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WRONG TURN?
Re "World Bank Funds Israel-Palestine Wall" [Cover story, Sept. 13:
]: It is disappointing, indeed, that the Reporter would rely upon two very virulent anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist sources such as Left Turn and Al-Jazeerah as the basis for their condemnation of the sovereign state of Israel. The wall in question has proven to be an effective deterrent against suicide bombers and various others who engage in terrorist activities.
If these highly questionable sources would claim that the moon was made of cheese, would you print it as fact?
Alan H Langer
Lamy, NM
WALL TO WALL
Bringing censored stories into the mainstream media is a potentially noble effort. However, it is only of value when the information conveyed is based on verifiable facts, journalistic integrity and honest, fair reporting. The segment entitled "World Bank Funds Israel-Palestine Wall" fails miserably.
The allegations concerning the security barrier are all based on a report by Jamal Juma', campaign co-ordinator for the Grassroots Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, which has a clear anti-Israel advocacy agenda. The report and Juma's article contain myriad falsehoods.
Three instances of errors:
1. Juma' claims that the "Apartheid Wall" is "designed to annex nearly half of the West Bank." In fact, as has been widely reported, only between 7 and 8 percent of the West Bank lies between the Green Line and the route of the fence.
2. A glance at the map of the route refutes the claim that the fence will divide the West Bank into "two disconnected mini-Bantustans."
3. The "wall" is only 5 percent concrete; the rest is a chain-link fence. Project Censored adopts Juma's radicalism unquestioningly. Contrary to Juma's assertions, the December 2004 World Bank report called "Stagnation or Revival? Israeli Disengagement and Palestinian Economic Prospects" calls for a rollback on restrictions of Palestinian movements. It acknowledges that the various closure measures are the proximate cause of four years of Palestinian economic distress and that these restrictions were imposed by Israel in response to the Palestinian intifada.
It must be noted that the wall in question has decreased the number of Israeli (both Jewish and Palestinian) casualties caused by suicide bombers by approximately 95 percent (and this is without the wall even being completed!). It's very hard to argue with a country that puts up a fence to protect the lives of its citizens-a totally different scenario than the US walling off its border with Mexico.
Karen K Milstein, PhD
Santa Fe
TOGETHER APART
In response to
: You left out the biggest cover-up: "Liberals still don't get it!"
There's a war going on. The mainstream media has consistently refused to deal with what a war means. Instead, you focus on administrative "failures" as they attempt to protect us, while you ignore any positive results. Both you and the liberal mainstream press want to instill the false pretense that the endless, drunken American cultural party should go on as usual.
We fight an enemy who all-too-knowingly exploits our greatest vulnerability-our reluctance to reassess outmoded notions of freedom in time of war. This is where your protests-when fanatically hyperbolized-play into the hands of the enemy.
Yet you do serve the vital function of a free press, even from your far-Left position. True corruption in high office must be exposed, not falsely exaggerated, however. America is a nation of great character and resilience, respectful of its many disparate voices. We will get through this crisis by working together.
Jack Nixon
Santa Fe
GOOD FOOT
I'd like to thank SFR writer Dan Frosch for his continued interest in the struggle of Nina Hart and Matt Deason [Outtakes, Sept. 13:
]. We also have a comprehensive Web site (
) with more information and resources.
I'd also like to say that Jonanna's review of the surreal James Brown fiesta [J spot, Sept. 13:
] was the best writing I've ever seen in her space, and if she's leaving, as an ad for a new writer might suggest, may that be her swan song!
Ross Hamlin
Santa Fe
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