Followup on Kenneth Woodward's courageous column on Bethlehem
An editor at Commentary Magazine defamed Kenneth L. Woodward for describing in the Wall Street Journal the challenges Christians (and Muslims) face in Bethlehem and the sourrounding areas, which are in the Occupied West Bank. That editor claims many of the assertions of Mr. Woodward, a highly regarded journalist. I wrote about it in an entry below.
Here's a story from the Los Angeles Times that strengthen's Woodwards claims that Commentary Magazine, a partisan, non-journalistic publication, asserts with absolutely no proof except the power of intimidation.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg- hilltop27dec27,1,151007,full.story?ctrack=5&cset=true
Frankly, I think Commentary should apologize for their attacks against other journalists simply because they do not like stories that criticize Israel.
How come more journalists are not doing stories about the conflict like the LA Times story above? Read it and you know exactly what is going on in this conflict.
It's important to me because I own 8.25 acres of land in the West Bank next to Gilo, an Israeli settlement that has miraculously become a "city." The area is now included in the land "confiscated" by the building of the Wall. (It's on the Israeli side of the Wall, a 24 foot concrete barrier -- there isn't a fence within miles).
We can't even complain without being called the "A" word. When we do, we're denounced and defamed and slandered, and suddenly the journalism opportunities dry up. We're not even allowed to discuss the issues. We're just written off as bad people for criticizing a government and its wrongful policies -- a government mind you, not a people, and its wrongful policies.
It's very wrong. It's an injustice. There was a time in American journalism when writers had the courage to stand up to the most brutal political machines in this country. Now we're embedded in a laziness of acceptance, because it's easier to deal with.
Ray Hanania