July 26, 2010: Jewish Leaders Complain to Fox Executives about Host’s Use of Nazi References

Jewish leaders meet privately with Fox News chief executive Roger Ailes to complain about the repeated anti-Semitism of Fox talk show host Glenn Beck. Simon Greer, the head of Jewish Funds for Justice, tells Ailes and Fox News senior vice president Joel Cheatwood that he was disturbed when Beck, on his broadcasts, compared his worldview to that of the Nazis and accused him of trying to create American “death camps”; Ailes and Cheatwood agree that Beck went too far and promise to discuss the matter with him. Two days later, Greer will receive a handwritten note from Beck that reads: “Please know that I understand the sensitivity and sacred nature of this dark chapter in Human History. Thank you for your candor and helpful thoughts.” Greer has said Beck “has a history of recklessly invoking Nazi Germany and the Holocaust in order to advance his political agenda,” a statement bolstered by research from the Washington Post. However, Beck has been praised by some Jewish figures for his support of Israel. Cheatwood later disagrees with Greer, saying neither he nor Ailes said Beck had crossed any lines, and adds, “We absolutely stood behind Glenn Beck 1,000 percent.” [Yahoo! News, 8/3/2010]