Readers React: Journalistic ‘balance’ and the Israel-Gaza conflict

To the editor: This article contains the uber-balanced and thus ultimately meaningless descriptions: “cease-fire dissolved into chaos,” “new round of fighting,” “outbreak of violence” and “flare-up of hostilities.” (“Israel, Gaza militants clash anew before end of truce,” Aug. 19)

This type of reporting conveys the morally relativist notion that no one is to blame, and that violence erupts like spontaneous combustion.

Of course The Times could have reported the plain, unalloyed truth and said:

“Hamas terrorists fire rockets into Israel, with intention to maim and kill civilians. Thus, Hamas summarily violated the cease-fire, forcing Israel to retaliate in order to defend its citizens.”

Let us have the courage to name what is unpopular, yet accurate. Journalistic balance for its own sake is, at times, dastardly unbalanced. A flattening of the truth leads to a perversion of truth.

Adam Kligfeld, Los Angeles