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Tuesday, July 8, 2008

2008 Letter in Oregonian on Pro and Con Portlanders

Today I was pleased to see that my letter to the editor was printed in the Oregonian. I was commenting on the article written by a Reed College student that was calling "discrimination" when she went to Israel to attending a college on the "West Bank". She was a Palestinian American, and had to go through a thorough check and interview before being on her way and she couldn't understand why.

The Oregonian did a good job today of printing mine along with another supportive letter for Israel and also published two very strong letters against Israel's treatement besides being highly critical of Israel.

One of the letters, written by a man , was even Jewish and said so in his letter. I found out why he was so anti-Israel. He heads or used to head a local group called "Jews for Global Justice", which seems to be a group of self-hating Jews who do not think Israel has the right to exist. He is also a co-host on an anti-Israel talk show on Fridays on a local radio station. So this man is on a platform speaking out against Israel. He even cited Norman Finkelstein's being barred from entering Israel anymore. Norman is an outspoken professor, Jewish, but against Israel and identifies with the Palestinians. He's not popular in Israel due to his anti-Israel behaviors and work. He must be on their undesirable list. He certainly is on my list.

The other letter, written by a woman, turns out to be a lady who has waved an anti-occupation sign at the door of two AIPAC dinners here in Portland. She's outwardly very hostile towards Israel.
I find it hard to understand Jews that are so against their own people that they don't seem to study the situation at all, but only react with hatred. I can understand how it can happen to other people. So many people have been prejudice against Jews for so long. This just carries over into being prejudice against Israel. But Jews? Whatever has been going on in their life that they don't live in the real world. The expression, "Get real!" is something I'd say to them.

7/9/08: Two more letters made it into the Oregonian today. One is complaining about Israel, and the other is defending Israel. See: http://www.oregonlive.com/letters/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1215559516298160.xml&coll=7&thispage=3
http://www.oregonlive.com/letters/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1215559516298160.xml&coll=7&thispage=2
To Read the original opinion article: http://www.oregonlive.com/commentary/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/121503571770900.xml&coll=7
Reference: Sunday Oregonian Opinion article by Celia Hassan

Tuesday's letters in reply to the article: http://www.oregonlive.com/letters/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/121547670923590.xml&coll=7
7/8/2008 Letters to the Editor in Oregonian

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