By any other name

In his Encountering Peace columns, Gershon Baskin likes to present himself as a reasonable, unbiased commentator. So in “The day after Independence Day” (April 27), he tells us that the blame for the failure to find a workable solution, despite multiple efforts by US presidents and other officials, must be attributed equally to the Israelis and Palestinians.

Fair enough, I say; that’s balanced and reasonable.

He then goes on to attribute, albeit in a very indirect way, a single negative attribute to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whom he describes as being “in the twelfth year of his four-year term.” Not another word about how the Palestinian leadership has failed its own people. But the next two paragraphs comprise a diatribe about how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has failed in multiple areas, leading, in Baskin’s words, to growing dissatisfaction in the Israeli electorate and constant attacks by Netanyahu against the basic elements of democratic government such as the press and the judiciary, the police and our “allies” in Europe.

Isn’t it strange that Baskin criticizes the prime minister for exercising the basic elements of a democratic government – Netanyahu has been chosen not once, not twice, but three times to lead his people – whereas the single oblique criticism he manages to level against Abbas is that he in fact isn’t elected, making him nothing more than a dictator?

I would like to suggest that Baskin change the name of the institute he heads (IPCRI) from Israel Palestine Creative Regional Institute to I Prefer to Create Reckless Illusions, which is much more in keeping with his actual output. HENRY KAYE Ashkelon