UPDATE: Before you read this post, please relaize that I made a mistake in connecting a Palestinian-American woman with a German-Palestinian of the same name. I regret being so cynical and am posting the letter to the editor author's comment here in the main post. I am keeping the post below as an example of how one can make such a mistake without doing further research.


That person in the picture above is not me. It is actually a person with the same first and last name. She is German-Palestinian, 2 years older than me, and lives in the West Bank. I on the other hand, am Palestinian-American (if you'd like to check my passport), 2 years younger than the person in the picture, and lived in Gaza. I never chained myself to anything, nor did I spend any time in any jail. There is a difference. Check your facts.

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Even though I have gotten a letter or two published in the NY Times, I wonder whether or not they check to see whether the letters they print are from people who are somewhat more active in the issue than your every-day reader.

For example, this letter comes from a Yasmin S. Khayal

To the Editor:

I am confused by David Brooks's ending his May 22 column with a "giddy" declaration that Israel's unilateral actions will "lead to less death."

Less death for whom? Certainly not the Palestinians, who have incurred debilitating losses in the last two weeks.

As an American witnessing the destruction in Rafah, I think it's extremely disturbing how out of touch we Americans are. Spend one night in Gaza, and see a house demolition or have your heart stop, as mine did, because of an attack that hit too close to home.

Unilateral actions that give security to one side and allow it to fill its nightclubs are not a solution, certainly not when you see Palestinian children go to school red-eyed and trembling because they fear that the next house to be hit will be theirs, with them still inside.

There is absolutely nothing to be giddy about.

YASMIN S. KHAYAL
Gaza City, May 22, 2004

Nothing wrong with the sentiment expressed, but most readers probably don't go and do this:



Above: Yasmin Khayal stands chained to olive trees in the path
of an Israeli military bulldozer at work expanding the Israeli settlement
of Yakir in violation of international law and cease-fire agreements.
Yasmin was part of a protest to stop the destruction of the orchard
belonging to the Palestinian village of Dir Istya in the occupied West
Bank. For her action, Yasmin spent time in Israeli women's prison.

In the text of the article she is described as both a "German-Palestinian" and "Palestinian". In her Letter to the Editor she calls herself "American". Hmmm.

And one more thing about unilateral actions causing "more death". According to B'Tselem, a well-known Israeli human rights organization the toll of deaths on both sides has gone down significantly in the last few years since Israel has "gotten tough" and moved unilaterally.

In 2002, 583 Palestinians died at the hands of Israeli soldiers between January and April. In 2003 the number was 256 and in 2004 it was 205. (Note: I don't believe this separates civilians from "militants"). Similarly, in those months during 2002, 88 Israelis were killed. In 2003 the number was down to 31 and in 2004, 29. In addition, although the numbers are small, in the last 12 months no Palestinians were killed by Israeli civilians. This is the first time there has been such a long period between these killings since at least 1999-2000 if not longer.

Separation works for both sides.