To the editor:

Hats off to CBS and Bob Simon on “60 Minutes” (Jan. 25) for showing a bit of what the occupation of the West Bank is like if you are a Palestinian. For years and years, the news media has not always told both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict/problem. Only a few of us who have seen what it is like “on the ground” can understand what the Palestinians — be they Muslims or Christians — face in their everyday lives under occupation.

My husband and I have seen these illegal settlements and the exclusive roads to get to them. We’ve talked with Palestinian Christians who (as in the “60 Minutes” piece) have had Israeli soldiers come into their home, intimidating and threatening them. We’ve seen the ugly wall and been through the checkpoints to get from Bethlehem to Jerusalem (5 miles).

Most Americans have no idea of what has really been happening in this supposedly “Holy Land,” while United Nations resolutions have been ignored and we continue to give vast amounts of money to the Israelis.

Thanks to Bob Simon and CBS. Wish we could see more inclusive news coverage.

Janice Conrad,
Lawrence