NYT BOOK REVIEW REVEALS BIAS

A Review that Speaks Volumes - Barry Rubin
New York Times Jerusalem correspondent Steven Erlanger has revealed both his profound personal bias and basic acceptance of Hamas' political claims in a review of Hamas. Politics, Charity and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad by Matthew Levitt, currently Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. He says that Hamas is popular because of the existence of Jewish settlements, the separation barrier, and restrictions on Palestinian movement. Yet Hamas itself and its main supporters do not hold their views because of anger at Israel's presence in the West Bank and Gaza - now greatly diminished, though Erlanger appears unaware of this - but due to a desire to wipe Israel off the map.

Erlanger complains that the author employs material from the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center of the Center for Special Studies - "considered friendly to Israel." Thus, he concludes, "There will be readers of this book who will see it as fronting for the Israeli intelligence establishment and its views." Of course, Erlanger is signaling people that they should reach this conclusion - which is inappropriate because the research center in question is almost exclusively merely translating Palestinian documents and texts. (Jerusalem Post)