Andrew B. Adler

Andrew B. Adler is (2012) the owner and publisher of the Atlanta Jewish Times, a weekly newspaper serving Atlanta's Jewish community. On 13 January 2012, Adler wrote a column about the problem of the U.S. and Israel's diverging views on the threat posed by Iran. As Adler put it, basically Israel has three options, he wrote: Strike Hezbollah and Hamas, strike Iran, or "order a hit" on Barack Obama. Adler states: "Yes, you read 'three [options] correctly.' Order a hit on a president in order to preserve Israel's existence..."

Jeffrey Blankfort, a long-time activist and radio program producer, wrote:
 * Imagine if you would that a Muslim American wrote an editorial in a Muslim-American newspaper advocating the assassination of president Obama for the actions he has taken against Muslim nations. He would, of course, not hear the end of it.  Not only would it make the headlines in every single American newspaper, but the story and as well as the writer would be widely be covered by every mainstream TV network, and the talking heads that are pushing us to attack Iran would be called upon to comment on this latest affront to our democracy by the Islamic world.  But what if the writer suggesting that president Obama might be assassinated was a Jewish-American owner of a Jewish publication?  I will tell you the answer: unless you lived in Britain, Canada or Israel, or were a reader of the American Jewish press where the following story was reported, you wouldn’t hear a word about it. Last week, Andrew Adler, owner-publisher and editor of the Atlanta Jewish Times, asked his readers to imagine that they are Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, confronting the threat posed by Hezbollah and Iran’s nuclear program, while also under pressure from the US president who “has an Alice in Wonderland belief in diplomacy over force.”  Adler laid out what he says are the three options that are available to Netanyahu: attack Hezbollah and Hamas, defy the US which is “willing to let Israel take a lethal bullet” by striking against Iran’s nuclear facilities, or a third option, “three, give the go-ahead for US-based Mossad agents to take out a president deemed unfriendly to Israel in order for the current  Vice-President to take his place, and to forcefully dictate that United States policy will include help the Jewish state obliterate its enemies”, Adler wrote in an article that appeared in print, but not online.  “Yes, you read three correctly,” he wrote, “order a hit on the president to preserve Israel’s existence.  Think about it, if I had thought of this Tom Clancy type scenario, don’t you think that this unfathomable idea has been discussed in Israel’s most inner-circles?”  Adler went on to ask: “How far would you go to save the nation composed of seven million lives, Jews, Arabs and Christians alike?  You have to believe like I do that all options are on the table.” Interviewed by Chris McGreal, Washington correspondent of the London’s Guardian – whose press isn’t as tightly controlled as ours, Adler said he understood why readers might interpret his writing as suggesting that Israel seriously consider assassinating the US president.   But that is not what he meant!  “No, no, no, it is unfathomable, unthinkable,” he said, adding “but I am definitely pro-Israel to the max.”  Adler, who later tearfully apologized in a TV interview, said he intended to repudiate the column in the next edition of the paper.  “I put my pen in my mouth,” he said, “I am writing a retraction of the column.”  He may not get the chance since the Jewish Federation of Atlanta announced it would break off its relations with the 86-year-old paper until a new managing editor was found.  Adler has since appointed a new editor, and relinquished all day-to-day activities effective immediately, and he reportedly has put the paper up for sale.  His column, as can be expected, was widely condemned within the Atlanta Jewish community and by spokesperson of leading national Jewish organizations. CNN’s religious editor, writing online, reported that the Secret Service is investigating Adler over the column.  That was the only mainstream comment that I was able to find.