King. Only then will the obscur-
ing pall lift from those killing
fields so the world can see with
crystal clarity who’s the victim
and who’s the perpetrator in
these crimes against humanity
and in the conflict in general.
Gregory DeSylva, Rhinebeck,
NY
Your letter, as well as the previous two
letters, are representative of the frustra-
tion many of us feel when progress
moves at a painfully slow pace. There’s
no doubt that the Israeli PR machine is
always hard at work to minimize any
public blowback to their military actions.
You are correct in pointing out that any-
thing resembling violence is used by the
media to portray Palestinians as either
the aggressor or co-aggressor. As a
growing number of Americans receive
their news from non-traditional sources,
it is, however, becoming increasingly dif-
ficult for Israel to propagate its narrative.
It’s our work to make sure that the official
Israeli narrative is never able to silence
or override Palestinian voices.THOUGHTS FROM A LOYAL
READER
Every time I receive my Washington Re-
port I try to not read it all in one sitting.
When I do read it all in one sitting, I wind
up re-reading it with the same passion as
the first time. I can’t help but wonder what
in the world is wrong that more people are
not outraged by what Israel is doing day
in and day out to the people of Palestine.
Razan al-Najjar—deliberately picked
off by snipers—was recognizable given
her white paramedic jacket, and her re-
cent interview with the New York Times.
Razan was seen as an uplifting voice
and a woman of action for peace, and of
course Israel and U.S. Ambassador to
the U.N. Nikki Haley would probably de-
scribe that as an act of terror against Is-
rael. Sad, sad, sad.
I of course appreciate receiving my
Washington Report. I’m still in the “SMU”
(23 hour lockdown) and I don’t wish to
miss a single issue. My subscription is
about to run out, please see if I can con-
tinue on your mailing list. I will greatly ap-
preciate you.
Michael Lewis, Marienville, PA
We have gladly extended your sub-
scription. The back pages of this issue
list the many donors who generously re-
sponded to our most recent donation ap-
peal. Our Angels make it possible for us
to send free copies to prisoners such asyourself, as well as to libraries, members
of Congress, conferences and else-
where. We appreciate the devotion and
support that you and our Angels regu-
larly provide!MESSAGE FROM AN INTERN
I would like to thank you for the opportu-
nity to intern with the Washington Report
this summer. It would be an understate-
ment to say that I learned so much in
those three months. I strengthened my
skills, as well as built new ones; and I
gained experience within my field of inter-
national affairs as well as experience be-
yond my discipline.
I learned how to collaborate, engage
and communicate with other interns
when we didn’t necessarily agree on the
methods of execution every time. I dislike
the word “multitask” because the fact is,
no one can effectively multitask while giv-ing each task its due attention.
Thus, I’ll say that I learned how
to effectively complete different
tasks while giving each its de-
served time and effort. I gained
hands-on experience in cus-
tomer service and retail work,
such as taking inventory and ful-
filling package delivery orders,
which sounds easier than it really is!
Not to mention working at the bookstore
allowed me the chance to interact with in-
teresting and intellectual people almost
daily. That includes meeting the charis-
matic and resilient Miko Peled whose work
I’ve followed since high school. All the
while, I had opportunities to attend think-
tank events, policy forums and panels,
and write about them for the magazine.
Not only did I get to have my coverage
published, but I also met and spoke with
some incredible experts and academics
such as Tareq Baconi and Noura Erakat.
I will add that finding my relative’s
1993 article in the Washington Report,
the year I was born, while doing re-
search for my own article was serendipi-
tous. It made me feel that not only did I
choose this path, but it chose me.
Last but not least, I was fortunate to
have worked alongside kind colleagues
and supervisors. It’s been an incredibly
unique opportunity to work with this or-
ganization. The mission of the Washing-
ton Reportand its people is one of a
kind, particularly existing in the nation’s
capital. Your dedication to the truth gives
me hope. I know now that there are peo-
ple who are willing to commit themselves
in service of justice and the truth through
their writings and advocacy. You have in-
spired me to keep going, and I urge you
to keep going as well.
In the words of Taha Hussein, “Justice
loiter[s], and [is] excessively tardy in
coming, as though walking in chains,
hardly taking a few steps when some
force would pull it back to its resting
place, where it remained, as far as it
could possibly be from those who loved
it and whom it loved...”
Justice loiters, but I believe that with
perseverance, it prevails.
Leen Badeeb, via e-mail
We were blessed with four incredible
“Helen Thomas” interns this summer and
look forward to greeting our fall interns.
We always hope to provide the next gen-
eration of writers and thinkers with the
experiences they need to transform the
world. They, of course, refresh and in-
spire us immensely, as well! OCTOBER 2018 WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS 7KEEP THOSE CARDS AND LETTERS
COMING!
Send your letters to the editor to the Washington
Report, P.O. Box 53062, Washington, DC 20009
or e-mail <[email protected]>.OTHERVOICESisan optional16-page sup plement
available only to subscribers of theWashington
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Back issues of both publications are avail able. To
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to P.O. Box 91056, Long Beach, CA 90809-1056.lte_6-7.qxp_October 2018 Letters to Editor 8/30/18 10:07 AM Page 7