The Opinion article ‘Chop Shop Economics and Stealth Zionism,’ (KT, April 14), casts the economic recovery programme in the United States being led by the Obama administration as a ‘premeditated attempt to loot and destroy the US financial system,’ and lays the blame for this conspiracy squarely at the feet of what the author calls a ‘corrupt network’ of Jewish Americans.

This seeks to exploit the current financial crisis facing the American and global economies, and links it to traditional themes of anti-Semitism in a transparent effort to promote fear and hatred ?of Jews.

Arab readers deserve serious and thoughtful analysis about American society, politics and economics, and not hate speeches that can only inflame prejudices ?and promote the most distorted perceptions.

Responsible media in all societies have an obligation not only to avoid promoting hatred, especially that which exacerbates the most dangerous divisions, but also to maintain basic and universally applicable standards of accuracy and decency. Commentaries such as these not only encourage bigoted viewpoints among the readership, but they also play into the parallel and extremely damaging stereotype of the Arab press as anti-Semitic.

Hussein Ibish, ?Senior Fellow, ?American Task Force ?on Palestine