Letter to Fox News

I am a USA Professor, living 9 months each year in Israel, a non-Jew who also does some work for the IDF Spokesperson Office. I am watching local news on TV and your FOX news. With all respect I ask that your news reporters begin reporting with factual accuracy. Just now, John (do not know his last name) stated, "giving back portions of the West Bank to Palestinian ..." First, legally, factually this "West Bank" as referred to in western media is a disputed territory and not a sovereign entity. Second, you cannot give back something you never had. For accuracy in reporting, this "West Bank territory" was illegally annexed by Jordan after Israel was created and under the control of Jordan up to the so-called "1967 war". Israel then controlled this area through the authority of UN 242 resolution up to the famous Oslo Accords. Even these accords gave legal, international rights for Israel to continue to control all of the territory and during a 5-year period gradually turned over sections to the PA to control. Both UN 242 and its companion 338 resolutions were agreed to, albeit reluctantly initially by the Palestinians (242) and they signed agreement that permits Israel to be in the territory. Thus it is absolutely inaccurate, incorrect and bordering upon misinformation to state "give back" to the Palestinians. The plain fact is that the Sharon government has unilaterally begun resolution to this territory by turning over Gaza and these 4 sites in the "West Bank".

It seems that no one in the major media is willing to state the preceding. No one is willing to state that Israel also has rights to this territory. No one is willing to tell the truth about the legal rights of Israel-why are you not willing to do this? Up until recently I valued your reporting integrity-however, for whatever reason, political correctness, access to Paelestinian leaders, fear from Islam, whatever it is, you are now are dangerously close to moving away from journalistic integrity and honor. What once separated FOX from CNN, BBC and all the others was your willingness to standup for the truth-I an many others are terribly disappointed. in you.

It is way past time to turn the debate to the truth-we in Israel are not afraid to sit and discuss what the international law says-we are willing to put all "on the table"-we are disappointed in media who listens to revisionist history, who does not do "their homework" properly, and/or who intentionally withhold the facts and the truth from the world. We trust the viewers' ability to sift through all of the information and come to a different conclusion than you and even many of the western world leaders-Israel is entitled to some of the "West Bank" and this is and always was to have been a negotiated agreement. The only real settlement was this agreement. Finally, please also stop buying into the use of the terms "settlements and settlers." I understand these terms are useful in describing an area and/or agroup of people-the terms have become however, "falshpoint" terms and are used only to advance an agenda. The truth is the "settlers" are simply Israelis, who were willing to answer their government's call back in the late 1960's-as your viewers have discovered, these Israeli citizens are not the radicals, the far right wing, religious zealots you in the media have made them to be. They are citizens of a democratic country, the only democratic country in the Middle East, who responded to their nation's call just as our past American generations responded to its government call to "go west". Thank you for reading this, I appreciate your patience and willingness to self reflect now.

Peace,
GS Don Morris, Ph.D.