Dr. Joseph Frager and Morton Klein
Dr. Joseph Frager and Morton KleinArutz Sheva

Morton Klein, the 24-year President of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) started receiving concerned phone calls from friends and family this past Thursday. The Forward, a left of center American Jewish publication, had claimed that Klein was more dangerous for Jews than Palestinian-American firebrand Linda Sarsour, and compared him to some of the world's well-known anti-Semites.

"As leader of the Zionist Organization of America, Klein has embraced and defended alt-right figures like Bannon and Gorka for their unabashedly pro-Israel-at-any-costs position, cozying up to anti-Semitic forces if it advances the ZOA’s ardent Zionist goals." Forward editorial fellow Steven Davidson had penned in an article titled "19 People Jews Should Worry About More Than Linda Sarsour."

Also featured on Davidson's list were Hamas head Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah,and former KKK Imperial Wizard David Duke.

"My 95 year old mother, a Holocaust survivor, who lost most of her family to the most anti Semitic horror in history, called me crying when she was made aware of this disgraceful article, listing me with the biggest haters and Jew-killers of our era," recalls Klein in a wide-ranging interview with Arutz Sheva.

"She was hysterically crying in fear for my safety and reputation because of this insane article."

Klein, obviously furious, said:. "They call me a danger to Jews? When I fight with my heart and soul for the Jewish people every day for the past 24 years?" he asked. "They write these defamatory lies. They say I cozy up to anti-Semites."

"I cozy up to anti-Semites? I fight anti-Semites." declared Klein. " I have gotten rid of Israel-haters from key government posts. Charles Freeman, who was going to be National Intelligence Director, James Zogby, who was going to work in the State Department, Salam al-Marayati, I led those fights, and I was successful, and they say I cozy up to anti-Semites?"

"James Zogby who heads the Arab-American Institute, one of the most anti-Israel people in the country, wrote an article decrying 'The vocal and muscular ZOA that his risen like a phoenix.' Obviously, everything I've told you makes it quite clear that I am not one of the 19 most dangerous people in the world' said Klein.

"The Boston Globe defended me. The New York Post defended me. Even a top reporter at Haaretz, Amir Tibon told me to send anyone that wants a quote to him, and he would tell them that this is ridiculous. And Amir Tibon is a left-winger!"

Professor Alan Dershowitz did the same, calling the Forward article the“most despicable ever in Jewish media.”

Read more: http://zoa.org/2017/08/10371866-dershowitz-forward-article-is-most-despicable-ever-in-jewish-media-lists-mort-klein-with-hamas-farrakhan-duke-as-biggest-danger-to-jews/#ixzz4pPqRcp3k

Klein was born in a displaced persons (DP) camp in Germany. He later became a world renowned economist, serving in the Nixon, Ford, and Carter Administrations, as well as a bio statistician at UCLA School of Public Health.

"They actually said that the ZOA is not even Jewish!" he continued . "They called us an 'ostensibly Jewish organization. We are the oldest Jewish organization in America that fights for Israel. The whole board is Jewish, almost all of our managers are Jewish, and were don't work on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. "

"Do you know who spoke at our dinners the past few years? Israel's US Ambassador Ron Dermer, UN Ambassador Danny Danon, this year we have US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, and Prime Minister Netanyahu has spoken by video at every dinner for last ten years. They would speak at an organization that is not Jewish?" Klein asked rhetorically.

Rumors have abounded about Morton Klein's privileged access to the White House ever since the President Trump took office. "It's true" he confirms. "I am close to some of the most senior people in the White House. I've been to the White House four times in the last few months. "

"Trump has done many good things for Israel, but he also has done some bad things," Klein asserted. We publicly criticized him for not mentioning Jews in his Holocaust Day statement, we've criticized him for not moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem, and we've criticized him for saying that Iran has fulfilled their obligations under the nuclear deal.

"We are not pro-Trump or pro-Republican, or Democrat. We are pro-Israel."