My First Article Analysis

The topic of Friedman's "Just Knock It Off" is Palestinian and Israeli governments.  He believes that they should step up their game and take their situations seriously.  He is trying to persuade the reader to agree that the Israeli government is taking U.S. aid for granted.

Isreal had ceased settlement in the West Bank for ten months by request of the U.S. for better protection during its war with Iran.  You see, America has been helping Isreal in this war and spent billions and billions of our money on it.  Now, Obama is asking Isreal to extend the settlement moratorium for at least sixty more days and Israel is refusing.  Thomas does not understand this at all; he believes that Israel should be doing whatever we ask of it since we're helping them so greatly. 

He persuades the reader that Israel is being ridiculously ungrateful when he says that this would actually benefit them and would not cost them anything.  And yet, they refuse or ask for a payoff in return.  Friedman shows his anger about this situation through sarcasm and exclamations.  These techniques are effective because they make it seem like he is actually having a conversation with you and you can imagine his voice and facial expressions when he says certain things. 

The Beginning of My Following of Thomas L. Friedman

When I first began searching for a writer to, well, write about, I knew I wanted someone who wrote foreign affair articles.  Friedman is just that.  He writes opinion editorials for the New York Times that are mainly about issues in the Middle East. He graduated from college with a B.A. degree in Mediterranean studies from Brandeis University and a Master of Philosophy degree in Modern Middle East studies from Oxford.  He was the Israel bureau chief from 1984 to 1988.  

He has accomplished many things.  In 1983, he won a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting from Lebanon, and then again in 1988 from Israel. In 2002, he won one for commentary for the New York Times.  All of his achievements make me want to read his articles and discover his opinion on matters in the world.  I'm actually excited to get started on an English project...