On December 18, Press TV, Iran's official government propaganda outlet, featured a miscreant who attempted to tie the Sandy Hook massacre to "Jewish owned Hollywood" and "Israeli hit squads."  This type of "journalism" is quite the norm for Press TV.  It routinely features outrageous programming that aims to denigrate "enemies of the state," with special emphasis on Jews and Israel.

It therefore comes as no surprise that Press TV was downright giddy when reporting about the prospect of Chuck Hagel becoming one of the most powerful men in the White House.  The article featured Hagel's lengthy anti-Israel record, and this presumably sits well with Iran's fascist mullah theocrats.

The Talkbacks were even more enlightening, with each one vying for more "likes" by stoking the flames of hate.  One stood out as particularly revealing.  A Talkbacker going by the username of "12 imami" (wonder what that could possibly mean) commented, "SLOWLY BUT SURELY..... INSHALLAH!"  All in caps, of course.

It scares me when the president's top Pentagon pick gets raves from Iranians.  Iran's enthusiastic nod of approval likely stems from Hagel's failure to sign off on bipartisan letters naming Hezb'allah and the IRGC terrorist groups.  It also stems from his lackadaisical attitude toward Iran's nuclear arms ambitions, as well as his association with an assortment of past anti-Israel actions and rhetoric.

Of course, Iran wasn't the only happy camper on the block.  Stephen Walt, co-author of a thoroughly discredited work of fiction, came out full court press in favor of Hagel.  When it comes to Israel-bashing, Walt rates among the top contenders.  His co-authored screed features veiled anti-Semitism, and its list of endorsers includes bottom-feeders such as former KKK leader David Duke and Holocaust denier Mark Weber.

In his blog, Walt cites payback against Prime Minister Netanyahu as a reason to appoint Hagel.  Walt's reasoning speaks volumes about what kind of hateful and unsavory character he truly is.  Walt despises Israel for reasons best known to him, and what better way to get back at Israel than to appoint as defense chief a former senator who, among all senators, arguably maintained the most viscerally hostile attitude toward Israel?

But Hagel's hostility did not stop with Israel.  It was directed against Jews as well.  According to AJC Executive Director David Harris.  In 1999, Hagel was the only senator who refused to sign a letter to then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin urging action against rising anti-Semitism in that country.  That action personifies Hagel, but Walt shamefully doesn't even bother to address it.  Who cares about xenophobia?  So long as it's directed only against those troublesome, pesky Jews.

It should be clear by now to anyone with an interest in Israel (the only democracy in the Middle East) in general, or in Jews in particular, that Chuck Hagel is radioactive.