August, 2002

 Summary: Jewish groups have called for a boycott of the 
Philadelphia Inquirer based upon an anti-Israel bias.


----- original announcement ------

The boycott of the Philadelphia Inquirer continues because of its 
unrelenting anti-Israel bias. The inquirer.... 

* Distorts and omits critical facts from middle east history and news 
events and often publishes baseless rumors as fact. 

* Sanitizes Palestinian Arabs committing mass murder and terrorism while 
denying Israel the right to self-defense. 

* Virtually ignores the hatred espoused in Arab school textbooks, 
official media and mosques. 

* Promotes a moral equivalency between terrorism and the fight against 
terrorism. 

* Gives terrorists faces and names, while ignoring the Jewish victims. 

* Continues to conceal Arafat's real cause: the destruction of Israel. 

We are now broadening this boycott action to include the inquirer's 
major advertisers. 

Even though the inquirer is the main Philadelphia paper, its continued 
anti-Israel bias serves to erode support for the Jewish state while 
increasing sympathy for its enemies. This affects us all and is the 
reason we are asking for the support of people and organizations across 
the nation. 

The following is a partial list of some of the Philadelphia inquirer's 
major advertisers who, despite our request to withhold or significantly 
decrease their advertising have not responded. They have until July 31st. 

Please share this list with your family and friends and ask for their 
cooperation in the boycott of the stores in your area. 

Our intent is to bring pressure to bear on the inquirer, through their 
advertisers, to begin reporting the news from the Middle-East in a fair 
way, something the inquirer has not done for over twenty years! 

Disseminate this information to your e-mail address book. Have those on 
your list do the same thing.   

If we join together in an unyielding commttent to see an end to the 
inquirer's outrageous, scandalous "journalism", we will win. Israel will 
win ... and other newspapers will assuredly take note. 

The companies listed below are to be boycotted starting on august 1st 
(for an undetermined period of time). 

Department store(s): Macy's* and Boscov's 
electronic specialty: Circuit City* 
pharmacy chain: Eckerd Drugs* 
auto groups: F.C Kerbeck, Sloan 
supermarket: Acme 
telecommunications: Cingular Wireless* 
travel: Liberty Travel 
household: Home Depot* 
auto supplies: Pep Boys* 
builders: Realen Homes 

* the companies followed by an asterisk are national concerns and have 
stores throughout large portions of the country. 

During this action if the companies agree to withhold their advertising or 
at very least cut it back significantly, we will call off the boycott. We 
will notify you of companies dropped from the list as well as those added 
to the list. 

Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this effort. Remember, we can 
only reverse the inquirer's anti-Israel philosophy if we remain committed 
to do so. 

Here are the phone numbers of the companies listed:

(ask for marketing/advertising vice president or chief operating officer 
and tell them why the boycott is happening). E-mail addresses are available 
on the various national company websites. 

Federated (owns Macy's)    513-579-7000 
Macy's-east 212-494-1963; 212-695-4400 
Macy's-west          415-393-3475 
Boscov's 610-779-2000 
Circuit City              804-527-4000, 877-932-2225 
JC Penney (owns Eckerd Drugs) 972-431-1000        
Eckerd Drugs 727-395-6000, 800-325-3737 
F.C Kerbeck             215-535-2100, 856-829-8200 
Sloan Nissan          215-887-0700 
Acme Markets 610-889-4000 
Albertson's (owns Acme)    888-746-7252 
Cingular Wireless 866-cingular 
Liberty Travel 215-972-0200 
Home Depot 770-433-8211 
Pep Boys 800-pepboys 
Realen Homes 800-realen-8 

feel free to visit either of the websites below which closely review the 
inquirer and post Information regarding the boycott effort: 

denenbergsdump.org 

thedenenbergreport.org 

Also, please keep in mind that the boycott is directed not only at the 
inquirer but at the entire Knight-Ridder chain (the second largest 
newspaper chain in the United States). Knight-Ridder calls the shots at 
the Inquirer! 

We would naturally appreciate having you be in touch with us to inform us 
of any progress you may make. We, in turn, will do the same. 

Thank you again for your anticpated cooperation. 

Other groups participating in the boycott of the inquirer are: 

*Zionist Organization of America, 
(Greater Philadelphia District) 

*American-Israel defense coalition 

*American Zionist Movement, (Philadelphia
 Chapter) 

*Emunah 

*Amit 

*Brith Sholom 

*Shomrom of Philadelphia 

*Religious Zionists of America (Philadelphia) 

Americans For a Safe Israel 
Ron Kravitz (Philadelphia) chapter 
P.O. box 459 
Huntingdon Valley, PA. 19006 
Ken Heller, chairman

----- end of original announcement ------


----- Response from the Philadelphia Inquirer ------

received via email 7-26-02

Here is a summary of our Page 1 and opinion page coverage of the Middle East
so far in July. You and your readers may judge whether you see a bias in our
coverage.
Sincerely,
Walker Lundy
Editor, Philadelphia Inquirer

Page One coverage in July:

1. July 16. "Youthful summer fun stifled by fear in Israel." In
the culture of anxiety that pervades Israel after months of suicide
bombings, this is shaping up as the longest, most frustrating summer that
today's children have ever known.

2. July 17. "Bus Ambush in West Bank kills 7 settlers."
Palestinian gunmen wearing Israeli army uniforms ambushed an armored bus,
killing seven Jewish settlers and wounding at least 20 near an
ultra-Orthodox settlement.

3. July 18. "Two Suicide Bombers Hit Tel Aviv." Two suicide
bombers working in tandem killed three people and injured 40 others in a
crowded downtown neighborhood.

4. July 23. "Israeli missile strike in Gaza leaves 11 dead." An
F-16 warplane fired a missile into a Gaza City neighborhood and killed at
least 11 people, including the wife and three daughters of a militant Hamas
leader who was the target. At least 150 people were injured in the blast.

5. July 24. "Gaza deaths stir rage, new fear." As the unseen
Israeli F-16 pilot zeroed in on his target, Rahmi Mohammed Matar bent down
to pray. Downstairs, his sister Maha studied for a religion test. Next door,
Taregh al Huwaiti, 14, and four of his younger siblings slumbered.  


Editorials and Commentary Page:

1. July 5. One dozen letters to the editor commenting on President
Bush's statement that Yasir Arafat must be replaced in order for a
Palestinian state to be created. The breakdown; 6 pro-Israeli; 5
pro-Palestinian, 1 neutral.

2. July 8. Cartoon, Negative image of Yasir Arafat.

3. July 9. Cartoon. Negative image of Arab sheiks.

4. July 15. Listening Post column discusses charges of bias from both
sides against The Inquirer and details of pro-Israeli boycott and
demonstration.

5. July 20. Cartoon, pro-Israeli linking suicide bombings and World
Trade Center attack.

    6. July 21. "What has to happen for Middle East Peace." Trudy Rubin.
Commentary undercutting moderate Palestinians such as Sari Nusseibeh will
not bring a long-term peace to the Mideast.

7. July 25. "The aftermath of the attack in Gaza." Two pieces, one
detailing the context under which Israel dispatched the missile, and the
second denouncing the attack.


----- End Of Response from the Philadelphia Inquirer ------