Letter to The Washington Post
From: Dr. Michael Berenhaus [mailto:mberenhaus@comcast.net]
Sent: Sunday, August 26, 2007 12:00 AMTo: 'letters@washpost.com'; 'ombudsman@washpost.com'
cc: 'harrisd@ajc.org'; 'washington-dc@adl.org'; 'hierm@wiesenthal.net'; 'fingerhute@washingtonjewishweek.com'; (sbender@bnaibrith.org)'
Subject: Israel's "crisis of conscience"
Dear Editor,
Is Israel the only country having a “crisis of conscience” over the refugees from Darfur? [“A Crisis of Conscience Over Refugees in Israel” Aug. 25, 2007] If so, why? Do all the other countries of the world have no “crisis of conscience” over what’s going on? Wouldn’t that make a better story? Why is the world doing nothing about the genocide or even bothered by it? Why is the UN doing nothing? Israel, one of the smallest countries in the world, has given refuge to 500 Sudanese, yet Israel is singled out because they haven’t taken in more. Could The Washington Post coverage be more slanted?
Michael Berenhaus
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Letter to The Washington Post
From: Dr. Michael Berenhaus [mailto:mberenhaus@comcast.net]
Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2007 11:51 PM
To: 'letters@washpost.com'
Subject: letter to the editor
Dear Editor,
Laura Schoppa correctly states in her letter-to-the-editor [Aug. 18, 2007] that “to eradicate terrorism, we need to understand its roots.” But she is dead wrong when she says that “terrorist attacks often are acts of desperation committed by people who feel …wronged.” Where is the desperation of those that murdered 3,000 Americans on September 11? Where is the desperation of those that murdered 52 Brits and wounded 700 on 7/7/05? Where is the desperation of those that murdered 191 Spanish and wounded 2,050 in the 2004 Madrid train bombings? It is not desperation at all that caused these terrorist attacks but hate. And hate is the root cause which must be removed in order to eradicate terrorism. The inculcation of hate in Muslim youth and the glorification of martyrdom must be dealt with honestly and openly. Only then will terrorism be halted.
Michael Berenhaus
From: Dr. Michael Berenhaus [mailto:mberenhaus@comcast.net]
Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2007 11:51 PM
To: 'letters@washpost.com'
Subject: letter to the editor
Dear Editor,
Laura Schoppa correctly states in her letter-to-the-editor [Aug. 18, 2007] that “to eradicate terrorism, we need to understand its roots.” But she is dead wrong when she says that “terrorist attacks often are acts of desperation committed by people who feel …wronged.” Where is the desperation of those that murdered 3,000 Americans on September 11? Where is the desperation of those that murdered 52 Brits and wounded 700 on 7/7/05? Where is the desperation of those that murdered 191 Spanish and wounded 2,050 in the 2004 Madrid train bombings? It is not desperation at all that caused these terrorist attacks but hate. And hate is the root cause which must be removed in order to eradicate terrorism. The inculcation of hate in Muslim youth and the glorification of martyrdom must be dealt with honestly and openly. Only then will terrorism be halted.
Michael Berenhaus
Monday, August 13, 2007
Letter to NY Times
From: Dr. Michael Berenhaus [mailto:mberenhaus@comcast.net]
Sent: Monday, August 13, 2007 8:20 AM
To: letters@nytimes.comSubject: letter to the editor
Dear Editor,
Israel is the only country that has to defend itself to the world community for setting up barriers to prevent suicide bombers from killing its civilians. ‘The barrier makes traveling inconvenient’- cry the critics. So Israel builds a separate road - of course separate [to avoid the flying bullets] - making traveling more convenient for those that send the suicide bombers. The result: Israel is framed as segregationist! ["A Segregated Road in an Already Divided Land Aug. 11, 2007]
Michael Berenhaus
From: Dr. Michael Berenhaus [mailto:mberenhaus@comcast.net]
Sent: Monday, August 13, 2007 8:20 AM
To: letters@nytimes.comSubject: letter to the editor
Dear Editor,
Israel is the only country that has to defend itself to the world community for setting up barriers to prevent suicide bombers from killing its civilians. ‘The barrier makes traveling inconvenient’- cry the critics. So Israel builds a separate road - of course separate [to avoid the flying bullets] - making traveling more convenient for those that send the suicide bombers. The result: Israel is framed as segregationist! ["A Segregated Road in an Already Divided Land Aug. 11, 2007]
Michael Berenhaus
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Friends,
After my last letter and a phone call, The Washington Post made a correction to their backgrounder on Israel – located on their website [see below]. The accuracy of this site is critical since it is a source for students, congressmen, and others of influence. The correction, though insufficient, gets rid of the horrid opening sentence - that “Israel has been at war with Palestinians displaced by the creation of the Jewish state.” The replacement, in the second sentence also misses, but that will be addressed in a follow-up email.
It’s hard to get through a sentence in The Washington Post’s primer without seeing bias. Israel surely was not “one of the world’s most effective and well-armed militaries” in 1948 as the article states. According to Larry Collins and Dominque Lapierre, O Jerusalem!, (NY: Simon and Schuster, 1972), p.352 :
When Israel declared its independence on May 1948, the army did not have a single cannon or tank. It’s air force consisted of nine obsolete planes. Although the Haganah had 60,000 trained fighters, only 18,900 were fully mobilized, armed and prepared for war.
Hardly the hallmark of the “most effective and well-armed militaries.”
To be continued…
Michael
Corrected version:
BACKGROUND
Israel and the Mideast Conflict
By Jefferson Morley
washingtonpost.com Staff WriterMonday, July 17, 2006; 6:49 PM
Israel's conflict with the Palestinians dates back more than half a century. Thousands of Palestinians were displaced by the 1948 conflict sparked by the creation of the Jewish state. With one of the world's most effective and well-armed militaries, the Jewish state defeated Arab armies in 1948, 1967 and 1973. Israel also put down two Palestinian uprisings while continuing to settle territories once claimed by Arabs and to pursue peace negotiations with Palestinian leaders.
For the rest of the article, see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/17/AR2006071701076.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original version:
BACKGROUND
Israel and the Mideast Conflict
By Jefferson Morleywashingtonpost.com Staff WriterMonday, July 17, 2006; 6:49 PM
Israel has been at war with Palestinians displaced by the creation of the Jewish state in 1948 for more than a half century. With one of the world's most effective and well-armed militaries, the Jewish state defeated Arab armies in 1948 and 1967. Israel also put down two Palestinian uprisings while continuing to settle territories once claimed by Arabs and to pursue peace negotiations with Palestinian leaders.
[the rest of the article is the same, see link above]
[though the date is from last year, it is continually posted and new information is added on]
After my last letter and a phone call, The Washington Post made a correction to their backgrounder on Israel – located on their website [see below]. The accuracy of this site is critical since it is a source for students, congressmen, and others of influence. The correction, though insufficient, gets rid of the horrid opening sentence - that “Israel has been at war with Palestinians displaced by the creation of the Jewish state.” The replacement, in the second sentence also misses, but that will be addressed in a follow-up email.
It’s hard to get through a sentence in The Washington Post’s primer without seeing bias. Israel surely was not “one of the world’s most effective and well-armed militaries” in 1948 as the article states. According to Larry Collins and Dominque Lapierre, O Jerusalem!, (NY: Simon and Schuster, 1972), p.352 :
When Israel declared its independence on May 1948, the army did not have a single cannon or tank. It’s air force consisted of nine obsolete planes. Although the Haganah had 60,000 trained fighters, only 18,900 were fully mobilized, armed and prepared for war.
Hardly the hallmark of the “most effective and well-armed militaries.”
To be continued…
Michael
Corrected version:
BACKGROUND
Israel and the Mideast Conflict
By Jefferson Morley
washingtonpost.com Staff WriterMonday, July 17, 2006; 6:49 PM
Israel's conflict with the Palestinians dates back more than half a century. Thousands of Palestinians were displaced by the 1948 conflict sparked by the creation of the Jewish state. With one of the world's most effective and well-armed militaries, the Jewish state defeated Arab armies in 1948, 1967 and 1973. Israel also put down two Palestinian uprisings while continuing to settle territories once claimed by Arabs and to pursue peace negotiations with Palestinian leaders.
For the rest of the article, see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/17/AR2006071701076.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original version:
BACKGROUND
Israel and the Mideast Conflict
By Jefferson Morleywashingtonpost.com Staff WriterMonday, July 17, 2006; 6:49 PM
Israel has been at war with Palestinians displaced by the creation of the Jewish state in 1948 for more than a half century. With one of the world's most effective and well-armed militaries, the Jewish state defeated Arab armies in 1948 and 1967. Israel also put down two Palestinian uprisings while continuing to settle territories once claimed by Arabs and to pursue peace negotiations with Palestinian leaders.
[the rest of the article is the same, see link above]
[though the date is from last year, it is continually posted and new information is added on]
Letter to Washington Post Jerusalem Bureau Chief followed by his response. In the letter, I referenced Shimon Peres’ debate with the moderator and the entire audience in Doha, Qatar. The link is at the end of my email to Scott Wilson– it is a must see for those interested in seeing, first hand, the art of debate when in hostile environs.
Michael
From: Dr. Michael Berenhaus [mailto:mberenhaus@comcast.net]
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 10:22 PM
To: 'Scott Wilson'Subject: your recent article
Hi Scott,
No real surprises from your piece “Touring Israel’s Barrier With Its Main Designer” [August 7, 2007]. You obviously put a lot of work into it. I appreciate your inclusion that the barrier is 95% fence, 5% wall – I would be interested in your thoughts on why almost every photograph of the barrier in The Washington Post shows it as a wall (including this piece).
One thought on your usage that the barrier “divides Arab from Jew”. Almost 20% of Israel is Arab. So it also divides Israeli Arabs from Arabs living in the West Bank – dividing Arabs from Arabs. Shimon Peres stated in a recent debate in Doha, Qatar*, that the barrier has been put in place where the suicide bombings are coming from.
Looking forward to your next article,
Michael
*http://clients.mediaondemand.net/thedohadebates/index.aspx?sessionid=19&bandwidth=hi
From: Scott Wilson
Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2007 1:06 PM
To: Dr. Michael BerenhausSubject:
Re: your recent article
Hi Michael:
Thanks much for the note, and you raise a very good point about the pictures (which I don't see until after they run and even then just a glance when my clips come in my monthly packets from the paper.) I'll pass your valid concern along.
Best regards,
Scott
Michael
From: Dr. Michael Berenhaus [mailto:mberenhaus@comcast.net]
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 10:22 PM
To: 'Scott Wilson'Subject: your recent article
Hi Scott,
No real surprises from your piece “Touring Israel’s Barrier With Its Main Designer” [August 7, 2007]. You obviously put a lot of work into it. I appreciate your inclusion that the barrier is 95% fence, 5% wall – I would be interested in your thoughts on why almost every photograph of the barrier in The Washington Post shows it as a wall (including this piece).
One thought on your usage that the barrier “divides Arab from Jew”. Almost 20% of Israel is Arab. So it also divides Israeli Arabs from Arabs living in the West Bank – dividing Arabs from Arabs. Shimon Peres stated in a recent debate in Doha, Qatar*, that the barrier has been put in place where the suicide bombings are coming from.
Looking forward to your next article,
Michael
*http://clients.mediaondemand.net/thedohadebates/index.aspx?sessionid=19&bandwidth=hi
From: Scott Wilson
Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2007 1:06 PM
To: Dr. Michael BerenhausSubject:
Re: your recent article
Hi Michael:
Thanks much for the note, and you raise a very good point about the pictures (which I don't see until after they run and even then just a glance when my clips come in my monthly packets from the paper.) I'll pass your valid concern along.
Best regards,
Scott
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Letter to The Washington Post
From: Dr. Michael Berenhaus [mailto:mberenhaus@comcast.net]
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 8:52 AMTo: 'letters@washpost.com'
Subject: letter to the editor
Dear Editor,
Farrah Hassen [letters, Aug. 1, 2007] refers to a “dispute over the Golan Heights.” In 1967, after years of shelling Israeli farms and villages, Syria lost the Golan Heights in a war that they started. Where's the "dispute"?
Syria and other Arab countries fight limited liability wars: they start a war, lose, and then cry foul play when they don’t get back what they lost in the war that they precipitated. Sheer nonsense.
Michael Berenhaus
From: Dr. Michael Berenhaus [mailto:mberenhaus@comcast.net]
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 8:52 AMTo: 'letters@washpost.com'
Subject: letter to the editor
Dear Editor,
Farrah Hassen [letters, Aug. 1, 2007] refers to a “dispute over the Golan Heights.” In 1967, after years of shelling Israeli farms and villages, Syria lost the Golan Heights in a war that they started. Where's the "dispute"?
Syria and other Arab countries fight limited liability wars: they start a war, lose, and then cry foul play when they don’t get back what they lost in the war that they precipitated. Sheer nonsense.
Michael Berenhaus
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