PULITZER PRIZE WINNER: IGNORANT OF THE FACTS OR DELIBERATELY MISLEADING?

The other day Thomas Friedman, the three-time Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times columnist condemned Israel for scuttling the peace process by defying the Obama administration’s request for a 90-day extension of the settlement freeze. While he also criticized the Palestinians, Friedman came down especially hard on the Netanyahu government.

Friedman condemned Israel for its ungrateful defiance of Uncle Sam’s peace brokering demands in light of the billions of dollars in ‘unconditional American aid’ it has been given over the past 50 years. He also condemned Israel for turning down Hillary Clinton’s offer – which Friedman calls a bribe – of ‘a $3 billion security assistance package, diplomatic cover and advanced F-35 fighter aircraft if Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu would simply agree to a 90-day settlement freeze to resume talks with the Palestinians.’

Unconditional American aid? Where does Friedman get that? The majority of American aid has been provided for Israel’s defense. That aid has had strings attached. Israel had to purchase its military weapons from the U.S. Did Friedman bother to wonder why Israeli soldiers carry American M16 rifles instead of the Israeli made Galil rifles and why Israel uses American tanks instead of the Israeli Merkava battle tank?

There are numerous other American made military supplies used by the Israelis. It’s not because the American made weapons are superior, it’s because Israel was required to purchase them with what Friedman calls ‘unconditional’ aid. Israel is glad to purchase its combat aircraft from the U.S. because they are superior to the Israeli made Kfir.

So when America gives Israel billions in aid, it isn’t just throwing money to the winds. That aid keeps our defense industry humming and the weapons purchased from us keep American workers employed.

Now to that ‘bribe’ as Friedman calls it. Why did Netanyahu turn down Hillary Clinton’s offer of a $3 billion security assistance package, diplomatic cover and advanced F-35 fighter aircraft? Actually he accepted it. But when Netanyahu’s cabinet – knowing that in the past America had broken some of its unwritten agreements with Israel - wanted to receive Clinton’s offer in writing, the Obama administration refused to do so. Only then did Netanyahu reverse himself and turn down Clinton’s offer.

Why would the Obama administration refuse to put Clinton’s offer in writing? Anyone with half a brain ought to be able to figure out the answer to that question.

The all-knowing Friedman had to know about the strings attached to America’s aid and the Obama administration’s refusal to put Clinton’s offer in writing. That leads me to believe that the three-time Pulitzer Prize winner was not ignorant of the facts – he was deliberately misleading his readers.