In that virtually any suggestion of one democratic secular state for both Israelis and Palestinians tends to stimulate a flurry of nay-sayer responses, crass accusations toward the author, and subsequent discussion and debate, a "Letter to the Editor" can be an effective advocacy device. The tips below are meant to help MODSS activists write effective "Letters to the Editor" that will be published in local newspapers.

1. Frame your letter within the context of current events.
Virtually daily one can find an article dealing with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. In order to make your one-state letter more relevant to the paper's editors, it is important to frame your suggestion in favor of one-state within the context of a recent news story run in the same publication (see #3 below). This is most effective if the letter to the editor is sent in within 24 hours of the original article. A one-state "spin" can be put on almost any recent article dealing with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. For example:

2. Keep it short and simple
Unlike Op-ed pieces, a "Letter to the Editor", is by definition very short and simple. While undoubtedly you want to make your case as well as possible, brevity is absolutely required if you want your "Letter to the Editor" published. It is useful in this respect to use assorted keywords, such as "equality" and "democracy"; as well as catch phrases like "multicultural democracy", "democratic secular state". Another useful device is to make allusions to other ethnic/racial/religious conflicts, which your reader will automatically associate with your one-state argument. Virtually any reference in the body of your letter to South Africa, the American civil rights struggle, or Northern Ireland will accomplish this without forcing you to go into detail in your limited print area. A good rule of thumb is to keep it to under 200-250 words, though if you can make your point using less, do so. The shorter the better. Further, many papers take the liberty of editing "Letters to the Editor" for size, so the shorter you keep it, the less likely it is that your submission will be edited.

3. Try to include a local reference or allusion.
Most local newspaper editors tend to favor "Letters to the Editor" that include some local reference or relevance. This makes getting "Letters to the Editor" concerning international topics considerably more difficult. The best and easiest way to do this is to make reference to an article that was recently run in the paper you are submitting to. If you use this option, be sure to include the full title and run date of the article you are referring to. For example:

4. SIGN YOUR LETTER and provide the other required information.
Most papers have a policy regarding "Letters to the Editor" which can usually be found in the paper itself or on the paper's website. Usually they require name, address, phone number, and that your "Letter to the Editor" be signed, although be sure to read your specific paper's guidelines and requirements and comply with them. In general, if you do not provide the required information, the paper will not even read your letter, much less publish it as this is the first thing the editorial interns look for. Usually the paper will not publish your address or phone number, but if you are concerned, you can specify in your submission that this material is not to be published. Many papers also employ a policy of contacting the author in order to confirm that the submission is really from you thereby avoiding any liability for publishing an article in someone else's name.

5. Provide some option for people to learn more or become active.
Regardless of how effective your "Letter to the Editor" is, you will never know if you do not provide some sort of action that people who like your perspective can do or a means for your reader to learn more. One simple option is to provide your email address for publication. If you intend to be prolific, you may want to consider setting up a free email account (Hotmail, Lycos, Yahoo, &c.) specifically for this purpose. Another option is to provide a link to a website, such as the MODSS one, which will allow your reader to learn more at his/her leisure.

6. Keep a positive and optimistic tone.
In general your letter is more likely to be published if you keep your tone positive and optimistic and avoid being negative or attacking anyone. Let the Zionists do the attacking, it will reflect better on you. Under no circumstances be threatening or engage in crude ad hominem attacks.

7. Use S-mail
Although most newspapers accept "Letter to the Editor" submissions via email unless your paper specifically asks for submissions via email, use standard (or "snail"; smail) mail to submit your letter. Smail submissions are generally given top priority because it confirms that you are local, interested enough to go to the trouble, and is generally viewed as more "respectable". Some papers will run "Letters to the Editor" submitted via email (some in fact only accept email submissions), but your chances of being published are better if you make your submission via smail. If your paper's editorial department has a fax line, this is also more effective than email submissions. It is a fair rule of thumb to say that any physical paper submission will take priority over an electronic submission. Be sure that your submission is typed and properly signed. Hand writing your submission reduces your chances of having the letter published.

8. Don't let yourself become discouraged
Most major papers receive hundreds, even thousands of "Letters to the Editor" daily, therefore it is entirely possible that your first few attempts will not be published. Nevertheless, do not let yourself be discouraged by this. It is, all said, a very "hit-and-miss" kind of thing. If you do not see your letter published within two weeks of submitting it, just assume that it has not been chosen and try again. Some activists encourage people to "follow-up", that is, harass the editorial offices asking about your letter. In my personal experience, this is almost a sure way to guarantee that your letter will never be published and nor will any other letter you opt to send in. Newspaper staff, and especially editorial staff, are usually very busy and tend to resent having their time stolen by people trying to "follow-up". Remember, unlike an advertisement, a "Letter to the Editor" being published is purely at the discretion of the paper and its staff so it behooves you not to intentionally annoy them if you want something published.

If you get a "Letter to the Editor" published advocating for one-state is Israel/Palestine, please be sure to email us a copy, which we'll reproduce on the website.