There are two ways to look at what has come to be known as the Arab-Israeli conflict (but which is far more than that).

          One way is that the reason for the conflict is Israel's presence in the region and that only Israel's non presence will "restore" stability. The corollary to that view is that while Israel has a right to exist in some shape or form yet to be determined (mostly by outsiders), it must give up "occupied" territory it holds. By relinquishing this land, Israel's adversaries will be appeased and they will no longer wish the Jewish people or the Jewish state harm.

          The other way is that no matter what Israel does or doesn't do, her enemies will remain her enemies and they will not be satisfied until the sovereign nation is dissolved and every Jew, living and dead, is driven from the land. The evidence favoring the second way overwhelms the minuscule evidence favoring the first way.

          Comments last week by President Clinton protesting additional settlements on the West Bank and a letter signed by former secretaries of state James Baker, Lawrence Eagleburger, Cyrus Vance and five other high level officials (but not by Henry Kissinger, George Schultz and Alexander Haig), undercut Israel's negotiating position and encourage those who prefer terror to bargaining to unleash a new round of violence.

          Even when busses are bombed killing innocent civilians, Israel is blamed by most of the world, including the world press. Arab and Palestinian terror, while sometimes condemned in written statements, is always understood in the context of a people deprived of their "legitimate rights." When statements are made in the Arab press which incite terrorists to violence, such statements are ignored or explained away (refer to view number one above).

          How seriously should one take the other side's negotiating position when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being compared to Hitler in the Arab press? In an October 27 commentary in Al Akhbar, part of the Egyptian establishment press, Mustafa Amin said, "He (Netanyahu) wants to threaten us with war, as though Hitler has been resurrected; this man must be eliminated, because he has only read the first pages of Hitler's history and not the last page. . . ." This commentary appeared in the Egyptian opposition publication, Al-Wafd, by Mohammed Al-Haywan: "It appears Israel is more low and barbaric than Hitler and she carries out in practice all the things for which she blames Hitler. She has spread lies against Hitler and foisted them on the world, and she continues to make demands to the world because of what Hitler did, or what she claims he did. This, while a large number of historians emphasize that all accusations attributed to Hitler were fabricated and he did not spill Jewish blood as the Jews assert."

There are many more examples.

          Under the terms of the Oslo accords, the Palestinian leadership is obligated to refrain from incitement to violence against Israel. In public statements and in printed ones, various Palestinian officials have said things that no fair-minded person would see as anything but inciting. On September 24, PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat said of Palestinian security forces in Gaza, as quoted the Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv, "They will fight for Allah, and they will kill and be killed, and this is a solemn oath . . . Our blood is cheap compared with the cause which has brought us together and which at moments separated us, but shortly we will meet again in heaven . . . Palestine is our land and Jerusalem is our capital."

          These are not the pronouncements of serious negotiators who want to live in peace with the nation of Israel. They are the statements of people who will do anything to achieve their ultimate goal: the elimination of the Jewish state and the Jewish people from the land. President Clinton has been criticizing the wrong man and the former secretaries of state have been writing the wrong side.

Copyright 1997, Distributed by Los Angeles Times Syndicate.
Reprinted with permission.
Originally published December 22, 1996.

The following report was dispatched by CAMERA (The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America) to their e-mail subscribers on January 5, 1997. We are reprinting it because it is an excellent example of the bias in the media against Israel.

          The January 1st wounding of 6 Arab shoppers at the outdoor market in Hebron by Noam Friedman, a psychologically disturbed Israeli soldier, and the December 11th terrorist drive-by shooting of the Tzur family, which resulted in the deaths of a mother and her young son, were both repugnant, shocking events. However, an analysis of the New York Times's first day of coverage for both events clearly shows that the Times reported them in very different ways, with FOUR TIMES AS MUCH COVERAGE going to the Friedman shooting . . . even though no one was killed . . . even though it was the work of a lunatic acting on his own, rather than as part of a terror campaign organized by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (the PFLP claimed responsibility for the Tzur murders). This disparity in coverage, 3,361 words vs. 790 words, is all the more disturbing because the PFLP is a member organization of the PLO, Israel's peace-partner that supposedly renounced violence in favor of peaceful negotiations.

          If we compare the Times's reporting in the first day of coverage of the two events, we see other telling differences that point to a marked double standard:

          I. Headlines

          In the Tzur story, the headline reads "2 Settlers Die in Attack on West Bank Family," a rather cold way to describe the death of Ita and Efraim, a mother and son.

          In the Friedman articles, two of the headlines read, " Israeli Wounds 6 Arabs in Hebron Rampage" and " In Hebron Line of Fire: A Savage Incident Feeds Fear of Future."

          Note the mystery killer in Tzur headline vs. "Israeli " in Friedman headline . . . the passive verb " Die" vs. the active "Wounds" . . . " Attack" vs. "Savage Incident."

          II. Content of Articles

          * In the Tzur article, Greenberg mentions that "five others" were wounded, but does not explain that they were the father and young sisters of Efraim Tzur. Only 3 of 18 paragraphs discuss the victims. There are no details of the attack, no background info on the family to add a human dimension to the tragedy, no mention that the Tzur family is prominent in the Beit-El community, and no remarks about the Palestinian Authority's initial reaction (or lack thereof). Also, none of the Jewish residents of Hebron were asked about their security fears, in contrast to virtually an entire article outlining the fears of Arab residents after the marketplace shooting.

          In this article about the death of a mother and her son, Greenberg spends 6 out of 18 paragraphs on Arab complaints concerning the security arrangements for Jews in Hebron and the plan for Jewish building in a Jerusalem neighborhood. While it is appropriate to provide context for possible motives, it borders on justification for the violence when these complaints are so heavily emphasized. No such explicit concerns of the Jews are mentioned in the Friedman articles, other than to say that Friedman was trying to "block a peace [he] loathed."

          * In the Friedman articles, references are made to other Israeli perpetrators of violence (Baruch Goldstein, Yigal Amir). However, no explicit mention was made in the Tzur report to past violence against Israelis by the PFLP or other terrorists, except to say that "it was the first such attack since July." "Such attack" must refer only to drive-by shootings, because there have been numerous instances since July of violence against Jews, such as the throwing of fire-bombs and rocks, not to mention the killing of Israeli soldiers at Joseph's Tomb by PA security forces.

          The Times's statements about Freidman included, " And like Dr. Baruch Goldstein . . . he turned his hatred on Palestinians" and "[Friedman] joined the ranks of Jews who used violence to block a peace they loathed." In the Tzur article, there are no comments about the PFLP hating Jews or loathing peace.

          Schmemann distorts the Jewish attachment to Hebron with the following, "Asked why he did what he did, Friedman replied: 'Abraham bought the Cave of the Patriarchs for 400 shekels of silver. No one will return it.' That in summary is the crucial biblical account on which the Hebron Jews base their claim to the city and to the tomb of the patriarchs." This biblical account is hardly the entirety of the Jewish ties to Hebron . . . .

          Schmemann also misled readers when he wrote, "Israeli authorities ordered all Palestinians in Hebron to stay indoors . . ." What he failed to mention was that the curfew lasted only a few hours.

Please write to the New York Times to voice your concern about their double standard in reporting on violence in the Middle East.

          To share a few words about Israel is about as difficult as sharing a few words about Jesus. I think each of us has our own picture of who the Messiah is, influenced by our knowledge, experience, maturity and exposure, and as we grow in the Lord and the strength of His word, our pictures begin to resemble one another's more closely.

          But Israel, by the influence of today's media, carries a far different picture: scenes of strife, battles, and third-world images are prevalent. That is not the Israel I have seen. I have seen a land of peace. The Israel I see is one that I carry in my heart and prayers daily. It is the place where my Messiah was born. It is the place of not only His friends, but of His people — still.

This is the place
     my heart has been
     so many times before.

The mountaintop
     the wilderness
     down to the desert floor.

The paths that Abraham
     has walked
     guided by God's hand.

Where Moses died
     where David fought
     to claim this Promised
     Land.

Help these eyes
     that seek, to know
     this little piece of heaven.

To Israel
     Your chosen ones
     to whom this land is given.

          Jesus attracted a crowd. Think of all the times Jesus warned those He had healed not to tell anyone. An account in Mark tells of Jesus healing the leper and saying to him, "see that you say nothing to anyone . . . but he went out and began to proclaim it freely . . . to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city but stayed out in unpopulated areas." Mark 1:44-45

          The Holy Land attracts crowds. It is a place that many people have the same idea about visiting. As a tourist, you are not alone. You are getting on or off a bus, and trying to make it back to the bus a good bit of the time. That is the reality, not the ideal.

          The ideal way to experience the Holy Land would be to go alone, in the off season, after you have been there several times so that there are no more questions that need to be answered about historical sites, and the tour buses are non-existent. Just you and the Lord, sitting on the Mount of Beatitudes, above the Sea of Galilee enjoying a gentle breeze.

          As I was sharing with a close friend the tour part of this great experience, she said, "But you know, that is probably just what it was like for Jesus". She was right.

A garden tomb
Or calvary
     The site it matters not.

Jesus, friend
Messiah, King
     Your presence at each spot.

So many people
Come here, Lord
     The holy sites, what crowds.

And when I sit
And start to pray,
     Then someone else gets loud.

And Lord, I know
You hear each one.
     You listen and You care.

For when Your child
Bows his heart
     You'll always meet him there.

          I am as guilty as the next of searching for a " Garden of Eden" where I can practice my faith — and then become really spiritual! I believe the most important thing my trips to the Holy Land have taught me is that I carry the Holy Land with me — I see and experience it each day. I carry my Lord with me — I walk and talk with Him always. And since each place that we set our feet on the path towards our Lord is holy — so too are we part of His people, His place — the nation Israel.

We are all the Same

Abraham, what did you hear?
When He called your name that day.
Did you know for certain
Whose voice it was?
Did you ask, "What did You say?"

Isaac, why did you go?
Was your faith stronger than your fears?
As you walked along
Did you question then
Why your father's eyes filled with tears?

Jacob, why did you fight?
You'd already been through so much.
Did it bother you,
When He changed your name,
To be crippled by His touch?

Moses, what was it like?
To be called by God, friend.
Have a rock to cleft
While He passed by
To lead an Exodus of men.

David, what did you feel,
Chased into the wilderness?
Did you still sing songs
And could you dance for joy
Despite such loneliness?

I see in each hero of faith
A little part of what I can be.
A follower, friend
Leader of men,
A fighter, who loves God —
That's me.

Dear Zola,

          I got home yesterday from your December Israel tour and I want to thank you for the most educational, spiritual and fascinating trip of my life!

          In July this year my husband of 26 years died suddenly of a heart attack. He had said to me that this was the year I'd get to go to the Holy Land. My daughter said she'd go with me, so hand in hand we went asking God for healing.

          Comfort. That's the word to best describe what God did for us on this trip. We met so many fine Christians from all over the world and made lasting friendships. Zvi, our guide, was more than we could have hoped for in a guide. The accommodations were excellent, the food was good and we fell in love with the Land and the people. Thank you for the honor of going with you to Israel. God bless you, B.C.

Dear Zola,

          I have been home a week now and had time to collect my thoughts. I thought you might be interested in the thoughts of a first timer to Israel and to Zola Tours. As group tours go, I found yours to be an excellent value. All accommodations were comfortable and a pleasant surrounding at day's end. Because of my exposure to your courses and programs, I knew that my first introduction to Israel would be with you and your ministry, and I was not disappointed in that regard.

          Your tour attempted to pack in as much as possible in the time allotted and at times seemed almost to reach sensory overload; but I realize you wanted to give the most value for the time and money available, and you succeeded in this regard.

          The two sites which were the most meaningful for me as a Christian and a theology student were the Holocaust Museum and the Garden Tomb. The Communion service [at the tomb] was an especially profound way to complete the tour. The most surprising, to me, was my personal reaction to the Holocaust Museum. I had seen all of these pictures and read the accounts many times in the past, but for some reason, about mid-way in my walk through it, I felt an overpowering impulse to flee. I had to get out, and found the nearest bench and sat and wept like a child. This terrible event had never affected me in this way and, even though I had nothing to do with it, I felt a terrible sorrow which could not be contained.

          All of the people connected with the tour in Israel were extremely pleasant and helpful. Our bus guide, Zvi, was a veritable encyclopedia and a witty person who taught, entertained and shepherded us very well. He was a joy to be around. Joni was very helpful, and the entire tour seemed to run smoothly. In short, I have nothing but praise for the way all of the personnel connected with the tour handled the people and the various problems that arose.

          I know you are busy and I apologize for the length of this letter, but I know that feedback is important and I wanted you to know that I was quite pleased with my experience and will remember it for a lifetime. I have had requests from a couple churches to present a slide program, and I thank you for the opportunity to experience Israel firsthand.

Shalom, S.F.C.

          In September, I spent my special birthday celebrating the 3000th birthday of the City of the Great King — Jerusalem! I toured the Holy Land with Zola Levitt, [going] to all the main sites, plus ruins of ancient cities including Petra. It was such a thrill to climb the very steps Jesus climbed to the Temple, and see the natural amphitheater of the Sermon on the Mount. We left Jerusalem the day the fighting broke out over the opening of the ancient Hasmonean tunnel under the Western Wall. It runs toward the Via Dolorosa, away from the mosque and no danger to it. By the Sea of Galilee and elsewhere, we had to read the Jerusalem Post to learn anything about the trouble, everything else was so peaceful, clean and organized in the Jewish areas. I made friends and memories I'll recall every time I pick up the Bible for the rest of my life.

M.C.

Dear Friends,

          All I can say about the agreement on Hebron is that it will only be as good as the people on the ground. It doesn't matter how many government officials shake hands in front of cameras; what matters is that the folks involved in a peace treaty actually keep the peace. My instincts are that we haven't heard the last of confrontation in Hebron.

          It hasn't been brought out in the press, but Hebron is different from the other West Bank cities in that it contains a Jewish community. There are no Jews in Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jericho, etc., but there are 450 determined Jewish citizens who live in Hebron, and they are staying. They are called settlers by the world press, but their view is that one does not "settle" in one's own city. Hebron, after all, is the world's first Jewish city, and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are buried there, according to both Jewish and Arab tradition. It is not within the authority of any 20th-century government, whether Israeli or Arab, to contradict history or Scripture. King David ruled Israel from Hebron as his capital for seven years, and Jews have always lived there.

          The test this time will be whether the more than 120,000 Arabs who live in that sizeable city (called a "village" by CNN) can restrain themselves and live in peace with their handful of Jewish neighbors. The Israeli army will have quite a few troops around the Jewish enclave with reinforcements close at hand. But peace depends on goodwill, not machine guns. It should be mentioned that Hamas, considered by the media to be the real troublemakers on the Arab side, also has a detachment in Hebron.

          In some ways, the whole situation is a kind of rehearsal for Jerusalem, where the Jewish citizens outnumber the Arabs nearly four to one. Jerusalem has lived in peace for decades (other than for occasional acts of terrorism, but we can say that about New York and Oklahoma City as well). In my view, it has not been due so much to the presence of soldiers as to the general goodwill of citizens who have gotten used to living together despite religious and cultural differences.

          The Prime Minister has taken quite a beating over signing the Hebron agreement, but previously he was taking quite a beating for not signing it. Jerrold Kessel of CNN asked on January 16 if this agreement would give us a new Netanyahu, but I would rather have a new Jerrold Kessel. Netanyahu has not changed. He is still extremely wary of the Arabs and their terrorist leader. But he was stuck with this unfortunate " peace process" that he inherited from the previous administration. If this ongoing situation were a highway, it would have "Warning: Hazardous Conditions Ahead" signs everywhere.

          We'll be doing our part covering Israel for you. Our newest series, The Stones Cry Out, will begin immediately for most of you. It consists of twelve programs based on biblical archaeological finds that are taking place throughout Israel and Jordan. From Dan in northern Israel to the " rose-red" city of Petra in Jordan, key archaeologists discuss remarkable artifacts that illuminate God's Holy Word. Among the subjects addressed are the controversial Hasmonean tunnel along the Western Wall, Paul's possible prison site in Caesarea, and the only existing evidence of first-century crucifixions. Sites include Mount Gerizim, Tel Dan, Hatzor, Megiddo, Zippori, Qumran, Pella, Beit Shean and Petra. The Stones Cry Out presents very convincing evidence that demands thoughtful consideration by believers and unbelievers alike.

          Many of these same historical places can be seen on our tours of Israel. As you can see by the letters printed in this newsletter, a pilgrimage to the Land of our Lord is an incomparable experience for a believer. The Bible comes alive as you ascend the mountains to Jerusalem, travel through the green fields of the Galilee, climb the summit of Megiddo to view the Valley of Armageddon, and cross the silver waters of the Sea of Galilee as Jesus and His disciples did so many times.