August Letter of the Month

We were extremely impressed at the quantity and quality of letters that we were sent in the weeks since we launched our new Letter of the Month. Our inagural winner for August was a unanimous decision amongst the HonestReporting staff.

While we value letters in local papers as much as the big beasts of media, there is an enormous kudos to getting your letter published in the New York Times.

For this reason as well as the fact that the letter itself was clear, concise and well-written, this months winner is Michael Berenhaus of Potomac, MD for this response to a NY Times columnist Roger Cohen:

Roger Cohen says Jews should know better: “The lesson is clear: Jews, with their history, cannot become the systematic oppressors of another people.” His reference to the plight of the Palestinians is offensive: blaming Israel. He should know better!

In 1993, Israel gave the Palestinians a chance to have their own country with the Oslo Accords. The Palestinians responded with suicide bombings and terror. Israel followed with offers in 2000 and 2008. Palestinians walked away without a counteroffer.

Since Israel won the West Bank from Jordan, the Palestinians’ life expectancy has increased, their infant mortality has been reduced, and their economy has prospered. If any fingers need to be pointed, they should be at the Palestinian leadership.

We should, however, declare something of a personal interest in Michael Berenhaus, for he was a participant on HonestReporting’s last Mission to Israel. We certainly hope that he picked up plenty of new knowledge and tips on how to defend Israel in the media that helped him in the drafting of his winning letter.

If you also want to learn more with HonestReporting, join us on our next Mission this coming November. See here for more details.

Honorable Mentions

Win Exclusive HR Merchandise

Congratulations also to:

• Annette Weinshank of East Lansing, MI, for her August 3 letter in the Lansing State Journal.
• Kathy Wahed of Moraga, CA, for her letter in the Contra Costa Times.
• David Feifel of La Jolla, CA, for his letter in the LA Times.

Keep those letters coming in! If you have a letter published, send us a copy and the relevant hyperlink to [email protected], share your success with HonestReporting’s readers and win yourself some exclusive HonestReporting branded merchandise.

See Backspin’s latest part of Things Your Media Watchdog Wants You To Know About Letters to the Editor for more tips.