Re: MSNBC Tlaib-Omar coverage
August 18, 2019
My wife and myself are passionate MSNBC viewers. We feel that we know the various hosts better than we know our own family. Some might tell us we need to get a life, but we do feel informed.
Over the last few days, MSNBC has been all over the Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar banned from Israel story, and we noticed that with one exception, every expert you called upon for commentary was very critical of Israel, not that Israel didn’t deserve criticism.
One of these negative voices was a young man representing an organization called Breaking the Silence. If your producers had done their homework they would have discovered that this group present themselves as IDF veterans who have terrible stories to tell about IDF atrocities, except when they are asked to provide actual details none are forthcoming. This group is incapable of fairly representing Israel yet you reached out to them for their comments.
I recognize that MSNBC does strive to offer all sides to issues and Israel won’t fall because you give a voice to their haters, but where were the pro-Israel voices? Surely if objective journalism is your goal, Israel’s position should have been equally represented. It was not and is not.
This is not the first time MSNBC chose to offer negative opinions on Israel. This leads me to wonder if MSNBC’s editorial policy is to represent the interest of the Palestinian Arabs with little desire to provide Israel’s position. If that is the case, then I will not be looking to my favorite news channel for Middle Eastern news, nor will MSNBC be my source for American political news on issues related to Israel.
Sincerely yours,
Larry Shapiro