Portrayals of Israel historically wrong

Published 2:26 pm Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Some truth regarding the Middle East is appropriate here.

Recently The Herald printed two misleading columns on the Middle East. 1) Charles Krauthammer’s “Israel’s war mission must be the removal of Hamas” and 2) Julie Muhlstein’s “Former Everett student reflects on fighting in Gaza.” This conflict has continued for 50 years because U.S. newspapers mislead. No exception here.

Muhlstein’s comment, “When Hamas rocket attacks sparked full blown combat between Israel and Islamic militants,” suggests that poor little innocent Israel was doing nothing and all of a sudden those mean “militants” started firing rockets at them. This doesn’t accurately summarize. Recently Israel cut off power to the region and all access by humanitarian organizations and reporters. So the residents have no food, water and powerless sewer systems will not work. The only recourse that the residents have is to fire rockets, in protest.

By helping create Israel we, the U.S., created a racist nation that used any ruse it could to run Palestinians out of their own homes there and into refugee camps. These camps have been continually squeezed until there is nothing left. Their farmland has been stolen and fruit trees cut down. Wrong for everybody.

Krauthammer’s column gives advice to Israel about end games and such, but nowhere is there advice to America of any integrity. In these days of high employment, a $10 trillion national debt and an economy that is collapsing, we need writers who pledge allegiance to America, not Israel, and it is time we stopped giving them aid and time Americans got the truth. Krauthammer’s heart is in the wrong place and The Herald is wrong for even carrying his nonsense.

Jim Bronke