The Chicago Tribune lately has been displaying an unusual bias against Israel through an editorial and its choice of headlines for several recently published articles.
In the Feb. 14 editorial “The bankruptcy of occupation,” the Tribune calls for dismantling the settlements in Gaza, Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) that “Jews believe God gave Israel in the Bible.” It is not really a question as to whether Jews believe or not, it is just there for everybody to see. Jews lived in these areas from time immemorial, including my mother and grandmother, who were born in Hebron, and have the right to continue living there. Whether some of the settlements in remote areas will be removed for the sake of realpolitik will be decided through negotiations.
As for the poor choice of headlines in the Tribune, it is a fact that they often are the only thing many people read. On Feb. 14, a front-page article’s headline read “Israel kills Palestinian officer” but conveniently omitted the fact that the “victim” was a chief terrorist in Yasser Arafat’s retinue.
The following day, yet again on the front page, the Tribune proclaimed “Attack fuels fever in Israel to seal off Palestinian land, 8 killed, 20 injured as bus driver rams vehicle into crowd,” as if it was just a tragic accident when in fact this was the deed of a Palestinian terrorist.
It is hoped that the Tribune will revert to its traditional balanced policy fit for a paper of such a reputation.
