My open letter to Henry Clifford, who bankrolled the anti-Israel ads (updated)

Henry Clifford is the person who put up $25,000 to place an anti-Israel ad in Metro-North train stations last week that I reported on.

In his interview with Fox News, he said "“There’s always room for discussion of different sides of every story, but there’s no room for discussion on fact. Anyone who challenges these maps and the content of these ads, it’s their obligation to show that they’re historically wrong. The ball is in their court.”

I received his email address (thanks to reader Greg) so I responded to him:

Dear Mr. Clifford:

In your interview with Fox News, you said:

“There’s always room for discussion of different sides of every story, but there’s no room for discussion on fact,” Clifford said. “Anyone who challenges these maps and the content of these ads, it’s they’re obligation to show that they’re historically wrong. The ball is in their court.”

I agree 100%. There is no room at all in discussion of fact. Which is why I responded to your ad on the basis of facts in my blog.

Here is my response:

I then pasted the contents of two blog posts that addressed the statements on the map (I slightly updated the one from last week to address that his first frame was not the same as the one on the famous anti-Israel map I originally responded to and that his second frame didn't accurately show Jerusalem from the partition plan.)

I then concluded:

So, Mr. Clifford, I've shown how every pixel in your posters is historically wrong.

Will you respond to me, or admit the truth?

This response is being posted on my blog, which receives about 150,000 hits a month. Since you claim that you are interested in facts, I look forward to your fact-based response to this email, or to your admitting that the ads are deceptive at best, and lying at worst. I will be more than happy to post your response on my blog where my thousands of daily readers can see it.

Because, I believe you will agree, facts are the most important thing. And if you can show any of my facts to be wrong, I will be more than happy to correct them publicly. Can I say the same about you?

In your own words, the ball is in your court.

Sincerely,

Eldad Tzioni 

I will let everyone know if I receive a response.

I would be very surprised if I get one.

UPDATE: His initial response:

Unfortunately, your email did not contain maps however the text is sufficient for a discussion. I am absolutely flooded with correspondence and have other obligations to attend to but I will retain your email and try to respond.  H. Clifford