Newspaper Article

READER OPINIONS

DAN CARPENTER, JANICE REMITA, PHIL SMITH, JIM ARNOLD, ED MIRON, USSAMAH SAAB, MARCIA KARON, PHIL JACOBY

2001

Overview

It is becoming harder and harder for me to be hopeful these days of ever having peace in the Middle East. As an Arab-American and as a Lebanese who survived the siege of West Beirut in 1982, and who is lately witnessing the most one-sided, Zionist-biased media reporting ever, I am having a very hard time continuing to dream that one day Arabs and Israelis will be living in peace and harmony, side by side, each with dignity and true independence. That is, until I read [Bill Maxwell]'s article. I was appalled that the Journal-Constitution published the column by Bill Maxwell, who wants the United States to reconsider its ties to Israel and cut off all U.S. funding. Is Maxwell ignorant of the fact that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, and our only reliable ally there in the war against terrorism? He accuses Israel of being responsible for the violent conditions in the region. How many Israelis have strapped bombs to their bodies and then boarded buses or entered pizzerias filled with women and children? If he were really concerned about the misuse of U.S. foreign aid in the region, he would have noted that Egypt, the second- largest recipient of such aid, uses this money to teach hatred of the United States and Israel in its schools.

• Publisher: Atlanta Journal Constitution, LLC