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Sundown: Obama and Abbas Head for Splitsville

Plus ‘Jewish messaging,’ Dan Snyder speaks, and more

by
Marc Tracy
September 09, 2011
The presidents, during happier times.(Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images)
The presidents, during happier times.(Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images)

• President Abbas never calls President Obama anymore. [NYT]

• Meanwhile the Obama campaign team is ramping up its “Jewish messaging.” [Ben Smith]

• Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman wants to do some deeply irresponsible things, like publicly arming Kurdish separatists, in order to get back at Turkey. Prime Minister Netanyahu won’t have any of it. [Haaretz]

• One Homeland Security grant program has been very good for the Jews. [Forward]

• My problem with the anti-Semitic fantasy football names that were popping up on ESPN’s site is that they weren’t even clever! “Jews Are Immoral”? “Jews Are Terrible”? At least make it something like …. on second thought, nevermind. [AP/WP]

• Air Sinai may or may not exist, which is what makes it so interesting. [Globe and Mail via Negev Rock City]

• Avi Steinberg talks to Maurice Sendak. [The Paris Review via The Awl]

• Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder says that he hasn’t read the article he’s suing over. Was the image of him anti-Semitic? “It wasn’t nice.” Also he thought 2005 was “really our year,” because, y’know, the Skins actually made the playoffs. [NYT Mag]

• Editorial intern Miriam Krule has a great (if lukewarm, judgment-wise) review of Amy Waldman’s The Submission. [Full Stop]

Enjoy the football. And have a meaningful 9/11 anniversary.

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.