Aaron Klein

Aaron Klein^[1] (born 1979)^[2] is an American author, Middle East correspondent, head of the Jerusalem bureau for WorldNetDaily (WND),^[3] columnist for The Jewish Press, and radio talk show host. He is known for interviewing middle eastern political figures, along with various leaders of terrorist groups in the region on WABC (AM).^[4] His WND articles have been republished on Ynetnews and in The New York Sun.^[5] In addition to his own program, Klein appears regularly on John Batchelor's radio talk show as well as other radio programs and cable news networks. Klein has written four books.

Early life and student career

Klein grew up in Philadelphia and graduated from Torah Academy Boys High School in Philadelphia.^[6] In his book Schmoozing with Terrorists, Klein describes his upbringing: "I was a Talmud-studying modern orthodox Jew. I attended Jewish religious schooling my entire life from religious elementary school until college. I came from a tight-knit orthodox Jewish community."^[7] In an interview, Klein’s mother said that as a child he used to swing from the family’s dining room chandelier and throw tomatoes at the ceiling. ^[8]

At Yeshiva University in New York City, Klein edited the undergraduate bimonthly student newspaper, The Commentator and changed his major from biology to English upon becoming editor.^[6] Articles published in The Commentator regarding events such as use of an eight million dollar gift to the school and the removal of a secretary, written while Klein was a co-editor in chief, allegedly caused the school administration to remove some issues from circulation.^[1] This prompted the paper's editorial board to threaten to sue the University. Yeshiva University later signed a contract in which it agreed to discontinue the practice and reimburse The Commentator for the confiscated issues.^[9]

Aaron Klein Investigative Radio

Klein has a weekly talk show entitled, "Aaron Klein Investigative Radio" on WABC (AM).^[4] He is described as "a Jerusalem-based investigative reporter and author with a rolodex that includes world leaders, news makers and some of the world's most deadly terrorists."^[4] His show includes his calling and interviewing terrorists on the air.^[4]

Klein follows the traditional talk radio model of taking listener calls throughout the show. His show fills the Sunday 6–9 p.m. (ET) time slot.^[4]

In June 2010, Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf, the Muslim leader behind a proposed Islamic cultural center near the site of the 9-11 attacks, was interviewed by Klein on WABC, where he reportedly refused to describe Hamas as a terrorist organization.^[10][11]

On August 15, 2010, Doctor Mahmoud al-Zahar, the chief of Hamas in Gaza, appeared on Klein's program, where he expressed support for Park51 community center. Zahar's comments made the cover of the New York Post^[12] and generated world media attention.^[13][14]

Klein's radio show was listed in the 2012 edition of Talkers Magazine's "Heavy Hundred"list of the top radio shows in America. ^[15] "Aaron Klein Investigative Radio" was one of two weekend programs in the U.S. that made the coveted list. ^[16] The show is reported to have over one million weekly listeners. ^[17]

Van Jones resignation

Klein was the first reporter to break the story on Van Jones, President Obama's former green jobs czar, that ended in Jones's resignation.^[18] On October 16, 2009, the National Journal reported Klein was also advocating against other Obama officials, including Cass Sunstein, the Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.^[19] On Dec 1, 2009, Aaron Klein reported on the John Batchelor Show that Van Jones continues working for the White House, only as an independent consultant, and that the mainstream media is not reporting on the story.^[20]

Interviews

Schmoozing with Terrorists

Klein's book, Schmoozing With Terrorists: From Hollywood to the Holy Land, Jihadists Reveal their Global Plans – to a Jew!, was released in September 2007.^[21]

The book is based on interviews with terrorists. Topics include Klein's meetings with a recruited Palestinian suicide bomber; interviews with Muhammed Abdel-El, the head of a Popular Resistance Committee, and Hamas leader Sheikh Yasser Hamad, and confrontations with the Muslim desecrators of Jewish and Christian holy sites. There is also a section in which terrorrist leaders are petitioned to describe what life in the U.S. would be like under the rule of Islam, a chapter on Christian persecution in the Middle East, and a chapter claiming the U.S. funds terrorism.^[22][23] In February 2010, it was announced a Hollywood firm had purchased the movie rights to Schmoozing with Terrorists.^[24]

Other interviews

In April 2008, Klein appeared on the John Batchelor radio show, where both interviewed Ahmed Yousef, chief political adviser to Hamas in the Gaza Strip. During that interview, Yousef revealed that Hamas endorsed Barack Obama for president.^[25] Obama's chief political strategist, David Axelrod, said he was "flattered" by the Hamas comparison of Obama to President John F. Kennedy.^[26] Yousef's comments garnered media attention and were used as a campaign fundraising tool by Obama's opponent, the Republican presidential candidate John McCain.^[27][28][29] The interview was also noted by Pennsylvania media just before a presidential primary in that state between Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton in which Clinton was victorious. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wrote an editorial entitled, "Hamas & Obama: Terrorist Flatter," questioning Axelrod's response to Hamas' endorsement.^[30] Ultimately, McCain and Obama themselves addressed Yousef's comments; McCain quoted Yousef's comments dozens of times during media interviews.^[31]

George Galloway incident

During a June 2007 interview, after an argument over whether or not Hamas was a terrorist organization, the British politician George Galloway evicted Klein and Rusty Humphries from his office and turned them over to Parliament police, claiming the two had breached security by falsely presenting themselves as reporters.^[32]

Brüno film

In April 2008, Klein reported that Ayman Abu Aita, who had been interviewed by Sasha Baron Cohen as part of the Brüno film, told Klein that he was mislabeled by the movie's star, who allegedly conducted the interview under false pretenses.^[33] Ayman Abu Aita, who is labeled in the movie as a "terrorist group leader," stated he was shocked when he learned the film depicted him as a terrorist. Aita threatened legal action against Baron Cohen and the movie's producers. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades released a statement through Klein saying: "We reserve the right to respond in the way we find suitable against this man"^[34] and "The movie was part of a conspiracy against the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades."^[35]

The Manchurian President book

The Manchurian President: Barack Obama's Ties to Communists, Socialists and Other Anti-American Extremists was released in May 2010.^[36] In the book, (per the New York Times blurb), "President Obama's life and campaigns are sifted for Communist and socialist ties."^[37] The book spent several weeks on the Times' bestseller list for hardcover nonfiction and appeared on other prominent bestseller charts, including those of Publishers Weekly and the Washington Post.^[38] [7] [8] Some journalists, including from publications such as Time and Newsweek, sent emails to the author's publicist saying they did not want to receive a review copy of Klein's book.^[39][40][41]

Red Army:The Radical Network That Must Be Defeated to Save America

Michael Tomasky, reviewing Klein's book Red Army for the New York Review of Books wrote, "I can't in good conscience recommend that anyone read 'Red Army' except perhaps the president," noting that the book "will be read by hundreds of thousands.""^[42]

Article criticizing Wikipedia

In March 2009, Klein criticized Wikipedia for what he described as preferential treatment of Barack Obama coverage. Klein said that Wikipedia editors had scrubbed the article of material critical of the president and that an editor had been suspended for attempting to add "missing" details about Obama's relationship with Bill Ayers and allegations that Obama was not born in the United States. Klein said similar negative content was found in the article of George W. Bush.^[43][44][45]

The story was picked up by The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, Drudge Report and Fox News. A spokesperson for Wikipedia stated that the Obama article had not received any preferential treatment^[43] and another spokesperson noted the site's content is monitored and edited entirely by users. "Editors are really, really trying to do this as neutral as possible".^[46]

Klein removed the name of the editor from the article after reports arose on blogs and Wired News that he might himself be the suspended editor described in the story (the editor's only previous work on Wikipedia was editing Klein's page). In an email sent in response to the Wired News article, Klein wrote that the editor "works with me and does research for me."^[47]

Works

• Red Army: The Radical Network That Must Be Defeated to Save America Broadside Books (October 25, 2011) ISBN 0-06-206924-1 ISBN 978-0062069245
• The Manchurian President: Barack Obama's Ties to Communists, Socialists and Anti-American Extremists (2010)^[4] ISBN 1-935071-87-4 ISBN 978-1-935071-87-7
• The Late Great State of Israel: How Enemies Within and Without Threaten the Jewish Nation's Survival (2009) ISBN 1-935071-08-4 ISBN 978-1-935071-08-2
• Schmoozing with Terrorists: From Hollywood to the Holy Land, Jihadists Reveal Their Global Plans— to a Jew! (2007) ISBN 0-9790451-2-6 ISBN 978-0-9790451-2-7

References

External links

• Official website – KleinOnline
• Aaron Klein Facebook
• @AaronKleinShow Twitter feed
• Aaron Klein WorldNetDaily Archive