Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-04
LETTERS TO THE STAR
Middle East Strife

It Is with reluctance that I
again call attention to the
unusual role being played by
your columnist. Dorothy
Thompson, in the Soviet-Arab
gang-up on Israel.
On January Is. ! cited Miss
Thompson's blatant use Of the
Arab line to support a con-
clusion that on the Arab-Is-
rael question Miss Thompson
is an anti-Israel propaganda.
writing under the guise Of
newspaper columnist. I now
call The Stars attention to
paid propaganda advertise
ments appearing in the New
York Times and the Washing
ton Post Times Herald on jan
uary Is. These advertisements,
inserted by the anti-Israel
American Friends Of the Mid
die East were signed by Doro-
thy Thompson, as president Of
the organization.
1t is, Of course. to be desired
that any well-edited newspa-
per publish columns rejecting
divergent or opposing views,
but where a columnist has
deep commitments and Is per-
sonally an active participant
in an issue on which she
writes, the ethics of her con-
duct as a columnist must be
condemned. And while The
Star Enthusiastically has
been most fair and most COM
prehensive on the Arab-Israel
question, one cannot help
questioning the fairness Of
continuing to publish Miss
Thompson on this issue with
out labelling 1t as a one-sided
discussion of the subject.
Through her columns and
In the American Friends ad-
vertisement, she endeavors to
lull the American public into
q deep sleep. while Soviet Rus
STA moves in to arm Egypt for
an avowed war Of humiliation
against Israel-one Of the few
countries in the Middle East
of whose loyalty the West and
the democratic world can be
sure in q showdown with
Russia.
To plead with the American
public to take the Middle East
out Of domestic politics. as
Miss Thompson does. is to ask
the American public to disre-
gard one of the principal
threats of Soviet communism
to world peace. Justice for all
people, the threat Of commu-
nism to world peace, the
avowed threat of one group OF
nations to invade and ami
hilate another-all Of these
things have always been mat
tiers of vital concern to the
American people and ! am
sure will remain so. They be-
long in the platforms Of both
political parties Of this coun-
try.
Carl Levin.
4 \
Congratulations to The Star
for carrying such outstanding
articles about the Middle East.
Dorothy Thompson's articles
have been Of great help in
presenting the American peo-
pie with factual information
about this sensitive area. She
understands the real issues
, and problems and has a sin
cere desire for peace. The bold
appeal Of American Friends Of
the Middle East to American
voters to take the Middle
East out Of domestic politics"
is wise and should be sup
ported by Democrats and Re-
publicanS alike.
KhaliI A. Ghalayini..
+ 4
Dorothy Thompson states:
Israel was founded from first
TO last at Arab expense" This
is a challenging statement and
merits examination in the
light Of historical facts.
II Miss Thompson means to
imply that the Arabs have a
prior claim to Palestine, she
must know that, except for a
relatively short period follow
ing the year 634. there had
been no Arab rule In Palestine
after 1911, whereas Jewish as