The Jerusalem Post reviews splits among left-wing American Jewish groups over the Freeman affair. J Street Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami implied differences with the Isral Policy Forum, which enthusastically backed Freeman and ferociously attacked his critics. Ben Ami said said that J Street stayed out of the Freeman controversy because “It would be extremely thoughtless and naïve to immediately leap to the defense of someone [just because he’s] under attack from people I don’t agree with.” Seymour Reich, a former president of the Israel Policy Forum, also took issue with IPF’s backing of Freeman. “I was personally opposed to the Freeman appointment. I thought it was a bad choice for the administration and I’m pleased that he withdrew,” said Reich, who decided to step down from the forum’s policy-making committee over differences on issues including the Freeman affair. Reich said that Freeman was “clearly biased against Israel,” as his blaming the “Israel Lobby” demonstrated. “I don’t see how he could have given any objective intelligence assessment on the Middle East with that baggage hanging out so openly.”
