Former CIA Head Criticized for Tweeting That Jews Should Be âEmpathetic Championsâ of Palestinians Brennan was promoting his April 27 New York Times op-ed arguing that the Biden administration needs to focus on ensuring that the Palestinians receive statehood and blamed Israel for the lack of progress on that front. Aaron Bandler is a staff writer for the Jewish Journal, mainly covering anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias. Originally from the Bay Area, his past work experience includes writing for The Daily Wire, The Daily Caller and Townhall. Former Director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John Brennan testifies before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Capitol Hill, May 23, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)