WASHINGTON (JTA) — Ethan Bronner, The New York Times bureau chief in Jerusalem, dropped out of a planned panel appearance with hard-line advocates of confronting Iran.
Bronner was to have appeared at a Nov. 7 screening of "Iranium" at the 92nd Street Y in New York. The film advocates a hard line on Iran.
Also scheduled to appear on the panel are Nazie Eftekhari,the director of an Iranian opposition group; Richard Perle, a former official in Republican administrations who advocates a tough line on Iran; and Alex Traiman, the film’s director.
Politico reported Tuesday that Bronner had been approached by the 92nd Street Y and was unaware that the makers of "Iranium" were co-sponsoring the panel. He asked the Y to broaden the panel, but it would not, so he dropped out.
The panel is to be broadcast simultaneously to about 20 Jewish community centers across the United States.
The film’s producer, Raphael Shore, is associated with the Clarion Fund, which produced another film, "Obsession," that was accused of being hostile to Islam, though its producers insisted the film only targets a radical minority among Muslims. Bronner’s scheduled appearance was first reported by the liberal website Think Progress.
