To the editor: Talking as one who has visited Israel and the Palestinian territories 3 times, I skilled first-hand the identical undemocratic legal guidelines and rules as writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. (“Right here’s what Ta-Nehisi Coates obtained proper about Israel and Palestinians,” Opinion, Oct. 15)
These variations in the way in which Israelis and Palestinians are handled have been the topic of quite a few experiences 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 tens of millions of Palestinians residing between “the river and the ocean.” But collective punishment towards 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 wonderful 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 Instances interview with him and discovered loads about his place. He must take one other journey to Israel and get some additional training 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 seek 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 goals of peace additional away, but in addition unleash extra acts of even better terror in response.
However Goldberg himself may 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 land and pushes increasingly 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 seek out out what Coates “obtained proper” in Goldberg’s opinion. I used to be blissful to seek out out that it seems he obtained 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 usually agree, fails to acknowledge the way in which Israel’s horrific remedy 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 express 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 assist its proper to take action. However he fails to confess that Israel has choices for methods to defend itself.
For instance, as an alternative of leveling Gaza, it may have strengthened its border such that Hamas couldn’t cross it once more. That might have come at appreciable price, however there is no such thing as a thriller about methods to do it, and hundreds of kids would nonetheless be alive had they finished so.
As an alternative, Israel once more select an escalation of violence that may create extra hatred and extra terrorists.
Michael Snare, San Diego
