Rupert Murdoch's Statements on Jews and Israel

gretavo's picture

For those who don't know, Rupert Murdoch is believed by some people to be Jewish, but it isn't clear if that is true or not. What cannot be denied is that he is a fairly ardent Zionist, perhaps an extremely ardent one. One who might be inclined to not only suppress certain news but also to poison the discourse among skeptics of his preferred narrative.

From the Forward:

On The Go
News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch Hails Israel at Museum of Jewish Heritage Dinner

By Masha Leon

Published May 17, 2012.

“If you’ve been reading the papers lately, you realize I am pretty happy to be anywhere, particularly amongst such great friends,” said News Corporation Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch, the honoree at the Museum of Jewish Heritage’s 16th annual Heritage Dinner, held on May 7. Roger Ailes, CEO of Fox News Channel and chairman of Fox Television Stations, presented Murdoch’s Award.

“I’m particularly touched to be honored by your Heritage Award in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty,” Murdoch said. “As your fabulous exhibit on Emma Lazarus demonstrates, you don’t have to be Jewish to appreciate what Lady Liberty stands for. But it helps.

“I believe these [museum] walls carry a lesson from history. The enemies of the Jews are the enemies of freedom — and in this fight America can never be neutral. [I have spoken] about the war against the Jews that continues even after the defeat of Nazi Germany. Much of this war is focused on Israel…. It is a war designed to make Jews feel unsafe wherever they call home… and to make the Jewish state an international target for haters…. I wish I could tell you that the fears of Jewish communities in Europe are exaggerated. They are not. We all want peace in the Middle East… so when the prime minister of a democratic Israel says he fears Iran means what it says and intends to wipe Israel off the face of the earth, I will not second-guess him from the safety of New York…. The Israelis know another uncomfortable truth: that Israel will stop Iran’s nuclear program if she determines no one and nothing else will…. To my mind, that is the grand promise of Zionism: that Israel exist so that Jews can protect themselves.”

Museum director David Marwell lauded Murdoch for his unwavering support for the State of Israel. “You have been a steadfast voice,” he said, adding, “There is one area where your severest critics and your most ardent friends are in agreement: They are both convinced you are Jewish.” Event participants included David Morgenthau, chairman of the museum’s board, and event co-chair Bruce Ratner, chairman and CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies.

Read more: http://forward.com/articles/156504/news-corp-chairman-rupert-murdoch-hai...

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gretavo's picture

British parliament declares Murdoch unfit...

Rupert Murdoch not fit to run business, UK lawmakers rule
NEWS CORP

May 01, 2012|By Richard Allen Greene and Dan Rivers, CNN

Global media tycoon Rupert Murdoch is "not a fit person" to run a major international company, British lawmakers investigating phone hacking at his tabloid News of the World reported Tuesday.

The ruling could prompt British regulators to force him to sell his controlling stake in British Sky Broadcasting, a significant part of his media empire.

The damning report accused Murdoch and his son James of showing "willful blindness" to phone hacking at News of the World, and said the newspaper "deliberately tried to thwart the police investigation" into The illegal activity.

The paper's publisher, News Corp. subsidiary News International, "wished to buy silence in this affair and pay to make the problem go away," the Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport Committee found.

Ofcom, the British media regulator that could force Murdoch out of BSkyB, said it was "reading with interest" the report from Parliament.

The agency noted that it "has a duty under the Broadcasting Acts of 1990 and 1996 to be satisfied that any person holding a broadcasting license is, and remains, fit and proper to do so."

News Corp., which Rupert Murdoch leads as chairman and chief executive, accepted responsibility for some failings Tuesday but pushed back against some of the more critical remarks made by lawmakers.

"Hard truths have emerged from the Select Committee Report: that there was serious wrongdoing at the News of the World; that our response to the wrongdoing was too slow and too defensive; and that some of our employees misled the Select Committee in 2009," it said in a statement.

However, remarks made by some lawmakers after the report was issued on Tuesday were "unjustified and highly partisan," it said.

News Corp. said it had already acted on many of the failings highlighted in the report, had brought in new internal controls and is supporting police investigations into alleged wrongdoing.

Allegations of widespread illegal eavesdropping by Murdoch journalists in search of stories have shaken the media baron's News Corp. empire and the British political establishment, up to and including Prime Minister David Cameron.

Police have arrested dozens of people as part of investigations into phone hacking, e-mail hacking and police bribery, while two parliamentary committees and an independent inquiry led by Lord Justice Brian Leveson are probing the scandal.