Subject: Middle East Priorities for Jan. 21, (Nov. 21, 2008)
Date: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 7:24:55 AM
Dear Editor,
One definition of delusion is repeating an action over and over and expecting a different outcome. Brent Scrowcroft (national security advisor to Presidents Ford and Bush 1) and Zbigniew Brzezinski (national security advisor to President Carter) typify why America has been so unsuccessful in its attempts at prodding peace between the Palestinians and Israelis [MiddleEast Priorities for Jan. 21, (Nov. 21, 2008)]. The U.S. has already promoted the formula that Scowcroft and Brzezinski propose, and the Palestinians rejected even better terms without making a counter-offer, in July 2000 and January 2001. The Palestinians are not interested in a non-militarized state - in theory a great idea. In agreements in the past, they have been able to finagle the inclusion of weapons and training in the deal, so what makes this duo think they would reverse this strategy? The authors deal with Israel's security concerns by proposing to deploy a peace keeping force between Israel and the Palestinians. We see how well this has worked in Lebanon - Hezbollah is stronger than ever in the face of these international troops. The author's coup de grace for security forIsrael is to "train Palestinian troops to become effective." But Palestinian troops are Israel's biggest worry, and "effective" ones even more so. And how would these troops fit in with the goal of a non-militarized Palestinian state?
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Published in The Washington Post
Published in The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/19/AR2008111903749.html
Just the News
Thursday, November 20, 2008; Page A22
In her Nov. 15 ombudsman column, "Remedying the Bias Perception," Deborah Howell stated: "Journalism naturally draws liberals; we like to change the world."
But it is this desire to influence that many readers find objectionable and that runs counter to journalistic ethics.
To remain objective and to be viewed as such, newspapers should hire those who, whatever their political leanings, like to report the news, not slant it.
MICHAEL BERENHAUS
Potomac
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/19/AR2008111903749.html
Just the News
Thursday, November 20, 2008; Page A22
In her Nov. 15 ombudsman column, "Remedying the Bias Perception," Deborah Howell stated: "Journalism naturally draws liberals; we like to change the world."
But it is this desire to influence that many readers find objectionable and that runs counter to journalistic ethics.
To remain objective and to be viewed as such, newspapers should hire those who, whatever their political leanings, like to report the news, not slant it.
MICHAEL BERENHAUS
Potomac
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Letter to The Washington Post
Dear Editors and Staff,
The modus operandi of any group with a cause is to get attention. The Palestinians take it a step farther by routinely putting their own at risk to gain this attention. They tried sending protest boats into Gaza. When no one noticed or seemed to care, they create a crisis by launching missiles into Israel. Of course any country needs to respond to an attack, and they got their desired attention. You would think that after years of such shenanigans, the media would catch on to it, but no - apparently it makes too good copy, so they replay it over and over, especially in a slow news cycle.
In As Israel-Hamas Clashes Continue, Gazans Face Crisis (Nov. 15, 2008), there is a photo (almost 1/4 of a page) of a Palestinian child crying - as if the crying was due to Israel’s embargo (the caption even doesn't state this) - but the inference is unmistakable. What a cynical use of a child as a prop!
And why does The Post feel the need to say it was the "military wing" of Hamas that launched the Soviet-style Grad missiles? Of course it was the military wing! What does the Post think - that readers will think it was the administrative branch doing the attacks?
Deflecting blame for the attacks by saying a "wing" was the culprit is dishonest. It was Hamas that did it. They control the entire area. Their mission, their cause, is the destruction of Israel.
If the Washington Post would really like to help the Palestinian people avoid self-inflicted crises, they would refrain from giving them coverage that encourages them to manufacture crises to obtain world sympathy. Doesn’t the Post understand that it is this coverage that encourages Hamas to launch their rockets?
The modus operandi of any group with a cause is to get attention. The Palestinians take it a step farther by routinely putting their own at risk to gain this attention. They tried sending protest boats into Gaza. When no one noticed or seemed to care, they create a crisis by launching missiles into Israel. Of course any country needs to respond to an attack, and they got their desired attention. You would think that after years of such shenanigans, the media would catch on to it, but no - apparently it makes too good copy, so they replay it over and over, especially in a slow news cycle.
In As Israel-Hamas Clashes Continue, Gazans Face Crisis (Nov. 15, 2008), there is a photo (almost 1/4 of a page) of a Palestinian child crying - as if the crying was due to Israel’s embargo (the caption even doesn't state this) - but the inference is unmistakable. What a cynical use of a child as a prop!
And why does The Post feel the need to say it was the "military wing" of Hamas that launched the Soviet-style Grad missiles? Of course it was the military wing! What does the Post think - that readers will think it was the administrative branch doing the attacks?
Deflecting blame for the attacks by saying a "wing" was the culprit is dishonest. It was Hamas that did it. They control the entire area. Their mission, their cause, is the destruction of Israel.
If the Washington Post would really like to help the Palestinian people avoid self-inflicted crises, they would refrain from giving them coverage that encourages them to manufacture crises to obtain world sympathy. Doesn’t the Post understand that it is this coverage that encourages Hamas to launch their rockets?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
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