Topic: Media Research Center
The Media Research Center's severe reluctance to criticize Donald Trump's dipping his toe into the fetid pool of anti-Semitism extended to criticizing NBC for daring to ask the once and future leader of Israel about it. Kevin Tober whined in a Dec. 4 post:
On Sunday’s Meet the Press on NBC, anchor Chuck Todd used his rare interview with incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to harass and bombard him with questions about former President Donald Trump and anti-Semitism.
Todd started this portion of the interview by noting how Netanyahu has “a unique relationship with former President Trump.” After establishing that fact, Todd pointed out that Trump “has consistently flirted with some really fringe characters that spout this anti-semitic behavior, that preach white supremacy and white nationalism.”
“Why does he have this difficulty, do you think?” Todd asked Netanyahu as if a foreign leader had been paying attention to this controversy at all or knew what Trump was thinking.
Netanyahu mostly ignored Todd’s question and listed all the great things former President Trump did for the state of Israel:
Someone who's comfortable with anti-Semitism and Trump's playing footsie with it would see anyone raising questions about it as "harassment."And why wouldn't the head of a country whose defining feature is that it was founded on Jewish culture be concerned that the former leader of a nation that sends it billions of dollars in foreign aid annually have an opinion on that? It would be surprising if Netanyahu didn't, and Tober gave him a pass by touting old pro-Trump talking points. Yet he was mad that Todd continued to question Netanyahu about it and pinpointed Netanyahu's double standard and ends-justifies-the-means attitude:
On the subject of Kanye West and white supremacist Nick Fuentes who Trump had dinner with almost two weeks ago, Netanyahu said “I think it is not merely unacceptable it’s just wrong. And I hope he sees his way to staying out of it and condemning it.”
Todd seemed miffed that Netanyahu wouldn’t completely renounce Trump and whined to him that it’s an “ends justify the means argument.”
He made the horrific hypothetical question that if Trump’s behavior creates “death threats to Jews, inspiring people like what happened at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, to shoot and kill Jews, doesn’t that wipe away anything good he did for Israel?”
Later on in the interview, Todd asked Netanyahu if he’s “concerned though that if your government gets what you want, you overlook whether it’s Vladimir Putin who’s also an anti-semite or Donald Trump? What is the line for you?”
Clearly offended by what Todd suggested, he responded that “I don't overlook anti-semitism. I have a clear position against it, which I voice and I expect others to voice as well.”
Todd continued with the absurd questioning. Next up, he claimed: “You have been more critical of some congressional Democrats, who are critical of the Israeli government, than you are of a Donald Trump who has been elevating people who praised Hitler.”
“Does that go to this sort of transactional nature? If they are helping Israel and if they are helping Israel that’s what gotta come first?,” Todd asked.
“Sorry, Chuck. I just nullified that argument. On this very program and on previous programs. When I came out very strongly against that meeting with those anti semitic rantings,” Netanyahu politely responded.
Todd asked again about former President Trump: “Would you like to see Donald Trump as president again?”
At his wits end, Netanyahu replied “oh God, I have had enough of my politics. I’ve just gone through four of our elections. You want me to get into your elections? Keep me out of it.”
Though Todd had to work to get it out of him, Netanyahu criticism of Trump's dinner with West and Fuentes was more forceful than anything that came out of the MRC. And amid all his whining, Tober himself couldn't be bothered to condemn the dinner even as he bashed Todd for asking Netanyahu to do so. Again, that's evidence of a certain level of comfort with anti-Semitism at the MRC.
