I agree with Emmanuel Benhamou and Dan Reichgott that Palestinian youths are frequently indoctrinated with false stories, aimed at stirring hatred (“Stop Palestinian hate education,” Jan. 14, pg. 8). This situation must be curbed by all means possible. But even with fabricated stories of Israeli atrocities, we must realize that the bulk of Palestinian hatred comes from tangible and ever-present realities. Humiliating checkpoints that limit movement within Palestinian lands, destruction of Palestinian houses, illegal settlements, roads for Israelis only that divide the occupied territories, curfews that imprison people in their houses for weeks and hundreds of innocent deaths let’s not delude ourselves, these are the main fuel for Palestinian suicide bombers.
I would hope that after spending three weeks in Israel, Benhamou and Reichgott would have made deeper observations. If all they decided to document was the well-known instances of incitement rehashed by Israel’s media, they could at least suggest constructive ways to combat it. I wonder if they noted the striking developments on the Israeli side. The Israeli press is very reliable, and however muted, self-criticism can be found. The following is from The Washington Post on Jan. 3 [“A Brutal Routine”]:
“An 18-year-old high school student named Amran Abu Hamediye was found beaten to death in the West Bank town of Hebron on Monday; family and neighbors say he had been detained by Israeli forces a few minutes before … Israeli paramilitary forces have reportedly been operating something they call ‘the lottery,’ in which they detain Palestinians and order them to choose from pieces of paper labeled with punishments such as ‘broken leg’ and ‘smashed head.’ The practice was reported by an Israeli newspaper on Dec. 22, more than a week before Amran Abu Hamediye was beaten to death. But Israeli authorities as yet have taken no action in response to the reports.”
Despite the fact that Benhamou and Reichgott have shamelessly toed the manipulative “Pro-Israel” line where particulars are exaggerated, the [Palestinian Authority] is the scapegoat and Israel’s flaunting of international law is ignored, they have shown us something valuable. They have beautifully demonstrated the major reason peace is so hard to find in Israel and the occupied territories. Neither side is adequately addressing their own faults, while both continually attack the other side. In reality, they must stop the propaganda wars and selective ignorance that misinform their own societies. As long as both societies have such skewed views of history and the present, it is natural that they will not reach agreement.
There is an established Israeli peace camp that knows the occupation is illegal and must end. There are many Palestinian academics and intellectuals who condemn suicide attacks and violence in their fight for justice. We must help these elements grow if we really love the people of Israel and Palestine. America will unwaveringly support Israel financially and militarily, so let us not worry about winning public opinion and lose ourselves in the spin. Let’s be brave enough to tell Israel when it is self-destructive and immoral. That is ultimately the best thing for Israel.