Jeffrey Goldberg, Andrew Sullivan and the Atlantic Throw Israel In the Fire

Last week a devastating fire in the city of Kyriat Karmel killed 42 Israelis and destroyed much of the Carmel Forest.

Israeli firefighters watch a devastating fire in the city of Kyriat Karmel, Carmel Forest, near Israel’s northern city of Haifa. 42 people died in the fires. (AFP)

A 14 year-old Arab boy confessed to starting the Mount Carmel fire while smoking a water pipe before returning to school.

This was not an isolated incident. Israel has been combating a wave of terrorist arson by Arab citizens of Israel. This video footage shot from an IAF aircraft, which shows a vehicle escaping from the scene of an arson attack on the Carmel Mountain in an earlier assault.

Of course, the Israeli press has been low key on the wave of arson by Israel’s Arabs.

So, what was the left’s reaction to these terror attacks on the Jewish nation?
Yesterday, at The Atlantic, blogger Jeffrey Goldberg urged readers to turn their backs on Israel:

Inevitably, the Jewish National Fund, which, among other things, plants forests in Israel, is asking for donations from Americans for its “Forest Fire Emergency Campaign,” in response to the massive fire spreading across the Carmel mountains. But I’m not giving.

Israel’s per capita GDP is nearly $30,000. Israel is a rich country. The fact that it doesn’t possess adequate firefighting equipment is its own fault. The fact that the leadership of its fire service is incompetent is its own fault (you can read more about that here). At some point, the good-hearted Diaspora Jews who still think of Israel as a charity case are going to have to tell their cousins to learn to fully-fund basic services like firefighting if they want to be thought of as citizens of an advanced country.

Horrible. Absolutely horrible.
What’s worse… After a day of reflection Jeffrey Goldberg still stands by this appalling position.

Today, rather than apologize for his outrageous attack on Israel, Goldberg decided to attack this blog instead.

Are we really sure the Internet is an appropriate vehicle for the dissemination of knowledge? A prominent right-wing website accuses The Atlantic of anti-Zionism, because of my recent post on the Carmel fire:

Maybe someday the Jews in America will wake up to the absolute hatred and hostility the left has for the State of Israel.
This is just disgusting.

A leading leftist website is urging liberals not to donate to Israeal’s fire relief fund… Because Israel is a “rich” country. The Atlantic today is urging liberals to turn their back on Israel.

And, fellow Atlantic blogger Andrew Sullivan joined Goldberg in attacking this blog. Andrew seems to believe that Goldberg’s position is pro-Israel.
…I kid you not.

Yesterday, Jeffrey Goldberg and The Atlantic threw Israel into the fire. Today they defended their words.
And, this is considered respectable commentary on the left. Disgusting.

More… The Jewish National Fund is hoping to raise $10 million for reforesting and firefighting efforts. You can donate here.

UPDATE: Laura from Israel wrote in–

Hi Jim
I enjoy reading your blog and appreciate your constant support for Israel. Jeffrey Goldberg’s Unhinged column today really made me angry. I sent him the following email:

Dear Mr Goldberg
I’ve been living in Israel for 9 years, and when I saw your column recommending that American Jews not donate to the fire relief efforts, I felt sick.
If this is the ‘support’ (moral, financial and emotional) that you show for Israel at a time when the country is weeping and bleeding, then I’ll take Jim Hoft at the Gateway Pundit blog over you. Any day.

All the best to you (and I hope you treat yourself to something nice with the money you didn’t donate!)

Anyway, no matter what the left says (and unfortunately we have plenty of the same here in Israel), your support does not go unnoticed and I thank you for it.
Best wishes
Laura

Photo of author
Jim Hoft is the founder and editor of The Gateway Pundit, one of the top conservative news outlets in America. Jim was awarded the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award in 2013 and is the proud recipient of the Breitbart Award for Excellence in Online Journalism from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation in May 2016. In 2023, The Gateway Pundit received the Most Trusted Print Media Award at the American Liberty Awards.

You can email Jim Hoft here, and read more of Jim Hoft's articles here.

 

Thanks for sharing!