Martin Peretz is the former

Martin Peretz is the former owner of the venerable New Republic magazine. (He recently sold a substantial percentage of his ownership interest to others.) He is also a longstanding and articulate defender of Israel’s right to defend itself against the unceasing depredations of its neighbors. Peretz is as knowledgeable of the admirable qualities of Israel and its citizens as anyone who writes in the American media and he has demonstrated the unfairness or ignorance of many journalists, commentators, and media figures who address events in the Middle East. The current issue of the New Republic carries Peretz’s characteristically informed essay on Salah Shehadeh, the Hamas military leader whom Israel assassinated last week and whom I wrote about yesterday. Like virtually everything Peretz writes, it is worth reading.