Too Close to Home

[cali]

By CLARK HOYT
Published: February 6, 2010

LATE last month, a Web site called the Electronic Intifada reported that Ethan Bronner, the Jerusalem bureau chief of The Times, has a son in the Israeli military. Others, including Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, a liberal media watchdog group, demanded to know if it was true and, if so, why it did not create an unacceptable conflict of interest for Bronner and The Times.

Bill Keller, the executive editor, confirmed that Bronner’s son enlisted in the Israeli Defense Forces and said, “He’s a 20-year-old who makes his own decisions.” Bronner told me his son joined in late December for roughly a year of training and six months of active duty before he returns to the United States for college. Bronner said he had alerted his editors, as the paper’s ethics guidelines require. Keller said the editors discussed the situation “and see no reason to change his status as bureau chief.”

Bronner occupies one of journalism’s hottest seats, covering the intractable conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. As the top correspondent for America’s most influential newspaper, everything he writes is examined microscopically for signs of bias. Web sites like the Angry Arab News Service have called him a propagandist for Israel. I have received hundreds of messages heatedly contending the opposite: that his coverage is slanted against Israel. Sometimes the “evidence” is a single word in one news article. Sometimes it is his “failure” to show how one side or the other is solely to blame for what is happening.

“No place, date or event in this conflicted land is spoken of in a common language,” Bronner wrote in The Times last year after the three-week Israeli assault on Gaza, intended to stop rocket fire into southern Israel. “Trying to tell the story so that both sides can hear it in the same way feels more and more to me like a Greek tragedy in which I play the despised chorus.”

<snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/opinion/07pubed.html

[IndianaGreen]

1. Generally one loses one's American citizenship if one serves in another country's military or

accepts a position in another country's government.

If Ethan Bronner's son is American, he should be stripped of his citizenship for serving in the military of a foreign nation, as it would be the case had he joined the Russian military. Why is Israel treated differently?

Ethan Bronner is responsible for Ethan Bronner, not for the actions of his children.

[cali]

2. that's nonsense.

I actually think Bronner should be removed from his post in Jerusalem, if only because of the appearance of conflict of interest. But your claim that you lose citizenship for serving in a foreign military is laughable false. Why make such a silly claim? I'll never get it. Canadians serve in the U.S. military. So do Mexicans and others. Americans have served in the Canadian military, etc.

[andyscott905]

3. What is for War???

At the America and others nations like Russia, France, British can stop Israel to killing people in Gaza, West bank in Palestine. They are also people. Israel should know that every man is our brother only difference between religions. It should remember for Israel is that when was end of the 2nd World war- America, British, Russia brought them (Israeli) in Middle East Palestine. So they are of the country, so they have right to live (Palestine people). Now Israeli army killing them for settled. This is like Dogs bite his Owner. This is really bad doing. We can make our world is happy life each other help. No more war no more kill people. Everybody knows that "You are simple to be Happy, and it’s difficult to be simple." Thanks.

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[Kurska]

4. Um, no that only happens if you become a Officer.

You can be a dual citizen and serve in another countries armies, as long as America considers that country to be friendly.

[17breezes]

5. Hyposcrisy from the Electronic Intifada which

is as biased as can be and the radical left biased FAIR. Glass houses boys and girls.

Shut up you two sets of hypocritical orgs and stop embarrassing your biased selves.

[Violet_Crumble]

7. Are you claiming anything they said was incorrect?

Also, FAIR is 'radical left'? Is that the same sort of thing as how American conservatives label those who support universal healthcare as communists?

[varelse]

6. Ethan Bronner appears to be a journalist of the "old school"

it is refreshing to know that they haven't completely died out. I agree with you that he probably should be reassigned (at least temporarily) to avoid the appearance of bias. He seems to be making a focused and determined effort to remain objective, though.