http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=254592
http://www.jta.org/news/article/2012/01/23/3091282/atlanta-jewish-times-apologizes-for-obama-assassination-scenario WASHINGTON (JTA) -- The owner of the Atlanta Jewish Times apologized for an opinion column in which he counted President Obama's assassination as among Israel's options in heading off a nuclear Iran. "I very much regret it, I wish I hadn't made reference to it at all," Andrew Adler told JTA on Friday. He said he would publish an apology in his next edition, and that reaction from readers had been overwhelmingly negative. Fox News reported late Friday on its website that the Secret Service was investigating the column. In his interview with JTA, Adler said he had not been approached by the Secret Service. In a Jan. 13 column, Adler, who is also the paper's publisher, outlined what he said were three possible responses by Israel to Iran's acquiring a nuclear weapon: a pre-emptive strike against Hamas and Hezbollah, terrorist groups that he said would be emboldened by a nuclear Iran; a direct strike on Iran; and "three, give the go-ahead for U.S.-based Mossad agents to take out a president deemed unfriendly to Israel in order for the current vice president to take his place, and forcefully dictate that the United States policy includes its helping the Jewish state obliterate its enemies." He continued: "Yes, you read 'three' correctly. Order a hit on a president in order to preserve Israel's existence. Think about it. If I have thought of this Tom Clancy-type scenario, don't you think that this almost unfathomable idea has been discussed in Israel's most inner circles?" Gawker, the gossip and media news website, first reported on the column Friday. Ophir Aviran, the Israeli consul general in Atlanta, condemned the column "in the strongest possible terms." In response to a JTA request for comment, Aviran said in an e-mail that he was "appalled at this deranged and morally repugnant assertion." The Anti-Defamation League condemned Adler's column as "outrageous." "An apology cannot possibly repair the damage," said the ADL's national director, Abraham Foxman, in a statement. Foxman added that "Mr. Adler’s lack of judgment as a publisher, editor and columnist raises serious questions as to whether he’s fit to run a newspaper." ----- Jewish newspaper’s editor resigns over Obama assassination column By Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor (CNN) - A Jewish newspaper owner who attracted U.S. Secret Service attention for a column suggesting that Israel consider assassinating an American president has resigned as the paper’s editor, employees there said Monday. The resignation comes after a firestorm over the column and after a tearful apology from the editor-in-chief of Georgia’s Atlanta Jewish Times, Andrew Adler. The JTA reported Monday that Adler is selling the newspaper, but the office manager, Jerry Farkas, said that was incorrect and that Adler hadn’t announced plans to sell. The paper’s newly named interim editor-in-chief, John McCurdy, said in an e-mail that he had not talked with Adler about whether he planned to sell the paper. Adler wrote a January 13 column about the threat of Iran to Israel, posing three options for the Jewish state. One was a "hit on a president in order to preserve Israel's existence." The column attracted interest from the U.S. Secret Service, with spokesman George Ogilvie saying Saturday, "We are aware of it. We are taking the appropriate investigative steps." In an interview with an Atlanta TV station on Saturday, Adler broke down as he apologized for the column. “All I could do now is let President Obama, the State of Israel, everybody affected in Atlanta’s Jewish community … (know) that I’m sincerely sorry for what has transpired,” Adler told Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters Inc., straining to choke back tears. “It’s storming outside as we speak, and I’ve always felt that when a storm happens that God’s angry with me,” Adler said. Farkas said the paper is working with the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta to find a permanent managing editor. The federation had said that it was suspending its relationship with the Atlanta Jewish Times until Adler apologized, agreed to stop writing and gave up editorial control. -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
