AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson
Three prominent conservative journalists secretly drafted speeches for an Israeli government official, according to a new report published by Drop Site News.
The Atlantic staff writer David Frum, New York Post columnist and The Spectator associate editor Douglas Murray, and Commentary Magazine senior editor Seth Mandel reportedly helped draft speeches for Israeli government official Ron Prosor in 2014, when Prosor was serving as Israel’s permanent representative to the United Nations.
Just months after becoming a senior editor for The Atlantic, Frum reportedly “helped write a speech for the then-Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor,” who currently serves as Israel’s ambassador to Germany, according to Drop Site News’ Ryan Grim and Murtaza Hussain.
At the time, Frum was also writing a profile on Prosor for The Atlantic.
In a leaked email sent by Frum to Prosor in July 2014, Frum provided the Israeli ambassador with a speech he had written with Mandel, defending Israel’s military actions during the 2014 Gaza War, which resulted in more than 2,000 Palestinians being killed.
“This version was drafted by Seth Mandel of Commentary, with whom I’ve been working,” wrote Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush.
“Thank you David. I will look at it and get back to you. Big hug, Ron,” Prosor reportedly replied.
In a separate email, Murray – an associate editor at influential London magazine The Spectator – sent Prosor his own draft for a speech defending Israel’s military actions, according to Drop Site News.
“Dear Ron, Very good to speak earlier. I am pasting in here my first draft ideas. It’s probably slightly long. And it’s possible I have put in some more diplomatic things than needed… But I think I have got in all the points discussed,” he wrote.
Other emails reportedly showed Murray boasting to Prosor about raising more than a million dollars for the “Wellbeing of Israeli Soldiers” and lavishing praise on the ambassador.
Leaked emails also reportedly revealed a close relationship between Prosor and then-CNN editorial producer Pamela Gross, who “contacted the ambassador to book him for guest appearances, but also invited him to birthday parties and arranged dinner engagements with her and her husband,” Jimmy Finkelstein, as well as soliciting help in an “effort to fundraise money to supply Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.”
“You and Jimmy are true assets to the state of Israel,” Prosor reportedly told Gross, who responded to the ambassador with “xxoo” in her emails.
The post Conservative Journalists Secretly Drafted Speeches For Israeli Official: Report first appeared on Mediaite.
