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--> --> Article in Tidings brought shame, embarrassment By Jody Zonenchin Ashland I read with dismay your article "Pro-Israel rally attracts thousands" (April 16, 2002) about the rally that was held in Washington D.C. on April 15, 2002. I cannot help but wonder why you chose to print such a completely negative article to cover an overwhelmingly positive event. Over 100,000 people showed up in our nation's capitol to show their support of Israel and to urge the U.S. to stand firm behind Israel's right to protect her citizens from terrorism. Americans came from across the country, spanning the gamut of religious and secular persuasions, Jews and non-Jews. Speakers ranged from New York Gov. George Pataki, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Nobel Laureate Eli Wiesel, and the parents of several terror victims to Israel's Housing Minister Natan Sharansky, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Rabbi Michael Melchior, as well as former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Janet Parshall, representative of Christian Broadcasters. Their speeches were informative and passionate, bringing truth and clarity to a reality that many are not aware of. Unfortunately, the Tidings chose to focus ONLY on the fact that a Bush administration official was "hooted down" when referring to the "suffering of Palestinians." Had I not already read other articles from several national sources, I would have been led to believe that this was the highlight of the event, and would have been left with a very distorted perspective. Reading this article brought up feelings of embarrassment and shame. As a Jew, I was always taught that we must never rejoice in our enemy's suffering. I assume that that was the sentiment shared by the majority of people present at the rally that day, and that the hecklers were a small minority, as friends who watched the broadcast of the event confirmed to me. In this most difficult time in the Middle East, feelings run very deep for everyone. Many incidents of violence and aggressions against Jews have been reported in Europe, South America, and throughout the world. My fear is that a one-sided article such as this could promote feelings of anti-Semitism in our own community. Why not present the news in a way that sheds light on a complicated situation, instead of fanning the fires of hatred? Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing