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Dear Jimmy,

After reading that you're suggesting critics of your recent book visit the Palestinian territories to asses whether your account is accurate, I would like to take you up on your suggestion. As a critic of your book, I would be happy to visit the territories, but only if you loan me your security detail.

I have already traveled to Israel, and found it to be a thriving democracy made up of citizens who desire peace. I visited the holy sights in Jerusalem, which people of all faiths can visit, even though I would have been barred from visiting there prior to 1967, when Arabs controlled the area, because of my religious background. I have met Israeli parents who have had their teenage sons and daughters taken away from them by Palestinian suicide bombers while they were riding on a bus to school. I've also met survivors of suicide bombings who remain crippled for the rest of their lives. So, I must admit, I'm sympathetic to the idea of building a security fence that drastically reduces the number of suicide bombings so that less innocent people have to die or get severely injured both in the attacks themselves and retaliatory strikes against such attacks.

Jimmy, I would like to travel to the Palestinian territories to get the other side of the story, but I wouldn't feel safe there, because I am an American and Jewish journalist with pro-Israel sympathies. I've seen videos where Palestinian religious leaders preach hatred for Jews, I've read stories about journalists being kidnapped while reporting in the territories, I know that the popularly-elected government is dominated by a group that has called for the destruction of Israel, and I saw that Palestinians celebrated in the streets when my nation was attacked on Sept. 11. Palestinians cheered, as I smelled the burning rubble in Manhattan and mourned the deaths of thousands of innocent people, so I'm a bit touchy. Israelis stood side-by-side with America, because they understood more than any other nation what we were going through, so I was touched.

I know you are a great humanitarian Jimmy, so if you feel that I would benefit by visiting the Palestinian territories, I'm sure you would let me borrow your Secret Service protection so I could have that opportunity.

I look forward to hearing back.

Sincerely,

Phil

topics:
Israel