Michael Getler responds to reader's concerns regarding a widely criticized article, In Jenin, Seven Shattered Dreams,  written by Molly Moore about Palestinians. In the article, the lives of 7 Palestinian terrorists were profiled and were portrayed in a sympathetic light.  

Many of those who complained said they felt the story "glorified" and "created a sense of sympathy and tragedy around the clique of killers," as one put it, instead of "sympathy for those who are being attacked," as another reader added. The Post can certainly explore the lives of Palestinians, wrote another reader, "but it should not do so with an agenda to indict Israel improperly for their suffering and to make killers look like helpless pawns."
 
The ombudsman responds:
 
I did not read this story the way the complaining readers did. I viewed it as a valuable exploration of real lives and real transitions that are part of a brutal and tragic struggle. This is what reporters do. They try as best they can to get inside all sides in a conflict, including the resistance, whether in Iraq, Chechnya or the West Bank.
But it is the Palestinian—Israeli conflict that is guaranteed to draw letters, generated in part by pro—Israel U.S. organizations that analyze such articles and tell their members where and to whom to write.

NOTE: He calls  Palestinian terror a "struggle" which has also been interpreted as the translated equivalent of "jihad." So imagine he had written "I viewed it as a valuable exploration of real lives and real translations that are a part of a brutal and tragic JIHAD."
 
Then he compares this "resistance" to the situations in Iraq and Chechnya. The Israelis are defending themselves against groups which call for their destruction —— this is not comparable to the Russians who have devastated much of Chechnya with little concern for innocent civilians.
 
Then, while he indicates that the Palestinian—Israeli conflict is guaranteed to draw letters from all sides in the conflict, he singles out "pro—Israel organizations that tell their members where to write and to whom to write." So he impugns the intelligence of the caring public and forgets that there is a panoply of Arab—American and leftist groups that also have active letter writing campaigns.
 
BUT  GETLER COULD CARE LESS ABOUT SUCH DISTINCTIONS OR CONCERNS FOR HE CONCLUDES HIS ARTICLE :

Now, back to the beach and the books for a little while.

Posted by Ed   8 1 04