Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 9:08 AM
To: ombudsman@washpost.com; letters@washpost.com
Subject: Breach in Gaza - January 24, 2008

Dear Washington Post staff,

The editorial “Breach in Gaza” was excellent. The refreshing editorial included a point that “Hamas took advantage of the blockade first by arranging for sympathetic Arab Media to document the ‘humanitarian crisis’…” has had little to no coverage in the media. But why single out the “Arab media” for being duped into being sympathetic toward this so-called humanitarian crisis. Why not examine the home of this very editorial – The Washington Post itself? Most memorable was Scott Wilson’s front page article on Dec. 15, 2007 “Sealed Off by Israel, Gaza Reduced to Beggary”. In this supposedly front-page worthy article, Wilson blames Israel for the lack of hearing aids for the children of Gaza –its always the children mind you – by writing prose that include “The few [hearing-aids] that are left are losing power, turning voices into echoes in the ears of Hala Abu Saif’s 20 first-grade students.” Why doesn’t Wilson probe to find out why the Palestinians can sneak katyusha rockets through their tunnels, but not hearing-aid batteries “the size of a button?” The Post is known for their investigative nature. Why none here? It seems that the writers are looking for a Pulitzer rather than the truth. Buried at the end of the story, Wilson reports that the Israeli liaison to the Red Cross would “make sure hearing-aid batteries would be allowed through the crossings” – hardly an act of malicious behavior.

Does The Washington Post editorial staff read its own paper?