Veteran CNN broadcaster Jim Clancy quits after 34 years

The veteran CNN broadcaster Jim Clancy quits after 34
years following abusive Twitter
exchange with Pro-Israel activists.
CNN anchor Jim Clancy has left the network
one week after a bizarre exchange with pro-
Israel activists on Twitter about the terrorist
outrages in Paris, in which he derided his
opponents as the “hasbara team” and used a
derogatory term for disabled people.

The news was broken by industry publication
Adweek, which linked to The Algemeiner‘s
extensive reporting of the scandal, noting
that Clancy’s departure “comes just days
after the veteran journalist had an extended
debate via Twitter over the Charlie Hebdo
cartoons.”
CNN, however, made no mention of the
scandal as it paid tribute to Clancy’s 34
years of service with the channel. “Jim
Clancy is no longer with CNN. We thank him
for more than three decades of distinguished
service, and wish him nothing but the best,” a
CNN spokesperson said.
In a short statement, Clancy said: “After
nearly 34 years with Cable News Network, the
time has come to say Farewell! It has been
my honor to work alongside all of you for all
of these years. This is one of the greatest
news organizations in the world. It has truly
revolutionized information delivery while
driving technological advances in how we
gather the news. Through it all, CNN has
been a family to my own family. That means
something. As I reflect on all of the great
adventures and achievements of the past, I
wish you great success in the future.”
The anchor’s departure follows yesterday’s
revelation that his Twitter account had been
deactivated. In his clash with pro-Israel
advocates, Clancy – whose obsession with
Israeli settlement policy is well-known among
CNN viewers – angrily responded to one of
his detractors with the word,
“Hasbara?” (“Hasbara,” the Hebrew word for
“explaining,” is often invoked by Israel’s
opponents to dismiss views with which they
disagree, even when, as in this case, the
matter at hand has nothing to do with
Israel.)
As his ire rose, Clancy dismissed another
user by saying, “Get a grip, junior. It’s my
Friday night. You and the Hasbara team need
to pick on some cripple on the edge of the
herd.”
Jay Ruderman, the head of the Ruderman
Family Foundation, which promotes the
inclusion of people with disabilities in the
Jewish community, informed Clancy on
Twitter that the word “cripple” is derogatory.
The anchor’s response was to block both
Ruderman’s personal account and the
account of the Ruderman Foundation.
Yesterday, Ruderman told The Algemeiner that
an “organization held in the esteem that CNN
is held in should use this as a teaching
moment.”