06/24/02

While I applaud The Plain Dealer for its continued coverage of the deteriorating events in the Mideast, I suggest that editors check their sources.

The fairly standard story of June 9 ("Attacks stifle hope of talks in Mideast") is instructive. This front-page story bemoaned the alleged "Palestinian gunmen" attacks that had resulted in three Israelis killed. I say "alleged" because the article, an AP wire story, makes this horrific claim based on seven Israeli sources, at least five of which were Israeli military sources. There were no Palestinian or independent sources mentioned.

Six months ago, I was in the West Bank, in the small Palestinian village of Marda, when suddenly and without provocation the Israeli military used more than 20 U.S.-supplied tanks and invaded Nablus, the largest city in the West Bank. Though the Israeli military blocked all the main roads in and out of Nablus, within 24 hours, I joined 50 other internationals in reaching Nablus via dirt paths. Visiting the home of the Al-Sarawi family, I learned that their father was murdered the day before by an Israeli tank that shelled his home, killing him and seriously injuring his pregnant wife. While this tragedy was well known in the Arab world, parts of Europe, Africa and Asia, I'm not aware of a single Western journalist who covered this story.

On June 3, Nablus was re-invaded by the Israeli military. In the nearby Balata Refugee Camp, every male between the ages of 15 and 50 was rounded up, detained, questioned and many have been imprisoned. Homes were demolished and several people were reported injured, according to officials at Rafidiya Hospital in Nablus. And on May 28, a dozen miles north in Jenin, the Israeli military invaded again, killed one person, wounded several others and prevented ambulances from reaching the wounded.

And this is all on top of the daily humiliation, degradation and nearly total control the Israeli military has over Palestinian life.

I've yet to read of any of this in The Plain Dealer or any other Western source. Why?

Mark Schneider

Rocky River