Cartoon caricatures are not a voice

I would like to commend Jason Kishineff for his brave and informative letter (“My take on Israel and Palestine”).

Mr. Kishineff presents a narrative of the conflict that gives voice to the unequal and voiceless millions living under Israeli occupation. The world had a powder keg there ready for ignition when Trump's sonin-law negotiated the “Abraham Accords,” solving the Middle East. Remember that great diplomatic triumph? He arranged a signed peace between Israel and four Islam-dominant countries: Morocco, Sudan, Bahrain and Emirates. None of these countries were at war with Israel. No Islamdominant country that is embroiled in hostilities with Israel signed on.

The Palestinians were never asked to the table, their statehood was never included in any talks, and I doubt that anyone thought of them ever upgrading their status in the peaceful world that lay ahead. They will have a seat at the table now, paid in blood (more Palestinian than Israeli, always), and a future with dignity and agency. Netanyahu's power grabs within Israeli politics are to enhance his power at the expense of the rule of law.

The time to strike is before Netanyahu cements himself in as Dictator of Israel. Netanyahu needed and quietly funded Hamas to run Gaza internally and to strike Israel with small attacks that kept Israelis in fear and peace talks disabled. He had no idea that Hamas could/would hit that hard.

A comment on the editorial cartoon (“Gazan Chess”) showing a caricatured Palestinian terrorist using women and children as chess pieces. He is drawn dressed in camouflage, with headband, bulbous nose, frizzy beard, angry eyes and skin that looks to be a smidge darker than his pawns. We all know who he is: The Islamic militant that has been persecuting The West all this century. Imagine the cartoon drawn with hair curls hanging by his ears, a business suit under a skullcap, light skin and greedy eyes. You can keep the bulbous nose and you have a caricatured Jew, one that Europeans a century ago and Palestinians today would instantly recognize and think nothing of it appearing in a cartoon. I look forward to a day when we have higher standards — ones that see the humanity in us all.

— Thom McCombs/American

Canyon