If you pick up the Aug. 5 edition of the New York Times, you will be greeted by a front-page spread above the fold plus nearly an entire inside page about Palestinians youths hurling stones at Israeli soldiers and civilians. ("'My Hobby Is Throwing Stones' -- In a West Bank Culture of Conflict, Boys Wield the Weapon at Hand'). Jerusalem bureau chief Jodi Rudoren offers a lengthy list of plaudits received by stone-throwing boys, but you'd be hard put to find any explanatory note by Rudoren that these are lethal weapons that maim or kill their targets. Basically, Rudoren views stone-throwing as simply an interesting cultural phenomenon. She clearly shies away from condemning such tactics. "Youths hurling stones has long been the indelible icon -- some call it a caricature -- of Palestinian pushback against Israel," she writes. "Rock throwing is a rite of passage and an honored act of defiance." Readers are told that when a 17-year-old recently was released from Israeli detention, "he...(Read Full Post)