Hysteron-Proteron At The Times: Leo Rennert On What Is Placed First, What Last, By Judi Rudoren

Indefatigable Leo Rennert does not give up. He keeps trying and trying to make the Times and the Post see the bias — they don’t have to own up to it, they merely have to cut it out — of their coverage of Israel. Sometimes he focusses on facts left out, or facts so distorted as to be unrecognizable. Sometimes it’s a question of word-choice. And here it is what Judi Rudoren, the Times’ correspondent in Israel, puts at the beginning of her piece and what she places much farther down, toward the end. And this placement has its effect.

When I described him as “indefatigable” I meant that as praise — praise for his mental stamina. And I know, as does he, how the objects of his analysis simply use that tirelessness, those constant corrections, as evidence, in their view, that he is simply some kind of crazy old pro-Israel coot whom they can ignore. But they can’t dismiss him, or shouldn’t. What he says about their coverage is piercing and true, and remains so despite the amount of letter-writing and correction that he offers. That’s testimony to his stamina, and not evidence — as those shallow laughing Times editors seem to think, of a nitpicking, never-satisfied, Israel-defender who need not be heeded. What has he ever pointed out that was wrong? What complaints has he made that were not fully justified?