A Matter of Libel, Perhaps

I was wondering, did Baskin's editor ask for proof of his claim, one that could be considered libelous which I've highlighted?

Encountering Peace: Normalizing anti-normalization by GERSHON BASKIN

...First of all, I put little faith in Al-Quds al- Arabi. The paper brings to mind the old joke that the only thing (usually) accurate in the newspaper is the date. Its editor and publisher, Abdel Bari Atwan, is a strange character who is known for taking money from all kinds of bizarre and infamous sources.

^