Gush Shalom was attacked in a libelous editorial Tuesday, August 6 by yournewspaper. This article was full of mistakes- starting with the fact you claimGush Shalom had not tried to disclose or share the letters and their informationwith others in Israel– when in fact copies were sent to many offices, includingyours, seeking public attention. It is a deliberate misrepresentation to thenprint that Gush Shalom ignored such channels. It was Ha’aretz that ignoredinformation freely given. A retraction is in order.
As for a vote of no confidence in Israel- show your readers both at home andabroad where there has been effective action and punishment taken in Israel forviolation of Geneva conventions and previous war crimes or collectivepunishments. The evidence is not there. Gush Shalom didn’t raise a vote of noconfidence in the Israeli judicial system, your own government has done itrepeatedly by it’s obvious disregard for International law. Frankly, there is noevidence that Israel does any more to honor life, enforce war crime laws orpunish violators than Arafat’s government.
Gush Shalom and the leftist peace activists seem to be the only ones whoactually want to see BOTH sides live up to the SAME standards of human decencyand moral behavior. All human life is sacred. Furthermore, in a truly democraticsociety, one may always speak their mind, even if they advocate violence, solong as they do not harm others. Gush Shalom advocates peace, not violence. Theso-called threat you mention is only an attempt to make those who have openlybragged about their military actions reconsider them. Reconsider them as the” black flag of illegality ” , expressed by your own countrymen, and as violatingstandards agreed to the world over. Therefore these peace activists are worthyof praise, not contempt. Any attempt to shut them down only casts more suspicionthat country without a constitution or bill of rights can call itself ademocracy.
Indeed your publication seemed to be more interested in toting ” the party line “than the truth. Journalistic standards of integrity have been violated. Aretraction is in order, along with giving Gush Shalom equal space for defense oftheir organization to set straight the record of their actions you printedincorrectly.
Deborah Mitchell
Wichita KS USA
Retired Journalist,
Reader of both Ha’aretz and Gush Shalom publications
The World is Watching…