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Abe Foxman to appear on Diane Rehm’s show

Following our story last month (produced together with the Jewish Journal) highlighting Diane Rehm’s strange line of questioning towards 2016 candidate Bernie Sanders, Jewish Insider can exclusively report that Abe Foxman, outgoing National Director of the ADL, is scheduled to appear on the Diane Rehm Show next Tuesday, July 14th, from 11am to 12pm. Foxman will be the sole guest for the entire hour.

The program’s subject will be anti-Semitism, both in historical terms and how it is manifested in the present, and may also cover some of the highlights from Foxman’s 50-year career at the ADL as he prepares to hand over the reigns to Jonathan Greenblatt on July 20th.

Last month, after Rehm asked Sen. Sanders, among other things, whether he had “dual citizenship with Israel,” Foxman issued the following statement.

“Diane Rehm’s questions were inappropriate, insensitive questioning without any minimal journalistic checking of claims. Such a statement is not only factually incorrect, but has no place in such an interview.

 

“It is deeply troubling to think that a well-respected media outlet like NPR would apparently rely on unsubstantiated information from the Internet in its preparation for a guest.

 

“Ms. Rehm’s description and follow-up question about whether other Senators have dual citizenship with Israel play into classic anti-Semitic charges of dual loyalty. Such charges have been leveled for centuries and have been a catalyst for scapegoating and vilifying Jews.

 

“Senator Sanders deserves a public apology, as do NPR listeners.”

 

Rehm issued an apology.

“On today’s show I made a mistake. Rather than asking Senator and Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders whether he had dual U.S./Israeli citizenship, as I had read in a comment on Facebook, I stated it as fact. He corrected me, saying he did not know where the question came from. I apologized immediately. I want to apologize as well to all our listeners for having made an erroneous statement. I am sorry for the mistake. However, I am glad to play a role in putting this rumor to rest.”

 

After seeing Rehm’s statement, Foxman added:

“Her mistake was to not research it before she even stated it as fact.  She shouldn’t have asked the question, period.  Had she researched it, she wouldn’t have raised it at all.  Because her question challenges not only his loyalty, but also Jewish loyalties to this country.”

 

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