Monday, June 9, 2008

Inside (Israel) Baseball, cont'd: Our Man Elli's critic demands that we remove his email posts!

As we've posted throughout the weekend and this morning, TabloidBaby.com last week received a copy of an emailed opinion piece that was a reaction to the recent (and late) Jerusalem Post coverage of the end of Israel's 2008 professional baseball dream. The piece by Jay L. Abramoff, an Israeli-based former newspaper sports editor, also criticized the work and motives of Our Man Elli in Israel, who was also among those receiving the email.

Elli, before retiring for Shabbat, sent us not only his outraged response, but critical correspondence that was sent to his editors as far back as August 2007.

Now, we've received another email from Mr. Abramoff:

From: Jay L. Abramoff
To: Tabloid Baby
Subject: You've got to be kidding
Date: Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:46:15 +0200

To whom it may concern,

As I commented in your blog/Web site:

You (nice to remain anonymous, isn't?) consider yourself a "respected" news organization, huh? At the top of the "column" I sent out by e-mail, I asked anyone interested in publishing it to contact me, which you didn't. Remove it from your Web site. My e-mail to Elli was private and NOT cc:ed to Haaretz or The Jerusalem Post; remove it, too.

Jay L. Abramoff, who BTW has been a League Coordinator at American Football in Israel since 2002, and not as implied by you.

Mr. Abramoff, first of all we apologize if we did not recognize the length of your tenure as the AFI league coordinator since 2002. We do acknowledge our errors and omissions, but should point out that we did identify you in our initial posting as "a former sports editor for the Post and Haaretz who is now a League Coordinator for American Football in Israel."

So we're not sure where your beef lies.

As for your request that we excise the posts: we received this collection of emails either unsolicited, or as part of Elli Wohlgelernter's response to behind-the-scenes backbiting and tattle-taling. If indeed, you are going to Elli's editors and the ones who allow him to make a living, and sending emails questioning the integrity and objectivity of a journalist whom you yourself claim contradictorily to "have the utmost respect for," why not share these concerns with the readers who we've led to believe are getting something close to unvarnished truth? We owe it to our readers. You're welcome to send along any editorials or essays. We'll be happy to run them prominently.

And you've really teed off PR man Sam Peters (above left), who's done some work with us: "Who you callin' anonymous, bub? Sam Peters is the name. Alto-Nido Apartments, 6350 Franklin Avenue, Hollywood, California. Stop by and we'll have some creamcheese-filled bagels."

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