Letter to Washington Times

Dear Editor,

In Karen Laub’s Palestinians Decry Israeli Court System [Mar. 28, 2007] - the country with the only real court system in the Middle East – Israel is taken to task by “Palestinians and human rights groups” for being “unfair” with “unduly harsh sentences.” In Gaza and the West Bank, meanwhile, Palestinians deemed guilty of collusion with Israel (no trial at all mind you) are executed and dragged through the streets by fellow Palestinians. Iraqi civilians are decapitated, Arab women are murdered in ‘honor’ killings, and Saudi Arabian thieves have their hands amputated, all without due process. Where are the so-called human rights groups when this occurs? Where is Karen Laub? Clearly vilifying and demonizing Israel while giving a free pass to a sea of Arab neighbors who are far worse.

Michael Berenhaus

Letter to The Washington Post

From: Dr. Michael Berenhaus [mailto:mberenhaus@comcast.net]
Sent: Sunday, March 18, 2007 6:09 AM
To: letters@washpost.com
Subject: Omission of integral fact

Dear Editor,

According to the article Unity Cabinet Offered By Palestinian Premier [March 18, 2007], the platform of the new Palestinian “unity government” states that "’resistance is a legitimate right of the Palestinian people’ in opposing Israel’s occupation of territory captured in the 1967 Middle East war.” This phrasing implies - practically states - that the territory was captured from the Palestinians, who are now "resisting". However Israel captured the territory not from the Palestinians but from Egypt and Jordan. Why did the Post not mention this integral fact? How are your readers supposed to understand the conflict and evaluate the sincerity and veracity of Palestinian positions with such a glaring omission?

Michael Berenhaus

Letter to The Washington Post

From: Dr. Michael Berenhaus [mailto:mberenhaus@comcast.net]
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 8:56 AM
To: letters@washpost.comS
ubject: letter to the editor

Dear Editor,

Washington Post reporter Scott Wilson describes Israel's destruction of an Arab town, during its war of independence, without mentioning the context that it was during a war which started when 5 Arab armies invaded the nascent Jewish State [Israel Revisited Mar. 11, 2007]. Doing so is like describing America's involvement in WWII as the bombing of Tokyo - leaving out Pearl Harbor!

Michael Berenhaus

Letter to The Washington Post

From: Dr. Michael Berenhaus [mailto:mberenhaus@comcast.net]
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 6:16 PM
To: washington post
Subject: letter to the editor

Dear Editor,

The Washington Post on March 3, 2007 found it newsworthy (World in Brief) to report that the Israeli army is breaking international law if allegations are true that they once used Palestinian civilians as shields during a door-to-door search for terrorists. But the Post has not found it newsworthy to report that the continuing firing of rockets into Israeli neighborhoods - a fact, not an allegation - is a violation of international law. When these rockets are mentioned, they are always referred to as “largely ineffective” or “crude.”

Now consider the response to the allegation: According to the same article, “the Israeli army pledged to ‘pursue a thorough inquiry’ into the case,” while the Palestinian leadership has done nothing to stop, or even consider stopping, the unrelenting rocket fire. The Washington Post seems to be bent on making Israel appear to be the aggressor, even using anecdotal allegations that the Post feels outweigh the egregious continuous Palestinian bombing of Israel.

Michael Berenhaus