An inflammatory advertisement in the Atlanta Jewish Times claimed that “if President Trump was president in the 1930s, we would not have had World War II,” sparking readers to decry the 100-year-old community publication and prompting the publisher to apologize and to review the paper’s internal policies.
Submitted by a group called “Worriers for Israel,” the full-page ad ran in the Atlanta Jewish Times’ weekly print publication on Sept. 30. Invoking Holocaust imagery, the propaganda-like ad claims that Trump would have prevented the Holocaust, which killed six million Jews.
It continues: “As difficult as it is today to defeat Iran, it would be impossible if Iran had nuclear weapons. Remember who supports Israel’s ability to defend herself against Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran.”
Worriers for Israel did not respond for comment. It is not registered as a nonprofit organization and has no social media presence. The Cleveland Jewish News confirmed that the same advertisement ran in their publication, but was unable to comment due to being on deadline.
‘This isn’t what our media should be doing.’
Social media lit up with comments from readers, ranging from curiosity to disgust. One Atlanta Jewish Times advertiser told Rough Draft she is pulling her advertising dollars from the paper and has already looked into running ads with other publications. [Note: She is not a Rough Draft advertiser.]
The advertiser, who asked to remain anonymous, thought the ad was “fake news” and a way to further the MAGA agenda on Jews and Israel.
“This isn’t what our media should be doing. Our media should be unbiased. It should be about being Jewish, not about being politically relevant,” she said.
Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta, an advocacy and civic action group, said the community needs “discussions rooted in reality if we want to find real solutions for our many real problems.”
“We can’t achieve the Jewish community’s much-needed civil discourse and well-intentioned debate by conjuring an omnipotent leader who could have magically prevented Hitler from launching World War II and trying to wipe out European Jewry,” JCRC board said.
Election backdrop
The advertisement comes during an intense midterm election season in Georgia – one the Atlanta Jewish Times has garnered national attention for after publisher Michael Morris wrote an opinion piece attacking U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is Jewish, for his record on Israel.
“You are with Israel on the votes that cost you nothing, and against it on the votes that actually matter. All that heartfelt sympathy is smoke and mirrors,” Morris wrote in August. “I apologize for being blunt, but please, stop lying to me and your constituents.”
Ossoff faces Republican candidate Mike Collins in November.
AJT apology
An apology from the newspaper was issued on Oct. 4. The letter is still posted on the website, stating, “The AJT sincerely apologizes to our readers and to anyone who was hurt, offended, or distressed by the ad. We understand that, as a trusted community newspaper, our readers look to the Atlanta Jewish Times not only for news and information, but also as a reflection of the values and concerns of our community.” The apology is signed by the editorial board – an unknown body with members who were not named.
The Atlanta Jewish Times is owned by publisher Michael Morris, stepson of the late Bernie Marcus, Home Depot founder and major Republican donor.
After receiving an overwhelming amount of feedback about the ad, Morris said he held several internal discussions throughout the days between Sept. 30 and Oct. 4. He said staff has enhanced best practices by making Editor-in-Chief Sasha Heller responsible for reviewing all advertisements, including vetting the organizations and entities paying for the ads.
“Concerns were raised in the newsroom but, ultimately, the staff decided to send the advertisement to press, and that was obviously a mistake,” Morris told Rough Draft. “We did not perform our due diligence in looking into the organization that placed the ad. Had we done so, we would have learned that they are not a legitimate organization.”
“The ad was propaganda-like in nature and invoked horrifying images of the Holocaust that were used to promote support for the current administration’s ongoing war with Iran. It was crass, it was distasteful, and our readers deserve better. That type of content has no place in our local Jewish publication,” Morris said.
Morris said, “Ads like the one in question will not appear in Atlanta Jewish Times again.”
