David,

I agree. But for me, the difference lies in Bob Simon’s questions and rebuttals. For example, in the piece about Christian Palestinians, Bob Simon provided good rebuttals to Michael Oren’s claims by asking pointed and direct questions. By contrast, in his 2009 report about the occupation, Bob Simon took Livni’s claims at face value without challenging her. I think that’s where one sees a clear improvement in Simon’s reportage.

Either way, I think both reports were good in the sense that they provided viewers with a different perspective than the perspective provided by the evening news programs.

David Samel,

I did not like the 2009 piece on the occupation; one of the key points that stuck out like a sore thumb was an interview Bob Simon conducted with Livni. In it she stated (paraphrased) that neither the settlers nor the colonies are an obstacle to peace because Israel is a democracy and if the Israeli government deems it necessary to remove them to achieve peace then the Israeli government will do so.

That, however, was hogwash for several reasons. As you know, it was under successive Labor governments that the colonial project in the occupied West Bank flourished. It was under both Labor, and Likud governments that the colonists were subsidized and granted incentives. In addition, Livni took advantage of the publicity stunt that Sharon carried out when he ‘evacuated’ the colonists from the Gaza Strip. After all, Israel did resettle those colonists in the occupied West Bank and reaped the fruits of the Gaza evacuation by settling greater numbers of colonists in the West Bank than it did in preceding years with nary a condemnation from the so-called international community.

Lastly, it was under her very own Labor government that a potential long-term peace deal with Palestinian representatives was blunted and denied. As the Palestine Papers showed, it was Livini who turned down Abbas’ concessions regarding territories in the Jerusalem area.

That is why I did not like that particular 60 Minutes report.

You guys should read the comments to the Facebook entry in Hebrew. Use Google Translate if you must, but you’ll get the gist of most of them. The comments boil down to: It’s not discrimination, it’s just common sense.

richb,

Much like the Intel i7 chip, Israel also invented the cherry tomato, the cell phone and ……stand by….OK, I’m being told Israel also invented the wheel. We’d all still be riding horses if it weren’t for Israel.

It sounds like Dershowitz was describing himself.

Kudos to Stephen Hawking. This makes me respect him even more. It’s great to see such brilliant minds give science, humanity and dignity equal consideration.

Brought to you by:

The Only Democracy in the Middle East.

Not necessarily.

The great Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish — who passed away in 2008 — was under house arrest for years.

In addition, Israeli authorities often accuse Palestinian scholars and artists of the specious charge of incitement. Under military rule, it is enough for Israel to make that charge for authorities to lock up any Palestinian they wish.

And while Palestinians seeking freedom are considered by Israel to be inciting the masses, non-Jewish Israeli citizens who dare call for equality are often victims of trumped up charges. Meanwhile, progressives outside of Israel who campaign for equality and freedom are often smeared as anti-Semites or as threats to Israel’s security.

Surely, you can see the pattern that emerges from all this.

Israel goes after ANYONE who dares criticize its policies.

So it locks up Palestinian cartoonists and bans Chomsky from entering.

RJL says:
April 12, 2013 at 2:03 pm

Alex, why was he, as opposed to any other boy, arrested? Who gave the IDF his name? If he’s not responsible, he’ll be released. The army isn’t interested in jailing endless number of teens; they question many, release most, and prosecute only the worst offenders, those who really cause bodily harm.

That’s a nice fantasy you’re trying to hock, especially since it contradicts everything reported by Israeli and international human rights organizations for the last 40 years.

You forgot the unicorns, though.

Israeli forces often arrest children because they are easy targets for coerced confessions.

As B’tselem has documented over and over again, Israeli forces would arrest children, terrorize them into false confessions and then use those confessions to go after other Palestinians, both adults and children alike.