Remembering Dore Gold: Scholar, Diplomat, and Defender of Israel

Years ago, I remember first encountering Dore Gold—with his distinctive moustache and slow, careful manner of speech—as a TV talking head presenting the Israeli perspective on the latest Middle East dust up. He was always paired with a Palestinian (the mendacious and ever-indignant Hanan Ashrawi was a favorite), and the interviewers always leaned in the anti-Israel direction. While there were others who played this part from time to time, Gold was the best: unflappable, precise, and logical. You could breathe a sigh of relief knowing that he was there to speak for Israel, which he did on television, on the dais at the United Nations, and in Arab capitols.