Return of Anti-Semitism to New York Times Online Comments

In the past, I had much correspondence with senior New York Times editors concerning the prevalence of online anti-Semitic comments posted by this newspaper, notwithstanding their claim that comments are "moderated". In fact, many comments were removed, albeit weeks after their publication, following my communications with these editors.

Unfortunately, this sinister phenomenon has returned, and late yesterday I sent the following e-mail to Andrew Rosenthal of the Times, protesting this occurrence:

Once again, we see anti-Semitism being tolerated in online comments posted by the Times.

The very first, and most highly reader-recommended comment to Roger Cohen's "A Beer for Palestine" states:

"I hope the Israeli people are listening! They ARE greedy and entitled".

Would the Times permit a comment labeling all Americans or any other nationality "greedy and entitled"? There has been a very convenient substitution of the stereotypical "greedy Jew" with "greedy Israeli".

I would appreciate your urgent reply.

I still await Mr. Rosenthal's response. Meanwhile, I would observe that this was not the only such comment posted by the Times yesterday in response to Cohen's op-ed. Comment no. 4 states:

"Netanyahu and Lieberman are irrelevant, drunken Zionosaurs."

Although my politics differ from those of Netanyahu and Lieberman, this comment amounts to an ugly, personal attack, which would not be tolerated by the Times were it aimed at other world leaders. Needless to say, this was the third most highly reader-recommended comment in response to Cohen's op-ed.

I await Mr. Rosenthal's response. I also copied the publisher, the public editor and the web editor of the Times. Let's see if any of these people have the moral righteousness to act. Anti-Semitism, when it rears its ugly head even via the back door of a national newspaper, must be exposed and confronted.