They claimed Behar defamed them in a 2000 Fortune article. Shortly before trial, in July 2004, the suit was settled after Fortune ran a lengthy clarification. In October 2004, Behar left Fortune to pursue book writing and various independent projects, including the launch of Project Klebnikov, a global media alliance investigating the July 2004, murder of Paul Klebnikov, who was then the editor-in-chief of Forbes Russia. Behar also served on the advisory committee of New York University's business journalism Master's program (BER), and has long been reporting and writing a book about Bernard Madoff, to be published by Simon & Schuster. The book was initially purchased by Random House. In 2015, Behar co-wrote an article for the New York Observer that accused the Associated Press of improperly reporting civilian deaths in the 2015 Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. In 2015, Behar and journalist Gary Weiss co-founded The Mideast Reporter, now known as Mideast Dig, a not-for-profit news site and investigative journalism project. Its aim is to deepen news coverage of the Middle East. Weiss left the venture in November 2015. Recognition Behar has won more than 20 major journalism awards and honors for his reporting. Behar was included among the 100 best business journalists (the "100 luminaries") of the 20th century by the TJFR business journalism trade group. In 1999, columnist Jack Anderson called Behar "one of the most dogged of our watchdogs." Awards Behar has won journalism awards, including: Four awards in recognition of his 1991 story for Time about Scientology: Gerald Loeb Award for distinguished business and financial journalism in a magazine(1992) Conscience-in-Media Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors (1992) "for singular commitment to the highest principles of journalism at notable personal cost" Worth Bingham Prize (1992) Cult Awareness Network's Leo J. Ryan Award George Polk Award (twice): One for his 1995 story about the strong-arm tactics used by the Allstate Insurance Co. against its own employees; a second Polk for a 2008 story about China's activities in sub-Saharan Africa Business Journalist of the Year Award from the City of London Corporation for articles about counterfeiting in China and organized crime in Russia's aluminum industry Daniel Pearl Award for post-9/11 journalism 2002 Morton Frnak Award, Overseas Press Club for post-9/11 journalism in Pakistan 2008 Ed Cunningham Award, Overseas Press Club for China's activities in sub-Saharan Africa Jack Anderson Award (twice) for "Top Investigative Reporter of the