To the editor: Talking as one who has visited Israel and the Palestinian territories thrice, I skilled first-hand the identical undemocratic legal guidelines and laws as creator Ta-Nehisi Coates. (“Here’s what Ta-Nehisi Coates got right about Israel and Palestinians,” Opinion, Oct. 15)
These variations in the best way Israelis and Palestinians are handled have been the topic of quite a few stories by human rights teams and the United Nations. However when a much-decorated African American author brings up these sadly apparent examples of segregation, he’s vilified by conservative fellow journalists, together with columnist Jonah Goldberg.
Sure, there are terrorists among the many hundreds of thousands of Palestinians residing between “the river and the ocean.” But collective punishment in opposition to all non-Israelis, it appears to me, flies within the face of any notion of democratic statesmanship.
Eileen White Learn, Santa Barbara
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To the editor: Seeing simply the headline, I used to be at first nervous to learn Goldberg’s glorious piece. Having learn the column, I need to thank Goldberg for exposing the lazy reporting of Coates’ purposefully biased journey to Israel.
I listened to a New York Occasions interview with him and discovered quite a bit about his place. He must take one other journey to Israel and get some additional schooling on the historical past of the battle, which is certainly very sophisticated.
Paul Zimmelman, Marina del Rey
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To the editor: Goldberg means that Coates spend 5 minutes on Wikipedia to search out the Houtis’ slogan on Israel. That slogan is certainly racist, pernicious and damaging, and acts of terror just like the Oct. 7 assault not solely push any desires of peace additional away, but additionally unleash extra acts of even larger terror in response.
However Goldberg himself would possibly spend a while on Wikipedia studying about Israel’s unlawful settlements, its apartheid insurance policies and the racist, inhumane actuality these insurance policies create as Israel takes increasingly more land and pushes increasingly more Palestinians out.
The heinous assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, does want mentioning — however the causes of such heinous acts, born within the barbarous actuality of Palestine, want point out too.
Robert Ferguson, Atascadero, Calif.
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To the editor: Did the headline author for Goldberg’s column learn the article?
I used to be to search out out what Coates “bought proper” in Goldberg’s opinion. I used to be comfortable to search out out that it seems he bought nothing proper. So, why the disconnect between column and headline?
Roselee Packham, Santa Monica
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To the editor: Goldberg, with whom I typically agree, fails to acknowledge the best way Israel’s horrific therapy of Palestinians since 1948 has contributed to terrorist recruitment.
His declare that the Palestinians “most likely would have had a viable state way back” had they eschewed violence ignores the Israeli violence, the settlements and the specific aim and actions of a good portion of Israeli society to expel the Palestinians from Palestine.
Goldberg’s assertion that Israel should defend itself or die is true, and I totally help its proper to take action. However he fails to confess that Israel has choices for how one can defend itself.
For instance, as a substitute of leveling Gaza, it may have strengthened its border such that Hamas couldn’t cross it once more. That may have come at appreciable value, however there isn’t a thriller about how one can do it, and 1000’s of youngsters would nonetheless be alive had they completed so.
As a substitute, Israel once more select an escalation of violence that can create extra hatred and extra terrorists.
Michael Snare, San Diego
