Israeli Envoys Slam New York Times for Slandering IDF

Israel Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer on Friday slammed The New York Times over an article about the Israeli Defense Ministry’s work during the coronavirus pandemic, saying that the newspaper was libeling and demonizing Israel by unfairly depicting the ministry’s research and development branch as being best-known for pioneering ways to kill people.

“The Israeli Defense Ministry’s research-and-development arm is best known for pioneering cutting-edge ways to kill people and blow things up, with stealth tanks and sniper drones among its more lethal recent projects,” the article, published on Thursday, noted.

The country has engaged defense contractors, doctors, engineers, scientists in its battle against the coronavirus.

Dermer slammed the newspaper, tweeting, “The New York Times, which buried the Holocaust, is best known for pioneering ways to libel and demonize the Jewish State. Now it is doing the same.” Dermer was referring to past criticism that the newspaper failed to recognize and publicize the plight of European Jewry during World War II.

Israel’s consul general in New York, Dani Dayan, also criticized the Times article, drawing attention to the Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems, which were developed by the same teams profiled in the story.

“‘The Israeli Defense Ministry’s R&D arm is best known for pioneering cutting-edge ways to save innocent lives, with Iron Dome & David Sling among its more famous recent projects. Under the pandemic it continues to save lives.’ I edited it for you NY Times. Now it’s fit to print,” Dayan tweeted, referencing the newspaper’s famous slogan.