Mondoweiss
Encyclopedia
Mondoweiss is a news website devoted to covering American foreign policy in the Middle East, chiefly from a progressive Jewish perspective
. It was founded in 2006 by journalist and author Philip Weiss
and is currently co-edited by Weiss and author/activist Adam Horowitz
. Weiss and Horowitz state that they "maintain this blog because of 9/11, Iraq, Gaza
, the Nakba, the struggling people of Israel
and Palestine
, and our Jewish background."
. After leaving The New York Observer, Weiss moved the blog first to and then later to its current location at . In a March 2010 interview with The Link, the magazine published by Americans for Middle East Understanding
, Weiss describes the evolution of Mondoweiss:
In March 2007, Gary Kamiya of Salon.com
argued that Mondoweiss offered " informed and passionate discussions" of what Weiss states are "delicate and controversial matters surrounding American Jewish identity and Israel." Kamiya also states that Weiss, "routinely skewers attempts by mainstream Jewish organizations and pundits to lay down the law on what is acceptable discourse." A few years later in 2009, Michael Massing, in an article titled "The News About the Internet" for The New York Review of Books
, noted that "Weiss is one of several friends I’ve seen flourish online after enduring years of frustration writing for magazines. With its unrelenting criticism of Israel, his site [Mondoweiss] has angered even some of his fellow doves, but it has given voice to a strain of opinion that in the past had few chances of being heard." By February 2010, The Christian Science Monitor
described Mondoweiss as a "popular" website. " In September 2010, James Wolcott
of Vanity Fair
argued that Mondoweiss "is one of the most invaluable sites in the blogosphere, a blast of sanity and moral suasion against the prevailing demonization of anything and anyone perceived as anti-Israel."
, in the American Jewish online periodical Tablet Magazine
, accused Phil Weiss, Stephen Walt
, Glenn Greenwald
, and Andrew Sullivan
in July, 2010 of being part of an "anti-Israel blogosphere." He also suggests that they are "obsessed with Israel and the machinations of the U.S. Israel lobby" and labels them "Jew-baiter[s]."
Weiss responded to Smith by stating that "yesterday Tablet smeared me and several other bloggers as Jew-baiters." Others have also responded to Smith's article. Harvard professor Stephen Walt
, who is also mentioned by Smith, questions the article's premise by stating that "the first thing to observe about Smith's screed is that even though he accuses me and my fellow bloggers of being anti-Semites and 'Jew-baiters,' his article contains not a scintilla of evidence that Sullivan, Greenwald, Weiss, or I have written or said anything that is remotely anti-Semitic, much less that involves "Jew-baiting." There's an obvious reason for this omission: None of us has ever written or said anything that supports Smith's outrageous charges." Journalist Max Blumenthal
negated Smith's argument, commenting that he "read the piece twice and could not find any instances of 'Jew baiting' by Smith’s targets. Smith couldn’t either, so he instead highlighted a few screeds by semi-literate and mostly anonymous comment trolls."
Progressive Judaism
Progressive Judaism , is an umbrella term used by strands of Judaism which affiliate to the World Union for Progressive Judaism. They embrace pluralism, modernity, equality and social justice as core values and believe that such values are consistent with a committed Jewish life...
. It was founded in 2006 by journalist and author Philip Weiss
Philip Weiss
Philip Weiss is an American journalist who co-edits Mondoweiss, which he describes as a "news website devoted to covering American foreign policy in the Middle East, chiefly from a progressive Jewish perspective," with Adam Horowitz...
and is currently co-edited by Weiss and author/activist Adam Horowitz
Adam Horowitz (journalist)
Adam Horowitz is an American journalist who co-edits the self-described "news website devoted to covering American foreign policy in the Middle East, chiefly from a progressive Jewish perspective," Mondoweiss with journalist and author Philip Weiss...
. Weiss and Horowitz state that they "maintain this blog because of 9/11, Iraq, Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
, the Nakba, the struggling people of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Palestine
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
, and our Jewish background."
Development and response
Mondoweiss originally began in 2006 as a blog for The New York Observer and was located atAmericans for Middle East Understanding
Americans for Middle East Understanding is a non-profit non-governmental organization that promotes the appreciation of the culture, history and current events in the Middle East among Americans...
, Weiss describes the evolution of Mondoweiss:
- In March 2006 I began writing a daily blog on The New York Observer website.My editor, Peter Kaplan, encouraged me to write what was on my mind and it was his idea to call it Mondoweiss. Increasingly what was on my mind were "Jewish issues": the Iraq disaster and my Jewishness, Zionism, neo-conservatism, Israel, Palestine. For many reasons that I detail in "Blogging about Israel and Jewish identity raises Observer hackles" (The American ConservativeThe American ConservativeThe American Conservative is a monthly U.S. opinion magazine published by Ron Unz. Its first editor was Scott McConnell, his successors being Kara Hopkins and the present incumbent, Daniel McCarthy....
, June 4 2007), in the spring of 2007 I re-launched my own blog on my own website. It became a collaborative effort a year ago when Adam Horowitz joined Mondoweiss.
In March 2007, Gary Kamiya of Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
argued that Mondoweiss offered " informed and passionate discussions" of what Weiss states are "delicate and controversial matters surrounding American Jewish identity and Israel." Kamiya also states that Weiss, "routinely skewers attempts by mainstream Jewish organizations and pundits to lay down the law on what is acceptable discourse." A few years later in 2009, Michael Massing, in an article titled "The News About the Internet" for The New York Review of Books
The New York Review of Books
The New York Review of Books is a fortnightly magazine with articles on literature, culture and current affairs. Published in New York City, it takes as its point of departure that the discussion of important books is itself an indispensable literary activity...
, noted that "Weiss is one of several friends I’ve seen flourish online after enduring years of frustration writing for magazines. With its unrelenting criticism of Israel, his site [Mondoweiss] has angered even some of his fellow doves, but it has given voice to a strain of opinion that in the past had few chances of being heard." By February 2010, The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor is an international newspaper published daily online, Monday to Friday, and weekly in print. It was started in 1908 by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist. As of 2009, the print circulation was 67,703.The CSM is a newspaper that covers...
described Mondoweiss as a "popular" website. " In September 2010, James Wolcott
James Wolcott
James Wolcott is an American journalist, known for his critique of contemporary media. Wolcott is the cultural critic for Vanity Fair and contributes to The New Yorker. He also writes a blog....
of Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
argued that Mondoweiss "is one of the most invaluable sites in the blogosphere, a blast of sanity and moral suasion against the prevailing demonization of anything and anyone perceived as anti-Israel."
Criticism
Lee SmithLee Smith (journalist)
Lee Smith is an American journalist, and senior editor for The Weekly Standard. He is the author of The Strong Horse: Power, Politics, and the Clash of Arab Civilizations . Smith has written for Slate, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and a variety of Arab media outlets...
, in the American Jewish online periodical Tablet Magazine
Tablet Magazine
Tablet Magazine is a two-time National Magazine Award-winning online publication of Jewish life, arts, and ideas. Sponsored by Nextbook, it was launched in June 2009. Its Editor in Chief is Alana Newhouse....
, accused Phil Weiss, Stephen Walt
Stephen Walt
Stephen Martin Walt is a professor of international affairs at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Among his most prominent works are and . He coauthored The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy with John Mearsheimer.-Education and career:In 1983, he received a Ph.D. in...
, Glenn Greenwald
Glenn Greenwald
Glenn Greenwald is an American lawyer, columnist, blogger, and author. Greenwald worked as a constitutional and civil rights litigator before becoming a contributor to Salon.com, where he focuses on political and legal topics...
, and Andrew Sullivan
Andrew Sullivan
Andrew Michael Sullivan is an English author, editor, political commentator and blogger. He describes himself as a political conservative. He has focused on American political life....
in July, 2010 of being part of an "anti-Israel blogosphere." He also suggests that they are "obsessed with Israel and the machinations of the U.S. Israel lobby" and labels them "Jew-baiter[s]."
Weiss responded to Smith by stating that "yesterday Tablet smeared me and several other bloggers as Jew-baiters." Others have also responded to Smith's article. Harvard professor Stephen Walt
Stephen Walt
Stephen Martin Walt is a professor of international affairs at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Among his most prominent works are and . He coauthored The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy with John Mearsheimer.-Education and career:In 1983, he received a Ph.D. in...
, who is also mentioned by Smith, questions the article's premise by stating that "the first thing to observe about Smith's screed is that even though he accuses me and my fellow bloggers of being anti-Semites and 'Jew-baiters,' his article contains not a scintilla of evidence that Sullivan, Greenwald, Weiss, or I have written or said anything that is remotely anti-Semitic, much less that involves "Jew-baiting." There's an obvious reason for this omission: None of us has ever written or said anything that supports Smith's outrageous charges." Journalist Max Blumenthal
Max Blumenthal
Max Blumenthal is an American author, journalist, and blogger. A senior writer for The Daily Beast, he is the author of the New York Times bestselling book Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement that Shattered the Party....
negated Smith's argument, commenting that he "read the piece twice and could not find any instances of 'Jew baiting' by Smith’s targets. Smith couldn’t either, so he instead highlighted a few screeds by semi-literate and mostly anonymous comment trolls."
Further reading
- Adas, Jane. Mondoweiss: The Blog, The Link, Vol. 43, Issue 1, Americans for Middle East UnderstandingAmericans for Middle East UnderstandingAmericans for Middle East Understanding is a non-profit non-governmental organization that promotes the appreciation of the culture, history and current events in the Middle East among Americans...
, March 2010.
External links
- Mondoweiss Official Site
- Mondoweiss at FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Mondoweiss at TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...