(FamilyConservationPAC.com) – Nearly two dozen prominent Jewish community leaders from across the country, who speak for millions of Jewish Americans, urged AT&T to “reconsider” its recent decision to drop Newsmax from its network lineup.
They cited the conservative news outlet’s “fair coverage of Jewish issues and Israel.” They cautioned that doing otherwise could result in losing “significant support from the Jewish community.”
More than 23 prominent Jewish leaders voiced “severe concern” about AT&T’s recent decision to suspend Newsmax in a letter sent to AT&T, its video programming platform DirecTV, and the private equity company TPG Capital, which owns a significant share of DirecTV and acts as its operational manager.
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The letter was sent to TPG CEO Jon Winkelried, AT&T CEO John Stankey, AT&T Board Chairman William Kennard, DirecTV CEO William Morrow, and Newsmax CEO John Stankey.
It questions and challenges the network’s recent removal from DirecTV and asks the executives if they plan to add it back to their systems.
The letter’s opening declares, “We, the undersigned leaders of the Jewish community in the United States, write to you to express our severe concern with your decision to remove Newsmax from DirecTV systems.”
The letter recognized Newsmax’s function as
“a key means for us to contact our fellow Americans to communicate our viewpoints on anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism, the State of Israel and other subjects essential to our community,” noting their role as community leaders who “represent millions of Jewish Americans.”
In the following paragraphs, it laments the fact that
“fair coverage of subjects of importance, including coverage of the State of Israel, has been difficult to find in major media” and accuses many media outlets of “turning a blind eye to the dramatic and deadly increase of anti-Semitism in America.”
Contrarily, the letter claims that Newsmax “has been a vital voice” since it routinely hosts prominent Jewish people who are “not found on other networks.”
The statement reads, “We have discovered that Newsmax has provided fair coverage of Jewish concerns and Israel — and has acted as an essential forum for us to speak out against the deadly growth of anti-Semitism.”
The letter ends by requesting that the telecoms provider “reconsider” its decision to take Newsmax down.
It reads, “We feel AT&T profits by having Newsmax on air [and] by taking down this channel, your firms will lose major support from the Jewish community.”
The letter’s signatories include prominent Jews, some of whom have worked in public policy for decades, including:
- Arthur Schneier, Senior Rabbi of Park East Synagogue
- Alan Dershowitz, professor emeritus of Law at Harvard University
- Abraham Foxman, former Anti-Defamation League (ADL) head
- Joe Lieberman, former U.S. senator from Connecticut
- Norm Coleman, former U.S. senator from Minnesota
- David Friedman, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel
- Matt Brooks of the Republican Jewish Coalition
- Mort Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA)
- Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
Last month, DirecTV stopped providing service to Newsmax, shutting off millions of American homes from the conservative cable channel.
Despite paying out enormous cable license fees to leftist channels with lower ratings, AT&T claims that the move was taken for “cost-cutting” reasons.
Christopher Ruddy, the CEO of Newsmax, called the action a “blatant act of political discrimination and censorship.”
Newsmax and other channels can only survive and develop with the help of cable payments.
Many Jewish Americans who rely on the conservative cable news network for news coverage felt the impact of Newsmax being de-platformed from 13 million households.
The letter’s signatories’ spokesperson, community leader Bryan Leib, expressed his “profound” sadness at the removal by AT&T of the fourth-highest cable news network in the U.S. and a staunch defender of Israel that covered topics of importance to American Jews.
“We feel Newsmax is required today more than ever given the growth of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism in the United States. We think it’s time for AT&T to change its mind and resume broadcasting Newsmax,” he said.
Republican senators and members of Congress criticized the platform last week by writing to the CEOs of DirectTV and its owners, AT&T and TPG, seeking additional details regarding the company’s choice to exclude Newsmax from its lineup.
Former President Donald Trump used DirecTV’s move as another justification for Republicans to retake the White House in 2024 as he started his third presidential campaign at Mar-a-Lago last year.
He said on Truth Social, “This is only one of many reasons why we must WIN IN 2024.”
Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida and a potential 2024 presidential contender, also criticized DirecTV’s action.
“It seems like One America News and Newsmax are being targeted, so he said it does require examination. The fact is they have so much other stuff that is very rarely seen and yet they keep that on,” he added.
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