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Anti-Jewish Journalism?

To the Editor:

When asked by Fathi Arafat, brother of Yasser, "Is America controlling Israel or is Israel controlling America?" Greg Barrett ("Eye of the Beholder", 3/03) had "no response" to give. Whether this is a reflection or a lack of knowledge or some journalistic technique, I cannot say. However, it is for me an example of blatant anti-Israel and not-so-subtle anti-Jewish journalism that has become part of left-wing rhetoric.

The anti-Israel aspect is explicit and includes Mr. Barrett's lead section on the killing, in a firefight, of an Arab man (likely a guerrilla soldier and possible terrorist] by Israeli soldiers. The sadness of his mother needs to be known to all of us, as should the sadness of Israeli-Jewish and Israeli-Arab mothers who only have pieces of their children, blown up on a bus on the way to school, to grieve for and bury. Mr. Barrett gives scant mention of this latter aspect of this terrible conflict. Why anti-Jewish? If "Israel controls America," who shall we assume is doing it but the infamous "Jewish lobby?" Of which I, as a vocal and voting Jewish-American citizen, am no doubt one.

The history of the Israeli-Arab conflict goes back, at least to the early 1900s and was exacerbated dramatically in 1947-48. There has been suffering, terrorism, and heroism on both sides and the losses to all have been great. Biased, one-sided journalism serves to increase the polarity and prolong the conflict. Please do better in the future.

Meyer A. Rothberg, Ph.D.
Saugerties