Toronto Sun columnist Peter Worthington takes a look back at the "Six days that changed the world" as he revisits what it was like to cover the 6-Day War as a journalist on the ground:
"Curiously, in those latter days of Nasser’s dictatorship, there was no censorship for foreign journalists (soon imposed after the initial attack), while in "democratic" Israel there was strict censorship."
"In light of Egypt’s humiliation, I wrote at the time that perhaps if Israel showed magnanimity in victory, it might lead to lasting peace. I wrote articles urging that Israel consider giving up the West Bank in return for a permanent peace agreement — a gesture that might have been accepted. Telegram publisher John Bassett, an ardent supporter of Israel, would have none of it, and viewed the West Bank as the spoils of war and essential for Israel’s security. I argued, but to no avail."
Salim Mansur expounds on Arab belligerency in the 6-Day-War while noting: "An axiom of modern Arab politics is the greater the internal division among Arabs, the more strident is Arab rhetoric against Israel."
Mindelle Jacobs contends that Arab leaders have failed the Palestinians allowing them to fester in refugee camps:
"For almost 60 years, Arab countries and factions have pretended to help the Palestinians while using them as pawns to demonize Israel or as a pretext for tribal and religious infighting."
"But the refugees have been a powerful symbol of Palestinian suffering that the Arab states have wielded in the conflict with Israel. As a result, they’ve been a political football."
?Tens of millions of refugees displaced after the Second World War rebuilt their lives in new places. Why not the Palestinians??
Jay Bushinsky, the Sun’s Mideast bureau chief, looks at the impact of hostages in 21st century warfare. Bushkinsky’s take on the kidnapping of the BBC’s Alan Johnston:
"His ordeal is particularly significant because it constitutes agonizing proof that the days when foreign correspondents could regard themselves as immune to assault or any other form of premeditated harm is over."
Michael Coren slams Britain’s University and College Union for carrying a motion calling for an academic boycott of Israel:
"It was all particularly ironic as throughout the conference a booth manned jointly by Israeli and Arab students pleaded for delegates to oppose the motion as, in their words, "academic freedom is absolute in Israel and is a bridge for hope and peace."
