Opinion Editorials, September 2010

Obama Sees Opportunity In Mideast Talks:

A Response to NPR

By Timothy Stinson

Dear Editor
 
Your coverage of the four Israelis who were killed in the occupied West Bank once again raises questions not only of American media’s objectivity in the coverage of this conflict, but in a broader sense America’s credibility in the region.
 
The loss of innocent life on both sides has been tragic and reprehensible however, the term “Terrorist Attack” is never used by our (U.S) media when Palestinians and those of other nationalities including several cases Americans, die at the hands of Israelis.
 
In the West Bank while fruit trees and other crops are destroyed, Palestinian homes are torn down to make way for expanding Israeli settlements (often with Palestinian families still in them) and Palestinians endure physical both verbal and physical harassment by both settlers and Israeli forces alike; our media is no where to be found and American political leaders either remain silent or openly endorse Israel’s actions.
 
What raises the most serious doubts of America’s ability to serve as true broker of peace, even more than its coverage of this conflict are its actions in the region; more specifically those of President Obama whose performance in this conflict and others that involve Israel, has been nothing short of pathetic!
 
While he voiced condemnation of the attacks on these Israeli citizens, President Obama has chosen to remain silent on the deaths of international peace activists (including several Americans) who’ve been killed by Israeli forces.
 
In addition, he has taken no substantive action to halt the theft of Palestinian land by Israeli settlers, nor has he taken any steps to cut the funding of these settlements, some of which flows from the United States.
 
The event which best demonstrates U.S hypocrisy with regard to this conflict is the Israeli attack on the Turkish aid ship Mavi Marmara that occurred earlier this spring.
 
After the killing of several peace activists aboard this ship by Israeli forces, President Obama not only urged the international community to “act with restraint”, he also worked to water down the international statement of condemnation in order to run interference for Israel.
 
Shamefully, it appears that the U.S news media (including NPR) and political leadership not only continue to rely on a misinformed population in order to maintain public support of Israel’s war crimes but have also determined that Israeli lives carry a greater value than Arabs or Persians.
 
Sincerely,
 
Timothy Stinson
Boca Raton, Florida
 
 
Obama Sees Opportunity In Mideast Talks
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129580308
 

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