Dear Editor: 
 
When it comes to violence between Israelis and Palestinians most Americans would agree that the Palestinians are the ones to be blamed when, in fact, the opposite is true.

Hardly a day goes by without Israelis raiding Palestinian villages resulting in the killing and wounding of innocent Palestinian men, women, and especially children.  For every Israeli casualty, there are more than 100 Palestinians killed or injured. 

In addition, Amnesty International reports that since 1967 the Israelis have demolished more than twelve thousand Palestinian homes. Not one Israeli home has ever been demolished during this same period. These are crimes resulting in Israel’s illegal occupation. Yet seldom, if ever, do they get reported. In comparison, Israeli casualties make headline news.
 
American’s perception that the Palestinians are the ones at fault can be answered by what we see and read. Israel’s most crucial allies include the mass media of the United States. 

Together with top officials in Washington, news outlets keep reinforcing the assumption that the Israeli government can do little wrong.  There will never be peace in the Middle East until this misconception is brought to light and Israel ends its brutal occupation.
 
James J. David
Marietta, GA, USA

-James David is a retired brigadier general of the National Guard of Georgia and a graduate of the National Defense University, Washington, D.C.  He served 3 years army active duty in the Middle East.