I'm in Dallas at the annual conference of the American Jewish Press Association, and just heard Hagit Limor, the president of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), discuss how she has been caught in the middle of an ugly situation involving the SPJ's "Helen Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award."

In an answer to a question, she described the extent to which she believes Israel has become an international "pariah state" in the mainstream media. Well-respected by her peers, nobody has a finger closer to the pulse of the mainstream media than Limor, a veteran broadcast journalist in Cincinnati.

Israel pretty much lost Europe in 1948. But here in North America? This is Gettysburg, folks, and we are being routed by a more PR-savvy and scrappy opponent, and our cause continues to suffer self-inflicted wounds.

For instance, if you are hoping to win the hearts and minds of mainstream western journalists, it's probably better not to threaten to punish journalists trying to report news, which Israel did this week and then backed off. If you want to salvage any sort of support from American liberals, it's simply asinine for somebody in the Prime Minister's...More >>