again tomorrow. The Jewish communi-
ty didn't stand up. It was intimidated by
Mort Klein. But when Thomas Fried-
man spoke at the ADL dinner, I think
it was an important episode in the
growth of the American Jewish commu-
nity.
"Those who attack Tom do so
viciously, because he's got credibility. He
has the talent and a skill to take the
most complicated story and reduce it to
a level of understanding. Those opposed
to his views and analysis find him
threatening and dangerous. But he's
Jewish, and he doesn't hide his Jewish-
ness. He's comfortable with it."
Said Friedman, "I don't want to
speak in any way directly about him
[Klein] or any of my particular critics. I
recognize that I have a highly visible
platform or soapbox, and I use it. I use
cp
it as I'm paid to do, to really project my
views. I have views that have built up
legitimately over almost 10 years in liv-
ing in Beirut and in Jerusalem. Because
of that, it makes me controversial to
some people.
"I don't mind the criticism, I don't
mind the disputes of my views. It seems
to me it's part of the territory and fair
game. But what I find heinous are peo-
ple who, instead of responding to your
views, they want to attack you personal-
ly and delegitimize you.
"The one thing I really feel is a real
danger to the vibrancy of our Jewish
community today. It is really a new
phenomenon. It's what I call 'Jewish
McCarthyism.' This is where not only
do people object to your views, they
actually want to prevent you from
speaking.
"I have a column that goes around
the world. No one is going to prevent
me from speaking. I have many Jewish
communities who are interested,
whether they agree with me or not.
They recognize that I am someone who
is trying to think through these issues
and they want to hear my views.
"So you're not going to silence me."
Among the criticisms Friedman has
heard, not just from ZOA but from
other Jewish Middle East observers, is a
section in From Beirut to Jerusalem in
which he refers to Israel as being "Yad
Vashem [Israel's Holocaust museum]
with an air force."
"Israeli leaders such as Golda Meir,
C)
Menachem Begin, and Yitzhak Shamir,
instead of fighting against the 'Holo-
causting' of the Israeli psyche, actually
encouraged it, turning the Palestinians
into the new Nazis.
"A country that sees itself living on
the lips of the volcano, or inside the

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Detroit Jewish News

41