GOOD & BAD ARABS

The article on Arab-bashing in the movies and media overlooked perhaps the most important point.

It is not just a question of a few bad apples providing negative publicity that somehow has to be downplayed or counteracted. The entire Arab world is anti-Jewish and anti-Israel on a governmental and individual level.

Arab governments’ educational programs commonly use anti-Jewish themes as a background in the lower grades and then teach it explicitly at upper levels. Arab newspapers, all government controlled, continually print every anti-Jewish and anti-Israel canard available.

Not content with the home-grown attitude of the Muslim toward the Jew, that of a dhimni , or sort of underperson meant to be dominated, they have imported the standard European anti-Jewish themes.

I would suggest that the Arabs are, in fact, their own worst enemies in this area and that no amount of tinkering with movies and media is going to change public perceptions until their actions change.

GREG BEARMAN

Pasadena