Gaza, as seen from Northeast Ohio

Posted Wednesday, January 7, 2009

2009 has begun with a steady increase in violence in the Middle East. Israel responded to recent Hamas rocket attacks on civilian targets with an air campaign, ground troops, and, most recently, a strike near a school in Jabaliya that claimed the lives of more than 40 people. While many world leaders are stepping up pressure for a renewal of the cease fire, we'll hear the local response--your response--to the violence in Gaza. Join the conversation Wednesday morning at 9.

Guests

Chris Hedges author and journalist
Nour Chammas Executive Director, AACESS-Ohio
Rabbi Steve Weiss B'nai Jeshurun

Additional Information

See a timeline of Israel-Hamas relations

Yesterday’s (Wednesday, Jan. 7) Sound of Ideas program about the fighting in Gaza drew a lot of praise but several also criticized the decision to include Chris Hedges in the role of reporter setting the stage for the local discussion that followed. ideastream Executive Editor David Molpus issued this statement in response to the criticism:

"We acknowledge that former New York Times reporter Chris Hedges was not the best choice to set the stage for our local discussion on the current conflict in the Middle East. He has been accused by some of spreading misinformation and distorting the facts, and on our air yesterday he put the sole blame for the latest round of violence on Israel. He failed to give any credence to Israel's claim that its attack was in response to weeks of rocket launches by Hamas against Israel. That is not the kind of balance we strive for on the Sound of Ideas. We will serve our listeners better in the future." -- David Molpus

Please follow our community discussion rules when composing your comments.