"Unfortunately, Mr. Cohen minimized the corrosive effects of the Israeli occupation on Palestinian economic life...."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-making-of-palestinian-culture/2012/08/14/44f2dca8-e246-11e1-89f7-76e23a982d06_story.html

Letter to the Editor

The making of Palestinian culture

Published: August 15

Richard Cohen [“Yes, culture matters,” op-ed, Aug. 6] rightfully celebrated the many artistic, scientific and business achievements of Jews in Europe and modern Israel in his attempt to defend the recent comments of presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Unfortunately, Mr. Cohen minimized the corrosive effects of the Israeli occupation on Palestinian economic life. This summer I took part in an interfaith delegation to Israel and the occupied territories and was greatly disturbed to see the pervasive system of ethnic segregation practiced in the land under Israel’s control since 1967.

The separation wall, the system of color-coded license plates, the identity papers and the thick maze of regulations serve to restrict and deny Palestinian Arab movement, economic opportunity and civil rights.

Mr. Cohen’s (and Mr. Romney’s) explanation that the Palestinian Arabs’ economic plight is due to cultural differences makes as much sense as blaming African American culture for black poverty in the Jim Crow South.

William F. Simonds, Potomac