Great American, And My Friend, Bill Moyers Dies.

No one sent me more kind notes about these substacks.

I first met him in 1967 right after he left the LBJ White House (over Vietnam). Of all the public figures I’ve known in my lifetime, he is the one I most regret never having become president. He was an absolutely wonderful man and he encouraged me every step of the way in my journey from Israel supporter to whatever I am now, most recently this past spring. He was a true patriot and it’s sad that he died before the current Trump nightmare ended.

From THE TIMES.

Bill Moyers, Presidential Aide and Veteran of Public TV, Dies at 91

Before becoming known as an unusual breed of television correspondent and commentator, he had a long association with President Lyndon B. Johnson.

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FULL OBIT HERE.

Israel and the Use of Force, as Bill Moyers Sees It

Jan. 23, 2009

To the Editor:

Re “The Next War President” (column, Jan. 19):

I take strong exception to William Kristol’s characterization of what I said about Israel’s action in Gaza and my position on violence in the Middle East. According to him, I “lambasted Israel” for what I “called its ‘state terrorism.’ ”

Here is the exact transcript of what I said:

“Every nation has the right to defend its people. Israel is no exception…. But brute force can turn self-defense into state terrorism. It’s what the U.S. did in Vietnam, with B-52s and napalm, and again in Iraq, with shock and awe. By killing indiscriminately the elderly, kids, entire families, by destroying schools and hospitals, Israel did exactly what terrorists do and exactly what Hamas wanted. It spilled the blood that turns the wheel of retribution.”….

Killing civilians is wrong, whether done by Hamas, Israel or the United States. To be indifferent to that suffering is, sadly, to be as blind as Samson in Gaza.

Bill Moyers
New York, Jan. 20, 2009