NEWS ARTICLES & OPINION PIECES
- Washington
Post: A Miraculous Victory, An Open Wound - A controversial
Israeli historian looks back at the 1948 war of independence.,
book review by Glenn Frankel (1 June 2008).
Professor Glen Frankel review of Benny Morris's latest book,
"1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War",
is valuable because it itself helps dispel numbers of Zionist
myths about the 1948 nakba, but unfortunately it also contains
numbers of contradictory statements which might still lead
to more confusion. For example, it states that the Zionist
military cleaned out hundreds of thousands of Palestinian
civilians from their homes. He also states this occurred
before the actual war even started, when there was only
internal fighting between militias, and yet he pointedly
refuses to call this ethnic cleansing. How is this not ethnic
cleansing? Maybe Dr. Frankel should have defined ethnic
cleansing because the above description fits the general
understanding of the term.
- Chicago
Tribune: Miracles in the face of great odds mark
Israel's 60 years, by Charles Krauthammer (19 May 2008).
In his latest op-ed Charles Krauthammer completely blames
the Palestinians for the conflict with Israel, while completely
ignoring their perspective and claims which are so heavily
documented by both UN official agencies and Israeli and
world scholars.
- Los
Angeles Times: Bush criticizes Arab nations for repression,
by Jeffrey Fleishman (19 May 2008).
This article subtlely criticizes the hypocrisy of President
Bush for advocating for democracy and human rights when
so many of his Arab allies do the opposite, which thus undermines
his and the US's position and standing in the region which
in turn builds up the standing of the extremist groups.
Curious - no mention of our support for Israel who violates
human rights motivating support for extremist groups.
- Boston
Globe: First blood: The initial Arab-Israeli
struggles and their troublesome legacy, by Andrew J.
Bacevich (18 May 2008).
This book review of Benny Morris's newest book, "1948" itself
describes the ethnic cleansing of the nakba as fact (although
it doesn't use that term) including "looting, rape, murder,
and other atrocities" and Zionist's expansionist plans -
thus itself is useful for overcoming Israeli mythology about
that war.
- New
York Times: The Birth of a Nation, 1948, by Ruth
Gruber (18 May 2008).
This op-ed celebrates the creation of the State of Israel
with no awareness or regard for the fact that that involved
the displacement and complete disregard for the rights of
an entire people.
- New
York Times: For Israelis, an Anniversary. For Palestinians,
a Nakba., by Elias Khoury (18 May 2008).
This very interesting essay postulates that Israel's refusal
to allow a viable Palestinian state to evolve in the West
Bank is going to lead to everyone's destruction in a state
of perpetual war it sweeps the surrounding countries toward
fundamentalist extremism.
- New
York Times: The Middle East in the Year 2068? Some
Presidential Prognostications., by Sheryl Gay Stolberg
(18 May 2008).
This article described Bush's last visit to the Middle East,
and how the Arab leaders politely criticized his speech
to the Knesset and afterward. His speech painted a vision
of peace and victory for his point of view, but did not
give any ideas how to get there. Pretty much the article
painted a picture of a President living in a bubble only
seeing what he wants to see.
- Washington
Post: Palestinian quilt presents a different viewpoint,
by Sylvia Moreno (18 May 2008).
This article explained the Palestinian perspective of the
Nakba straight-forward and without compromise or sarcastic
commentary. This article arose out of coverage of a commemoration
of the Nakba by local DC Palestine groups on the West Lawn
of the US Capitol.
- Atlanta
Journal-Constitution, 60 years on, the Arabs
still thwart peace,
Washington
Post: The Miracle, at 60,
both articles by Charles Krauthammer (16 May 2008).
Once again Charles Krauthammer completely blames the Palestinians
for the conflict with Israel, while ignoring their perspective
which is so thoroughly documented by both UN official agencies
as well as Israeli and world scholars.
- Boston
Globe: For Palestinians, bleak mood as Israel marks
anniversary, by Ashraf Khalil (16 May 2008)
Los
Angeles Times: In Israel, Bush offers birthday wishes
(16 May 2008)
San
Francisco Chronicle: Palestinians still call it 'Nakba,'
the catastrophe - They mark the day of Israeli statehood
and the pain since, by Ashraf Khalil (16 May 2008).
These three articles contrast the protests in Palestine
and Israel commemorating the Nakba to Bush joining the birthday
celebrations for the State of Israel and pledging his support
to Israel while hardly mentioning his support for the Palestinians
at all which greatly upset the Palestinians who saw it as
a missed opportunity.
- Chicago
Tribune: Mideast's present is tense, but Bush sees
future peace, by Mark Silva and Joel Greenberg (15 May
2008).
This article in the Chicago Tribune describes how in his
speech to the Knesset honoring Israel during its 60th birthday
celebrations, Bush lays blame for the faltering peace process
on Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, while ignoring Israel's own
role by not halting settlement expansion. And then he forcasted
the future where he foresaw Israel celebrating its 120th
birthday alongside a Palestinian State. At the same time
Palestinians commemorate the Nakba throughout Palestine
and Israel.
- Los
Angeles Times: Bush makes second visit to Israel
(15 May 2008).
This article claims that Bush's enthusiastic participation
in Israel's birthday festivities is mostly just symbolic
except that it does gives the impression that Bush is biased
toward the Israelis.
- Washington
Post: In Israel, Bush Speaks Of Hope - Fresh Mideast
Violence Underlines Challenges That Negotiators Face,
by Griff Witte and Michael Abramowitz (15 May 2008).
This article in the Washington Post details some of the
major obstacles stalling President Bush's peace efforts
such as Israel continuing to expand settlements and not
limiting checkpoints in the West Bank in overt violation
of agreements made at and following the Annapolis Summit,
and the continued fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
It describes these in light of Bush participation in Israel's
60th birthday celebrations and renewing his support for
Israel.
- Baltimore
Sun: The Other Side of Israel's Birth, by Alice
Rothchild (14 May 2008).
This beautifully written and felt commentary by Alice Rothchild
expresses very human compassion and seeking for justice
and understanding, and consequently advocates for acknowledgment
of the terrible events of the Nakba and then respecting
the right of return of its victims, and how this finally
might bring about a true resolution of the conflict between
the Palestinian people and the State of Israel.
- Miami
Herald: Salute to Israel on its 60th anniversary: Our Opinion:
Despite menaces on all sides, nation continues to prosper
(14 May 2008).
This Editorial in the Miami Herald repeats Israeli claims that
it wants only peace. It then names Hamas and Hezbollah as examples
of obstacles to peace.
- San
Diego Union-Tribune: Perspectives diverge on Israel's
milestone - 60th anniversary cause for celebration, continued
dissonance, by (10 May 2008).
The San Diego Union-Tribune publishes an otherwise balanced
piece by Michele Chabin describing the diverse views of
Israel's 60th birthday found amongst the areas' religions,
except for the ending in which she quotes Michael Oren saying
that the Nakba was the Palestinians fault and that the Palestinian
rejection of the UN partition plan in 1947 was self-defeating.
This quote ignores the findings of numerous researchers
including Jewish-Israeli scholars who have thoroughly documented
how a significant percentage of the Palestinian civilians
who became refugees in 1948 were driven from their homes
by Israeli soldiers, and that the reason why the Palestinian
leaders rejected the partition plan was because it gave
over half their land to a foreign people who at the time
were a minority and only owned about 6% of the land in the
area.
- National
Public Radio: Morning edition: Israel Celebrates
60 Years of Statehood,
National
Public Radio: Middle East: On Anniversary of a Nation
- Voices from Israel,
2 reports by Linda Gradstein (8 May 2008).
Both broadcasts celebrate Israel's birthday. The second
broadcast interviers about 10 Israelis, including one Palestinian
who very diplomatically criticizes life in Israel for Arabs,
but the overall feel of the program is celebrating Israel
despite its documented record of violating international
law and human rights.
- Charlotte
Observer: "Let the Refugees return" (11 April
2008)
This amazing Commentary published by the Charlotte Observer
deserves our strongest support. It disputes many important
myths of the Zionist cause, and is well written and understandable
to the average American. Emails can go to [email protected]
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NON-US NEWS MEDIA PIECES
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NEWS WIRE SERVICE ARTICLES
- New
York Times,
Washington
Post:
Israel marks 60 years as political clouds gather,
by Rebecca Harrison, Reuters (8 May 2008).
- Chicago
Tribune:
Israel celebrates 60th year, by Steven Gutkin, Associated
Press (7 May 2008).
- Atlanta
Journal-Constitution,
Boston
Globe,
Chicago
Tribune,
Los
Angeles Times,
Miami
Herald,
New
York Times,
Philadelphia
Inquirer,
San
Francisco Chronicle,
Washington
Post:
Israel celebrates its 60th with pride, but also uncertainty,
by Steven Gutkin, Associated Press (7/8 May 2008).
- Atlanta
Journal-Constitution,
Chicago
Tribune,
New
York Times,
San
Francisco Chronicle:
Israel's Arab minority ambivalent about Independence
Day, by Diaa Hadid and Ian Deitch, Associated Press
(7 May 2008)
- Washington
Post:
Israel's Arab minority ambivalent about Independence
Day, by Diaa Hadid and Ian Dietch, Associated Press
(7 May 2008).
- New
York Times:
Arabs say racism on rise as Israel turns 60, by Mohammed
Assadi, Reuters (7 May 2008).
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