I don’t know whether “A Mideast must-read” book review on “The Body and the Blood” is a joint job of journalistic misconduct or just plain ignorance (Religion, May 18).
The reporter, Bill Williams of the Hartford Courant, writes, that author Charles M. Sennott “is a superb reporter, interviewer and storyteller.” Williams goes on to write, “The current hatred and anger date to the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948, when Israel seized lands the United Nations set aside for a new Palestinian state. Israeli forces bombed and bulldozed entire villages, driving Palestinians into refugee camps, where they continue to live in squalor.” What twisted junk!
In 1948, when the Israeli state was founded, five Arab nations with a population of approximately 40 million attacked the new state, which had a population of 1 million or less. Israel’s air force had at that time three or four Piper Cub-type airplanes, hardly enough to support its rag tagged civilian army much less to bomb Arab civilians.
Seizing Arab lands? Yes. The United Nations established the borders of Israel, which at one point were 18 to 20 miles wide, an extremely poor defense for future Arab aggressions. As a result of winning that war, the Israelis were able to better defend themselves by stretching the length of their country in that area. Williams and Sennott would have to prove that the Israelis had bulldozers at that time or were concerned with knocking down Arab homes. Further, it should not be forgotten that the haughty Arab nations with the 40 million population thought that they could drive the Israelis into the sea in short order and therefore they invited the Palestinians into their countries for what they believed would be a very short time. David Ben Gurion, then prime minister, warned the Palestinians that if they left, they couldn’t come back.
These are a few of the errors perpetuated by Sennott and Williams. Sennott a superb reporter and interviewer? No! A storyteller? Yes!
Shame on The Herald for printing such junk.
Everett
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
