LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

What is going on with Israel?

Posted

To the editor:

(re: “It’s happened before, it can very well happen again,” Aug. 29)

Here are some facts on the Israeli-Palestinian conflicted reported last year, but not in the mainstream media.

In the March 20, 2018 CounterPunch, Jonathan Cook reported on Israel’s plans to annex the West Bank. He quotes their foreign minister, Naftali Bennett, on the issue of a Palestinian state. Bennett said, “We are done with that. They have a Palestinian state in Gaza.”

On June 4, 2018, “Democracy Now” reported that Israeli soldiers shot dead 21-year-old Palestinian medic Razan al-Najjar as she ran to provide aid to a wounded protester.

On May 15, 2018, Informed Comment reporter Juan Cole wrote of the 55 peacefully protesting Palestinians killed by Israeli snipers.

Going back to Aug. 28, 2017, is a rare case of Israeli wrongdoing covered by a mainstream media outlet, CNN. As reported by Abeer Salman, a Palestinian school — paid for by the European Union — was demolished in Jub El-Thib. The reason? According to Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, it was built “without receiving the required permits.”

A lack of required permits is the excuse for the proposed demolition of the Khan al-Ahmar Palestinian village, which would make way for the expansion of the Jewish Kfar Adumin settlement. This was reported by Jacob Magid of the Times of Israel on Feb. 13.

These are just some of the examples of Israeli killings of Palestinians and seizure of their land. So for Charles Moerdler to equate all critics of Israel with Nazis is a smear.

Then there’s U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler who condemned U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib for sharing a cartoon with a “vile underlying message.” The cartoon showed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu holding his hand over Tlaib’s mouth, and President Donald Trump doing the same to U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar.

This is in reference to Netanyahu’s stance that Tlaib and Omar could only visit Palestinian territory if they agreed to make no political statements. So the cartoon is clearly anti-censorship. But because the censor is Israel, that’s supposed to make it anti-Jewish bigotry?

While we’re on the subject of censorship, that brings me to Adam Stoler and his recent letter (re: “Writers are just wearing me out,” Aug. 15). Whether or not you agree with me, it’s obvious that I put effort into researching and thinking out my letters.

This is evidently too much effort for Stoler. He simply wants those who disagree with him to be declared haters and banned. I do not often agree with Alvin Gordon. But when I respond to him, I use these things known as facts and logic.

Stoler does not make the effort to do so. But somehow his lazy responses wear him out.

Richard Warren

 

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Richard Warren,

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