I just posted a new cartoon and article at my USMediaAndIsrael.com blog, "Intimidation at the New York Times: How the Israel Lobby Silenced 2 Leading Columnists."
First published June 2, 2009:
Thomas Friedman was once brave. This New York Times columnist and author established his reputation reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His early work gave objective accounts of the suffering of the Palestinian people, placed blame for the failed peace talks squarely on the Israeli government, and exposed the undue influence that pro-Israel lobbyists wield on policies of the U.S. government.
Then the Israel lobby went to work on him.
Groups like AIPAC and CAMERA went to work on columnist Frank Rich:
Predictably, these pro-Israel forces then turned on Mr. Rich and the New York Times . They threatened to boycott the paper, ceasing all advertising, even withholding Jewish death notices. Their response to Mr. Rich was more personal. He suffered a fusillade of attacks, "self-hating Jew" being their favored and highly effective calumny.
Frank Rich has learned the lesson. You will not be reading any more Baruch Goldstein or Paul Wolfowitz columns by him. Nowadays, cowed like Mr. Friedman, he toes the line, and is largely silent on Israeli-Palestinian issues.
Read on for the full story...
UPDATE: In response to your comments, I've added new CAMERA and WRMEA citations in my original article.