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"A huge lie repeated often enough is accepted as truth." — Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Propaganda Minister
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"Unanswered media bias and misinformation repeated often enough is accepted as truth." — PRIMER
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Letters Submitted to The Courant
Note: The Hartford Courant refused to publish either letter unless rewritten to claim there were differences of opinion rather than factual errors.
At the invitation of Peter Pach, I am submitting the following letter for publication in The Hartford Courant. Given the time that has passed determining The Courant will not issue any corrections for any of the blatant factual errors in Bessy Reyna's March 21 column, it is important that publication of this letter not be delayed further.
Dear Editor:
It's disturbing that the Hartford Courant on March 21 not only published yet another error-filled commentary by Bessy Reyna but has refused to issue corrections for any of those errors, even though such corrections are called for by both the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Statement of Principles of the American Society of Newspaper Editors.
It's further disturbing that the Courant refused to allow sufficient space for a letter to adequately explain the errors, restricting such a letter to its standard 200 word limit, woefully insufficient for even a concise listing of all the errors.
Consider one, typically error-filled phrase in Reyna's commentary: "… the announcement of Israel's plan to build a new settlement of 1,600 housing units in occupied East Jerusalem."
There is no place named "East Jerusalem" and the constructions will be in northern, not even eastern, Jerusalem.
It won't be a new "settlement." Israel hasn't even built any new "settlements" since the start of the Oslo Process in 1993.
A more substantial explanation of this phrase and myriad other errors, of fact and omission, misrepresentations and distortions is unfortunately not available through The Courant but may be found at .
Sincerely,
Alan Stein
President, PRIMER-Connecticut
The following is an alternate if you don't want to publish the greatly preferred letter above.
Dear Editor:
The commentary by Bessy Reyna published by The Hartford Courant on March 21 contained numerous factual errors, errors of omission, distortions and misrepresentations.
Because of The Courant's strict 200 word limit on letters, I only have space to incompletely analyze one phrase, but a more substantial analysis my be viewed on the PRIMER website at .
Reyna misleadingly refers to: " … the announcement of Israel's plan to build a new settlement of 1,600 housing units in occupied East Jerusalem."
For one thing, there is no place named "East Jerusalem." The construction won't even be in eastern Jerusalem. It will be in northern Jerusalem, in an area that might reasonably be called northwestern Jerusalem, being directly north of the heart of the area meant when people refer to west Jerusalem.
It's also false to refer to the plans as being for a new "settlement." The plans are simply for additional apartments in the long established neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo, which already contains about 20,000 residents. Indeed, Israel hasn't built any new "settlements" since the start of the failed Oslo Process, way back in 1993.
It's unfortunate The Courant published such a misleading commentary, filled with so many errors, distortions and misrepresentations.
Sincerely,
Alan Stein
President, PRIMER-Connecticut
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For more information about PRIMER-Connecticut, send email to
info@primerct.org
PRIMER-Connecticut • P.O. Box 7194, Bloomfield, CT 06002
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Friday, May 24, 2013.
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Last modified
Tuesday, February 21, 2012.
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