A Times-reader writes:
I was really struck by the number of times Ethan Bronner
used the word collaborator in this piece about a musical production in Israel between a Palestinian and an Israeli. Four times. The Arabic word is a strong
epithet. I don't think Bronner meant to use it in such a way. But does
the use of the word indicate that he's unaware of how Palestinians
employ the term or has he picked up the term and inadvertently applied
it here? Hard to gauge. Others might have thought this one through a
bit more than I have.
used the word collaborator in this piece about a musical production in Israel between a Palestinian and an Israeli. Four times. The Arabic word is a strong
epithet. I don't think Bronner meant to use it in such a way. But does
the use of the word indicate that he's unaware of how Palestinians
employ the term or has he picked up the term and inadvertently applied
it here? Hard to gauge. Others might have thought this one through a
bit more than I have.
Also striking is if you add up his figures there are as many
Palestinians as Jews between the river and sea…and probably more.
But roughly 5.5 million and 5.5 million. All right, I've just gone
back and he hedged and said more than 7 million Israelis which wouldn't
make it precisely 5.5 million and 5.5 million.
Palestinians as Jews between the river and sea…and probably more.
But roughly 5.5 million and 5.5 million. All right, I've just gone
back and he hedged and said more than 7 million Israelis which wouldn't
make it precisely 5.5 million and 5.5 million.
Note that John Mearsheimer has also raised this point: he believes there are more Palestinians in historical Palestine than Israelis, due to the fact that 750,000 Israelis are living overseas. His estimate: about 5.2 million Palestinians, and 4.75 million Israelis. Again this raises the new central issue here: will there be democratic representation for a minority that may not even be a minority?
