Thomas Friedman, Anti-Semitism and Louis Farrakhan

Moshe Phillips:

For decades New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman has indoctrinated his readers in his personal idea of what are moral and just policies towards the Middle East and Israel. But Friedman’s morality should be in question: he is accepting an honor from a college that just provided hater Louis Farrakhan a large forum to engage in vicious anti-Semitism.

In March notorious anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan addressed an audience of 1,500 at Howard University. Howard is one of the most prominent schools among the 47 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the U.S. The speech was overflowing with vicious invective against Jews and the Zionist movement.

Let’s be clear here, Friedman has skin in the game, on April 11 Howard announced that he’ll receive an honorary doctorate from Howard at their commencement on May 14.

While a student at Brandeis University Friedman was a member the Steering Committee of the Mideast Peace Group and he signed an open letter entitled “Another Bad Omen,” published in The Brandeis Justice on November 12, 1974. The letter attacked anti-Arafat protest plans and endorsed a statement from Breira, a forerunner of J Street. (See the January 1990 letters to the editor in Commentary for more on Friedman’s time at Brandeis and my article on Breira and J Street.)

Friedman has not chastised Howard for providing Farrakhan a forum. As always, Friedman saves his criticism for Israel.

Farrakhan’s speech was that offensive. And so was Howard’s portrayal of the event.

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