Free Republic

If you’re a reader of a certain age, you might understand the headline. In May 1977, when Menachem Begin was elected Israel’s prime minister, Time magazine set out to describe the man, beginning with the correct pronunciation of his last name: “Rhymes with Fagin,” the editors explained, invoking the character from Oliver Twist. Modern Israeli leader; archetypal Jewish lowlife: Get it? The magazine’s other characterization of Begin was that he was “dangerous.” A year later, he shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Egypt’s Anwar Sadat. Maybe there’s something in the magazine’s DNA. This week, readers were treated to a cover...