New York Times Editorial, "Mr. Romney Stumps in Israel": How Low Can You Go?

I don't want to waste too much time on the vindictive New York Times editorial, "Mr. Romney Stumps in Israel" (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/31/opinion/mitt-romney-stumps-in-israel.html). However, note the following trash talk from the Times:

"Mr. Romney did American interests no favors when he praised Israeli economic growth while ignoring the challenges Palestinians face living under Israeli rule in the West Bank and Gaza."

And all this while I was under the impression that Israel evacuated Gaza in its entirety in 2005. Yes, I know, there is a maritime blockade owing to ongoing rocket and missile fire from Gaza into southern Israel, but Gaza is not under Israeli rule. Moreover, Gaza shares a border with Egypt, and this border and Egypt are not controlled by Israel.

Palestinians live under Israeli rule in the West Bank? Yes, there are still some Israeli roadblocks, and there are also the settlements, which occupy less than two percent of its total area, but the Palestinians also have their own elected officials. Or should I say, they have elected officials, such as Mahmoud Abbas, whose term of office as president expired in January 2009, but who refuses to hold new elections.

The Times goes on to say:

"Iran’s nuclear ambitions are a threat to Israel, the United States, its Arab neighbors and its own people. But there should be no illusions about the steep costs and limited returns of any attack on Iran’s nuclear complex."

Query: What will be the costs to Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the US if Iran acquires a nuclear weapon? More or less than the "limited returns" of an attack on Iran's nuclear weapons development facilities?

Also, according to the Times:

"For good measure, [Romney] insulted the Palestinians by declaring that cultural differences — not decades under Israeli occupation — are the reason Israelis are more successful economically."

Needless to say, the editorial board of the Times didn't consider "honor killings" perpetrated by Palestinians against female family members (see: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/19/palestinian-woman-aya-bar_n_864430.html). I wonder to what extent such killings and discrimination against women affect the Palestinian economy. Would honest mention of this "cultural difference" have also insulted Palestinians?

But why should the editorial board of the Times entertain such cockeyed questions, particularly given their cast-iron partisanship?