Double Standard from page 32

plained in a letter to the editor
that he believed the Palestinians
generally received more favor-
able coverage in conflicts than
Israel.
The letter writer received the
following reply from then news
editor, William Borders:
"The whole point is that tor-
ture by Israel, a democratic ally
of the United States, which gets
huge support from the country,
is news. Torture by Palestinians
seems less surprising. Surely you
don't consider the two authori-
ties morally equivalent."
So there is a precedent to the
paper's present position, i.e.,
torture by Palestinians is to be
expected, which is parallel to the
argument that we should expect
and not worry about account-
ability for wanton terrorism by
Hamas. That is what it does, so
we just have to accept it. Moral
equivalency be damned!

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Exchange Recalle'

When I interviewed Borders, ask-
ing him if he did not consider
that his letter hardly reflected
journalistic objectivity, he said he
was "repudiating" his statement.
It was not clear how one repudi-
ates his own letter.
But his boss, Joseph Lelyveld,
the executive editor at the time,
defended Borders, stating that
anyone who claimed the letter
represented a double standard
was "mangling" language.
The distinction between the
letter and the editorial also is
important. One might argue that
Borders did not give sufficient
thought in responding to a letter
writer. Yes, he should have edited
the letter carefully, but perhaps
he was under time pressures.
But the editorial represents
the paper's policy. Editorials
are carefully reviewed by the
powers-to-be, which makes this
policy statement so disturbing.
Overall, it implies that whatever
gruesome attacks Hamas may
launch, the Times will excuse it
because Hamas has no moral
foundation.
Again, the words that keep
coming to mind are inexplicable,
unconscionable and, one might
add, unbelievable and condem-
nable. n

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July 9 • 2015

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