Winter 2008

Autumn 2007 cover

Letters

I was very disturbed by your article Beyond the Wall (autumn 2007). It was extremely one-sided and biased in favor of Palestinian sympathy. It offered no historical perspective of the Israel/Palestinian crisis, no mention of failed peace attempts (Camp David, Oslo) offered by the state of Israel, no mention of incitement, no mention of the history of displaced Jews, no visuals and just a brief mention of the massive suicide attacks on Israel, no mention of Palestinian responsibility—just the role of victim.

Ali Berliner 93C

Assistant Director of Development, Anti-Defamation League

Boca Raton, Florida

In Beyond the Wall, you quote a B’Tselem official who opposed the idea of “a Jewish settlement in the heart of [the] Palestinian city” of Hebron. I wonder how easy it is to forget that a “Jewish settlement” has always existed in Hebron since Abraham the Hebrew bought the cave of Machpelah and the field adjacent to it four millennia ago. This “settlement” was brutally obliterated in 1929 by Arab rioters who massacred scores of its Jewish residents. Why couldn’t Jews be tolerated even in Hebron while Palestinian Arabs remain unfettered as Israeli citizens in Israel’s mixed cities where no one considers them to be an obstacle to peace?

Yossi Feintuch 85G

Columbia, Missouri

Congratulations on your well-balanced and in-depth articles on the Israel-Palestine situation. I was particularly struck by the cover photo. I was amazed; how could the Israel Ministry of Tourism have the chutzpah to inscribe “Peace Be With You” on this wall, which represents separation, isolation, economic deprivation, provocation, and yes—apartheid? It represents everything except peace.

Jack Turbiville 57B

Avignon, France

I recently read the [first-person essay by] 95MPH grad Amanda Niskar, and I found it extremely offensive, particularly because it was entitled “There is Hope.” Ms. Niskar relayed a story of a Palestinian teenage boy who went to a “Jewish seaside town” to get medical care and threw stones at a little Israeli girl, putting her into a coma, from which she never emerged. . . . How does this help peace? All it does is further polarize the conflict. Israel is a Jewish state in the same way that Iran is an Islamic republic—why do we celebrate the former and demonize the latter? They are both reprehensible in that they deny people rights based on their religion, ignoring our shared humanity. I should know—I am Iranian. This isn’t a Jewish/Muslim issue—this is a political issue, and until we begin to treat it as such, we will never reach peace.

Melody Moezzi 06L 06MPH

Decatur, Georgia

Spirit of Dialogue (Of Note, autumn 2007) fails to note that Dennis Ross, while a former U.S. ambassador, is now employed by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a strongly pro-Israel think tank. Necessary context for full understanding of his remarks, would you say? I ask in part because the author seems to go out of the way to describe [President Jimmy Carter’s] Palestine Peace Not Apartheid as “controversial” and “sharply criticized” when in fact it was also praised as an attempt to promote the kind of spirited and balanced discussion of the Israeli-Palestinian issue that one finds in Israel but, sadly, infrequently on the Emory campus.

Claude Sitton 47OX 49C

Oxford, Georgia

Dennis Ross has been so egregiously misleading in his criticism of President Carter that his appearance on campus was especially inappropriate. Having made that point, may I also say how much I appreciated the article you ran after the Emory delegation visited Palestine and Israel. Your report most certainly met the high standards of openness to a largely unknown perspective on the issue. And it also demonstrated Emory’s willingness to respond to the invitation from President Carter for the academic community to visit the region to understand for themselves just how much suffering the Occupation has brought to the Palestinian people. I highly commend the organizers.

James M. Wall 49C 55T

Senior Contributing Editor, Christian Century magazine

Elmhurst, Illinois

Athletic Director Tim Downes has a good resume and sounds like a smart fellow. If he is sincerely committed to “building Emory’s fan base and . . . campus spirit,” there is one vital component required. To paraphrase comedian Brother Dave Gardner, “What it is is football.” And as famous Notre Dame coach Frank Leahy offered: “A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall.” Neither gentleman will be lumped with Socrates, but both are correct. If Case Western, Carnegie Mellon, and Washington University can do it, Emory can do it. And football will do more than “get fans in the stands.” It will put money in the bank, or in Coca-Cola shares. Good luck, Mr. Downes.

Ross Palmes 70C

West Hartford, Connecticut

I read with interest your story on Grady Memorial. As someone who works in the health care industry, I know that the funding issue for hospitals who care for the indigent is a challenging issue to resolve. However, I noted with some irony that the story implies that the solution for Grady’s economic woes should be solved by the government and higher taxes. I have a hard time accepting a school with an approximately $5 billion endowment and average tuition for a freshman of $34,000 advocating that a citizen of Georgia with a per capita income of $28,000 should pay more in taxes to support Grady. My time at Goizueta taught me that true leaders bring fresh ideas to problems and think creatively. Perhaps the solution lies in not raising taxes but Emory helping the hospital in other ways.

Nick LeRoy 00MBA

Indianapolis, Indiana

Editor’s note: For all the latest information on the future of Grady Hospital, please visit www.emory.edu/grady.

For the first time in ten years, Emory Magazine is worth reading cover to cover. Congratulations on upgrading the content! As Emory’s ranking improves, so does its magazine.

Cobie Graber 97C

New Canaan, Connecticut

Correction: The autumn issue of Emory Magazine incorrectly stated that Emory’s Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL) will be renamed the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Emory. Only the CLL’s Emory Academy for Retired Professionals will be renamed, thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation; the name of the CLL remains the same.

Write to us

Has something in Emory Magazine raised your consciousness—or your hackles? Write to the editors at Emory Magazine, 1762 Clifton Road, Plaza 1000, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, or via email at paige.parvin@emory.edu. We reserve the right to edit letters for length and clarity. The views expressed by the writers do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or the administrators of Emory University.