L'affaire Ethan Bronner

EI’s demand for Bronner’s removal was seconded by the Angry Arab News Service, which called Bronner a “propagandist for Israel,”" After appearing on the BBC program yesterday, I thought about this. I think in principle a person should not be faulted for the stances of his/her parents's views or roles or the views and roles of his/her children. But the objection here is about the inconsistent standards of the Times. I mean, if Nazila Fathi (who covers Iran from Toronto) has a son and if he were to volunteer for the Revolutionary Guards, and if the Times had no objection to that, then I would buy that the policies of the Times apply across the board, without any regard to nationality, ethnicity, or religion. But that is not the case. Of course, I do think that Bronner lost any credibility long before his son volunteered for the service in the Israeli occupation army. I think if Bronner believed in the basics of introductory journalism, he should volunteer to suspend his services as a correspondent in Israel as long as his son serves in the occupation army. But the fact that he is stubborn in the face of protests and objections--even if they are exclusively by Arabs/Muslims, although they are not--indicates that he values a mission well beyond the mission of journalism: it is the mission of service to Israeli propaganda. I mean, the New York Times hired a former official spokesperson of Menachim Begin (Zeev Chafets) and made him a writer for its magazine. Can you imagine if the New York Times were to hire Buthain Sha`ban? I am only asking that the editor of the New York Times, refrain from invoking press standards and professional ethics and instead yell: with blood, with spirit, we sacrifice our news for you, O Zionist entity.

PS The original anonymous source (from Israel presumably) who sent me the original tip along with very specific information on Bronner expressed his outrage to me because according to him Bronner had in fact issued a denial that his son was serving in the Israeli occupation army.