Storer H. Rowley, the Chicago Tribune’s correspondent in Israel, left out some crucial pieces of information in his article on Louis Farrakhan’s surprise visit and abrupt departure from Israel (Main news, Dec. 16).
Mr. Rowley writes that (Israeli analysts) are “angered by Farrakhan’s remarks that many perceive as anti-Semitic,” without including the reason why Jews have this “perception.” Among other anti-Jewish statements, Farrakhan has called Judaism “a gutter religion.” Such comments about Jews and Judaism, no matter how complicated Farrakhan’s overall message, are unequivocally anti-Semitic. Yet Mr. Rowley glosses over what Farrakhan has said about Jews with the assertion that “he has moderated his message recently and said he had come on a peace mission.”
How can we know that Farrakhan has “moderated his message” if we are not told his original message or how he has moderated it? Beyond that, how are we to accept that Farrakhan encountered “hostility” from “many” Israelis, when we don’t know the number of “hostile” Israelis or what they did that constitutes hostility?
