Criticizing Israeli policies - What do you think about the claim of large-scale intimidation and threats against liberal Jews in America?

I’d like to quote from Michael Lerner’s recent book:

“I was told by the editor of a major American mainstream newspaper that he had been ordered by his publisher to not allow op-eds critical of Israeli policy.

Diaspora critics of Israeli policies sometimes find themselves faced with serious threats to their career or, among those who are most well known and outspoken, even their lives. Whether in a law firm, a medical practice, a university, a news organization, Hollywood, or American politics, many of those who question the morality of Israeli policies have come to believe that their well-being dictates that they hide these disagreements or risk serious loss to their careers.

People like Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn and Amira Hass have all faced abusive dismissals of their thinking and writing. There is immense pressure against people if they dare publicly criticize Israel.

In this sense, the anti-communist McCarthyite tactics have been given new life by the Israel lobby in the United States.

AIPAC working informally with a series of pro-right-wing political action committees has become one of the most influential lobbies in Washington. AIPAC has become a cheerleader for the most reactionary governments that Israel has ever had.”

What happened to free speech in America?

How serious are Lerner’s claims?