Picture made it appear as though The Temple News is anti-Israel

Editor:

I would like to preface this letter by saying I am not a racist. I am, however, a Zionist. By definition, a Zionist would be an individual who believes the Jewish people deserve a homeland in the state of Israel. This definition does not include any mention of racism, or anything relating to the people of Palestinian or Israeli descent.

I’m sure by now you are already well aware of what my intentions for this letter are. I was appalled when a friend of mine showed me Page 3 of the Jan. 29 issue of The Temple News. On the page, there was a picture of a rally being held on Market Street, with the focal point of the picture being a sign simply stating “Zionism = Racism.” Below the photograph was a short blurb saying where the picture was from, and telling the reader to go online for more information. My curiosity was piqued by the picture, and I went to temple-news.com only to find nothing.

This whole situation greatly upsets me. First of all, the photograph was printed under “News,” not “Commentary,” implying the statement of “Zionism = Racism” is true. Also, The Temple News did not allow the other side to speak.

Finally, there was no extra information allowing The Temple News to take a neutral stance on the Israel/Palestine debate. This made it appear as though The Temple News is anti-Israel, pro-Palestine, and no longer neutral in this very heated political situation. The Temple News should recognize the large Zionist community Temple houses, and it is of my opinion that they are owed an apology.

Megan Chialastri
Liberal Arts
Class of 2011