By David Billet, COMMENTARY MAGAZINE
On the eve of Christmas, an op-ed by Kenneth L. Woodward, the former religion editor and now contributing editor of Newsweek, appeared in the Wall Street Journal. Titled “The Plight of Bethlehem,” it enumerated a number of ways in which the Jewish state imposes hardships on Christians in the Holy Land. According to Woodward, Israel restricts their movement and their access to holy sites; squeezes them economically in cities like Bethlehem; and confiscates their land for its security fence and for Jewish settlements. Woodward closes by reminding Israel that it would be a mistake to “lose” the good will of the dwindling population of Palestinian Christians, who enjoy “remarkably good” relations with their Muslim neighbors, have long been a moderating force in the area, and in any case “deserve to keep their land and work for peace on earth, goodwill toward men.”
A rousing tale of injustice–but one constructed almost entirely out of bias, falsehood, and demagoguery. CONTINUE
