"Settlers Who Long to Leave the West Bank" By Ethan Bronner

The struggle between Palestinians and Jews has been going on for a very long time. Who owns the land on which they're both living? Who has a right to it? I have heard so many different opinions on the matter that it's almost ridiculous. We all just have to hope that the two groups of people can put their differences aside and make a real decision. This article I read was interesting because it discussed Jewish people who want there to be two states; they want Palestinians to have their own land. This is something I haven't really heard before. It seemed to me in the past that everyone was just out for themselves and their own "people." This difference in itself makes the story newsworthy.

I felt that this article was very well-written. It gave a lot of background information and explanations. That was definitely necessary because the whole issue of the Middle East can be very confusing, especially for the average reader. The story explained why some of the Jews want to leave the land in the West Bank. Understanding their reasoning is essential to understanding the issue at hand.

I thought that the reporter made very good use of the average people as sources. Talking to those actually affected by this issue makes it so much more relatable and real. Hearing from real people dealing with whether to leave their homes or not makes the readers care a lot more. We like to be able to relate to those we read about. We are given the opportunity to better understand what the people are actually going through. they want to leave their homes, but there is no way for them to sell their homes. The Jewish people living outside the borders believe they are in the land of the Palestinians. They think there should be two separate states, and this land should be part of Palestine. This information could not be better explained coming from experts than from the mouths of those living it.

I also really like that the reporter talked to the other side. He didn't just let this be a story about how the government should allow the Jewish people to move out of the West Bank. He investigated both sides of the story. I thought it was especially good when he talked to the mayor who rebuked the statements made by Mr. Raz. He said that Mr. Raz was fired for incompetence and his wife's sandwich stand had hygiene problems. In this way, the writer allows us to make the choice of who we believe rather than making that decision for us. He included both sides as options for us.

The reporter also included the mayor's take on the bill that would have the government buy the homes of the Jewish settlers in the West Bank so that they can move. I felt this was very important to do because he provides both sides to the main issue of the article.

Finally, I felt the ending quote was a good one. It presented the problems faced by both Jews and Palestinians straight from the mouth of a Jewish woman. It showed that this issue is causing problems for both groups of people, and in at least this thing, the two groups share something in common.


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/world/middleeast/14settlers.html?_r=1&oref=slogin