It was disappointing to read your article cheerleading an SU student’s role fighting for Israel in the recent war in Gaza (‘Call of Duty’, Aug. 28). At the time of writing, a ceasefire brokered by Egypt on Aug. 26 was holding, following weeks of hostilities in which over 2,100 Palestinians (including around 500 children) had been killed by Israeli forces, and 64 Israeli soldiers and 6 civilians (including one child) had been killed by Palestinian militants. Both Israel and Hamas have been accused of war crimes by the UN Human Rights Council, for which they may face investigation in the International Criminal Court.

While it is undoubtedly of interest that one of our students (Harel Rush) has played a part in this violence, it is also true that in keeping with SU’s spirit of fairness and openness, and in accordance with basic journalistic ethics, this newspaper should report more than one side of the story. For example, you quote Rush’s view that “The ground entry into Gaza was essential for the protection of Israel and its citizens,” but neglect to mention that independent observers including the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, have condemned Israeli operations as “a moral outrage and a criminal act” (in reference to Israeli shelling of a UN school in which displaced Palestinian civilians were sheltering).

In a wider context, this piece presents a one-sided view of the Israel/Palestine narrative, describing Rush’s grandfather’s role in Israel’s “War for Independence.” For Palestinians, this period is known as “al-Nakba” (The Catastrophe), during which 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes by Jewish militias. Since 1967, many of these refugees have lived under (an often brutal) Israeli military occupation in Gaza and the West Bank. In July, the American public was offered a rare glimpse of this reality when Tariq Abu Khdeir, a 15-year-old Arab boy who happens also to be a U.S. citizen, was filmed being beaten unconscious, then repeatedly stomped in the face by Israeli police during a protest in the West Bank. Most Palestinians do not have the privilege of having their stories told.

Apparently without irony, this front-page article appeared alongside ‘SU offers minor in Arabic’, in which the highlighted quote read: “People started to realize that they don’t know anything about the Middle Eastern region or its culture.” Perhaps The Daily Orange editorial team should do some brushing up of their own.

Nathan D. Merchant
Postdoctoral Researcher
Syracuse University