Web Letters: Steadfast Before Goliath

Thank you, Dr. Bargouti. I finally understood the difference between stubbornness and steadfastness. Your eloquent, moving words are sad and painful. Your spirit and determination are admirable. The American mainstream media is a partner in Israel's effort to dehumanize the Palestinians and in creating myths about the Middle East conflict. The good news is the emergence of alternative sources for information. The mainstream media has lost much credibility and is losing customers at a rapid pace. Keep up the fair fight and the truth will win in the end.

basel yanes

Dayton, OH

In this case it is the "steadfastness" of a people who repeatedly refuse to learn, and who repeat the same stupid failures again and again, when they could be prospering in peace.

Gaza could be as rich as Hong Kong if they turned away from violent confrontation.

John D. Froelich

Upper Darby , PA

Certainly, you are to be applauded for your nonviolent methods, but you need some media coverage for your campaign to succeed. Except for BBC America, there is very little coverage within America that is sympathetic to the Palestinian point of view. CNN International is good, but not widely available in the US. The mainstream media and cable news in America is trash. When Israel first invaded the West Bank, CNN had some sympathetic accounts of Palestinian suffering. You remember the father and son hiding behind trash cans who were shot. Israel didn't look good, and the iron curtain came down on reporting by the mainstream media and cable news. While there is no government censorship, the media is owned by big business, and reporting will be slanted away from news that affects their economic interests or Israel's supposed national interest. With friends like Israel has, she doesn't need any enemies.

Like it or not, Hamas is probably your best resistance tool at the moment. Terrorism is more theater than warfare, though large numbers of people sometimes die. The rockets and mortars kill very few people, but they do disrupt the lives of whole populations.

However, it looks like the militant right-wing parties will win the election in Israel. Gaza will probably face another bombardment and invasion. The IDF will try to break Hamas by going deeply into Gaza. They will cause casualties, and they will suffer casualties. Hamas may be seriously damaged, but there is always a new generation of replacements. God protect the civilians in Gaza, because it is certain no one else will protect them.

Pervis James Casey

Riverside, CA