After Furious Backlash, NYT Changes Headline Of Column: ‘Attacks On Jews Over Israel Are A Gift To The Right’

On Monday, The New York Times published the latest opinion piece from columnist Michelle Goldberg, titled “Attacks on Jews Over Israel Are a Gift to the Right.”

The opinion piece begins by presenting the recent “flagrant public assaults on Jews,” which Goldberg describes as “more reminiscent of the sort of anti-Semitic aggression common in Europe,” as being motivated by anti-Zionism.

Throughout the piece, Goldberg makes several deeply controversial claims, including that “four years of spiking anti-Semitism that started around the time Republicans nominated Donald Trump in 2016” — thereby linking the rise in anti-Semitism to American conservatism. Perhaps most absurd, however, was Goldberg’s argument that waves of violence against Jews by pro-Palestinian activists and radical Muslims “also threatens to undermine progress that’s been made in getting American politicians to take Palestinian rights more seriously.” 

“Many progressives, particularly progressive Jews, have worked hard to break this automatic identification and to open up space in the Democratic Party to denounce Israel’s entrenched occupation and human rights abuses,” wrote Goldberg.

“This wave of anti-Semitic violence will increase the difficulty of that work,” argued Goldberg. “The Zionist right claims that to assail Israel is to assail all Jews. Those who terrorize Jews out of rage at Israel seem to make their point for them.”

However, after a severe backlash to the column, The New York Times appeared to change the headline from “Attacks on Jews Over Israel Are a Gift to the Right” to “The Crisis of Anti-Semitic Violence.”

The @nytimes changed @michelleinbklyn‘s headline from “Attacks on Jews Over Israel Are a Gift to the Right” to “The Crisis of Anti-Semitic Violence.”

GEE, I WONDER WHY? #ConservativesPounce pic.twitter.com/0u408Xbvf5

— Ian Haworth (@ighaworth) May 25, 2021

Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro slammed the piece in no uncertain terms, tweeting, “Michelle Goldberg’s column is routinely a steaming pile of horses***. This one, however, is the Mt. Everest of steaming piles of horses***.”

Michelle Goldberg’s column is routinely a steaming pile of horseshit. This one, however, is the Mt. Everest of steaming piles of horseshit. pic.twitter.com/XGd2kLvsup

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) May 25, 2021

Dov Hikind, the founder of Americans Against Antisemitism,” tweeted, “Michelle Goldberg should cancel herself.”

Michelle Goldberg should cancel herself. https://t.co/rElPUZL4Vp

— Dov Hikind (@HikindDov) May 25, 2021

Curtis Houck, managing editor of Newsbusters, responded, “Michelle Goldberg has always been so hateful and unhinged, but this might be her worst take yet.”

Michelle Goldberg has always been so hateful and unhinged, but this might be her worst take yet. https://t.co/sMC2Duec1B

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 25, 2021

Houck shared a comment from Noah Pollak, who said he didn’t think they could make a “Republicans pounce” type of headline out of “Jews being beaten in the streets, but they did it.”

David Friedman, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel under the Trump administration, tweeted, “In this idiotic piece, Michelle Goldberg pines for a world in which Israel can be called an apartheid state without Jews being assaulted. Sorry, no such ‘utopia’ exists because 1) the accusation is a vile lie, and 2) antisemites don’t discriminate in their hatred.”

In this idiotic piece, Michelle Goldberg pines for a world in which Israel can be called an apartheid state without Jews being assaulted. Sorry, no such “utopia” exists because 1) the accusation is a vile lie, and 2) antisemites don’t discriminate in their hatred. https://t.co/nxq7qLyBq9

— David M Friedman (@DavidM_Friedman) May 25, 2021

Herb Keinon, a senior contributing editor for the Jerusalem Post, commented, “Jews are getting beat up in US, but what is really bad about this for NYT’s Michelle Goldberg is it ‘threatens to undermine progress made in getting American politicians to take Palestinian rights more seriously.’ Antisemitism makes it tougher for the Left to bash Israel. Wow.”

Jews are getting beat up in US, but what is really bad about this for NYT’s Michelle Goldberg is it “threatens to undermine progress made in getting American politicians to take Palestinian rights more seriously.” Antisemitism makes it tougher for the Left to bash Israel. Wow.

— Herb Keinon (@HerbKeinon) May 25, 2021

Outkick’s Clay Travis also responded, commenting that the New York Times wrote a piece “saying anti-Semitic attacks on Jews in America are a gift to the right. Seriously, this headline just happened.”

The @nytimes just wrote an editorial saying anti-Semitic attacks on Jews in America are a gift to the right. Seriously, this headline just happened. pic.twitter.com/nUyoNiUiDJ

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 25, 2021

Katie Pavlich retweeted Travis, writing “So much pouncing!”

So much pouncing! https://t.co/kdQwyleu59

— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 25, 2021

Stephen L. Miller tweeted, “Ah yes that’s what’s important here.”

Ah yes that’s what’s important here. pic.twitter.com/VTFQdmzuXs

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) May 25, 2021

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