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Media Analysis

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Trump says Israel used him to attack Iran, and Netanyahu was “willing to fight Iran to the last American soldier.” That ought to be big news– especially as Israel’s defense minister gets unrivaled access in Washington and pushes war to block the Iran deal. But only the leftwing press is focused on Israel’s efforts to spark another war.

Israel advocates are pushing a new front. They say that progressive are antisemitic when they characterize Jews as privileged, and don’t acknowledge history and “the unique collective Jewish vulnerability.” So the anti-Zionist understanding that Israel is a powerful settler-colonial state is antisemitic because that leaves out the origins of Zionism in Jewish persecution in Europe, according to Jonathan Greenblatt of ADL and the Reut Group of Tel Aviv.

Israel’s threat to attack Iran has been made so many times that it has lost much of its danger to shock — but it would be a huge mistake to dismiss the Israelis’ statements. Even if Bennett is bluffing again, the supercharged atmosphere in the region raises the danger of a terrible accident. What’s more, Israel continues its violent sabotage program against Iran.

The Israeli government “fully supports and assists” the recent spike in settler violence against Palestinians. Because “Continuous, systemic violence meted out by settlers is part of Israel’s official policy, driving massive takeover of Palestinian” lands, B’Tselem says in a groundbreaking report. But the Washington Post’s recent article on settler violence suggests that the Israeli government is taking it on vigorously.

It is “uncouth” in mainstream media to say that the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Republican funder Miriam Adelson are devoted to the pro-Israel cause. Even as FDD told the IRS that it was founded to promote Israel’s image in America, and Adelson has begun conducting the “Adelson primary,” in which possible Republican candidates for president show off their love of Israel in order to get campaign funds.