Another way of putting "three" in perspective goessomething like this: How far would you go to save a nation comprised of sevenmillion lives...Jews, Christians and Arabs alike?
You have got to believe, like I do, that all options are onthe table.

It's hard to tell whetheror not Adler is just some crank. But the Atlanta Jewish Times, whichhe purchased in 2009, appears to be a realcommunity newspaper. It was founded in 1925 and, according to Wikipedia, claims a circulation of 3,500 and staff of five. To judgefrom its web site, it's a going concern.

A nervous Adler told meover the phone that he wasn't advocating Obama's assassination by Mossadagents. "Of course not," he said.
But do you think Israelshould consider it an option? "No."
But do you believe thatIsrael is in fact considering the option in its most inner circles? "No.Actually, no. I was hoping to make clear that it's unspeakable—god forbid thiswould ever happen. I take it you're quoting me?"
Yes. "Oh, boy."
When I asked Adler why, ifhe didn't advocate assassination and didn't believe Israel was actuallyconsidering it, he wrote a column saying he believed that the option was"on the table," he asked for a minute to compose himself and call meback. He did a few moments later, and said, "I wrote it to see what kindof reaction I was going to get from readers."
And what was the reaction?"We've gotten a lot of calls and emails."
Nothing from the SecretService, though. Yet.

UPDATE: Adler has told JTA that he"regrets" the column and plans to publish an apology. Oh, and the Secret Service says it will "make allappropriate, investigative follow-up in regard to this matter," according to ABC News.
Source: Gawker, 1/20/2012,http://gawker.com/5877892/

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