Is Bret Stephens Destroying Israel's Jerusalem Post?

October 02, 2003 UPDATED October 19, 2003 Memo to Bret Stephens: You Live in ISRAEL. You Run an ISRAELI NEWSPAPER The thing is, he tends to forget.

Otherwise, what can explain the Jerusalem Post Editor-In-Chief's decision to make Paul Wolfowitz the newspaper's Man of the Year ?????

Inside sources tell me that members of his own staff (actual Israeli ones) think this was a totally wacky choice.

Listen, it's totally cool if Bret likes to spend his time writing about being a neocon, defending neocon ideas, paying homage to neocons icons like Wolfowitz,explaining why he is a Clinton-hater; noting that the sight of the former president made him "want to puke."

Lots of people will endorse his views strongly, lots of people will passionately disagree with him....

We've got bigger problems around here in Israel, in case he hasn't noticed. Maybe it's time for him to head back to the Wall Street Journal, huh?

In case there are people out there thinking that this is just a bitter ex-employee ranting, let me say a few nice things about the Post.

2. The debut issue of the revamped print edition of the newspaper on Friday was a huge improvement, and the best issue of the Post I've seen in ages. We'll see if it can maintain that quality.

3. There are still some excellent columnists writing for the Post, like Hillel Halkin and Calev Ben-David and Yossi Klein HaLevi.

4. I can't really blame Bret for hanging on to his job, despite his obvious disinterest in Israeli politics. The nausea he gets from Clinton aside (his wife is pregnant, maybe it's just sympathetic morning sickness...) he did get to attend the party of the year for Peres -- though considering how he feels about Peres and Clinton, I don't know why. And does sound like he gets to go on some pretty neat field trips, too. And if he puts up with the paper's rather -- ahem -- volatile publisher, he must really still want to work there.

Comments That's quite a good observation. I also bought the paper last Friday and was shocked. This is one of the reasons I haven't bought the J Post regurlaly anymore. It deeply bugs me. It's not a paper made to israelis... It's made to americans!!!!! How annoying!

I prefer suffering, struggling with my poor Hebrew and reading Yediot... Although I also do not LOVE it... At least I feel reading something concerned to my daily life.

Posted by: Rinat at October 2, 2003 02:50 PM I just have to say that "Arieh O'Sullivan" is a priceless name.

Posted by: yehudit at October 3, 2003 09:32 AM Bret Stephens. Ahh. Now where does one begin? A punk like him has obviously never gotten into a fist fight. I say Arieh O should take a good hard swing. Would love to see him decked by the O-Man.

The guy has people give him massages on his office couch in the middle of the day. Is that true? By the way, or more shmutz being spread by the editorial staff that he thinks is so loyal to him.

If he knew more about Israel, actaully paid attention to this place, he would know that his own staff, composed of small minded back stabbing Israeli types, has no more love for him than they do the ultra-prick TR himself.....

Where does he get his leads? Is that why there are no escort ads in the Post? Cause Bret wants them for himself and to keep prices down?

The only guy who actually looks at Conrad Black's now nationally lampooned arrogance and says "I wanna be like Conrad".

Posted by: Harvey at October 3, 2003 02:11 PM Paul Wolfowitz Man of the Year? S--t! Wolfowitz should not be "Man of the Year" he and Rumsfield should be the newist additions to the number of unemployed!

Agree with Yehudit, Arieh O'Sullivan is a priceless name! Sounds like a gender reversal of the 1920's play "Abie's Irish Rose". This time with a Irish Catholic guy courting and marrying a Jewish girl! Have to ask what is Arieh's religion?

Posted by: David All at October 7, 2003 02:14 AM And I was beginning to think that I was alone in thinking that Bret Stephens is destroying the Jerusalem Post :>

Bret Stephens = arrogance + ignorance. A deadly combination when running a newspaper.

And some of you question why the paper looks and sounds American? Folks - Bret Stephens does not speak nor read Hebrew. He does not watch the evening Israeli news nor does he read Yediot, Maariv or Haaertz. He is totally out of touch with Israeli society and culture - let alone Israel's critical defense needs - this boy never served one day in the IDF.

So when he chose Paul Wolfowitz as Man of the Year - he could have equally chosen one of my cats - they also live in their own, insulated world.

Bottom line - those talented writers who remain at the Post and earn less than a survival wage are humiliated, castrated almost every day by Bret Stephens and Tom Rose. They truly deserve a medal.

Bret Stephens does not represent Israel and the sooner Hollinger notices this small fact and replaces Bret Stephens with a mature professional who has lived in Israel and truly understands the Middle East - quality, morale and creativity will increase at the Post - so will circulation.

p.s. - The new format of the Jerusalem Post? IT IS NOT A NEW FORMAT - they cut paper by 30 percent to increase profit and made a great paper look like a high school newsletter! This may have been the final deathblow to the Post.

Israel Leftists whining about the Jerusalem Post?? Oh my. They should put some ice on it. Its better than the days it was a Labor Party mouthpiece run by Israel's Cosa Nostra, the Histadrut.

2 posted on 10/19/2003 1:36:09 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)

No - it's actually the Israeli right wing complaining about the Jerusalem Post!
The paper which is supposed to articulate Israel's right of center positions is on fire.
Not a good situation as we wage a war of bullets and information with our extreme Islamic enemies.

Why would they? Considering the rest of the Israeli media is Occupied Territory for the Far Left, it shows how stupid Israel's conservatives can be. Do they really want to bring down the one publication in Israel that presents the Jewish State's story to the world in an unbiased light? Apparently they do.

4 posted on 10/19/2003 1:53:39 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)

The Jerusalem Post is already "brought down."
It is a miracle that it is still on-line and printed every day! I can go into detail - but loose lips sink ships.
What's needed is for Hollinger, the company which owns the Post, to revamp the present management of the paper. Hollinger is presently in the red - if they spin off the Jerusalem Post to a solid, conservative media organization - then we will have a potent paper which will effectively represent Israel's policies.
The situation can only and must improve.

If you don't like it, don't read Jpost. I think Wolfowitz is a great man. Gee, we'd better not do anything to upset the terrorists. Then they may not like Israel. Why not just let Arafat choose the man of the year?

As long as Bret Stephens is the editor and Tom Rose is the publisher, I will not read the Jerusalem Post. It's easier and more accurate to get my news directly from AP and Reuters. We all await the new management of the Jerusalem Post :>

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