In today's Washington Post, columnist Richard Cohen wrote the following, which prompted me to send off a letter to his editor. Here are Cohen's comments:

The greatest mistake Israel could make at the moment is to forget that Israel itself is a mistake. It is an honest mistake, a well-intentioned mistake, a mistake for which no one is culpable, but the idea of creating a nation of European Jews in an area of Arab Muslims (and some Christians) has produced a century of warfare and terrorism of the sort we are seeing now. Israel fights ezbollah in the north and Hamas in the south, but its most formidable enemy is history itself.

And here is my letter:

Mr. Cohen:

Perhaps you are unaware that the Jewish population exceeded that of the Christian population, or that the Jews numbered as many as 35% of the total population of Palestine prior to 1948, the year Israel was founded. To state that "the idea of creating a nation of European Jews in an area of Arab Muslims (and some Christians) has produced a century of warfare and terrorism" is simply irresponsible and false.

As a respected member of the media, and someone who often writes about the Arab/Israeli issue, you - more than most - should understand the facts and the history of the conflict. It simply amazes me that you can make this declaration at a time when the truth about the current war is so necessary. As with every war in the Middle East since Israel's creation, Israel's only goal is peace and to be able to live without the constant threat of annihilation.

To imply that Israel was a "mistake" (albeit an honest one in your words), simply continues the fallacy of moral equivalency between the two sides. By making such an irresponsible and repugnant claim, you embrace the claims of the revisionists who also believe that Israel is "illegitimate" and who wish the elimination of the State of Israel and her people.

In conclusion, I must add that I am shocked that the Washington Post would allow such a lie to be published, even if it is on the editorial/opinion page. Shame on you for not knowing the history of the conflict. And if you do know it, shame on you for lying about it.

While Cohen has always tilted left in regards to Israel, to my knowledge he has never shown a penchant for revisionism. You can mail him your comments at mailto:cohenr@washpost.com..