"Overall, the article does a fine job at providing context for the recent rise in tensions and violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. However, I would like to draw your attention to two significant issues.
First, the article mentions that Hamas “rules the Gaza strip.” Referring to Gaza only as “the Gaza strip” obscures the fact that Gaza is militarily-occupied territory according to international law. In doing so, the article fails to adequately describe the oppressive situation that Palestinians in Gaza face, and does not properly capture the severe restrictions as a result of Israel’s 15 year-long illegal blockade and siege.[1] The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJA) encourages journalists to avoid the language of “Hamas-controlled” or “Hamas-ruled” for this same reason, as it minimizes Israel’s control as an occupying power.[2]"
February 10, 2023
To:
Isabel DeBre, Mideast correspondent, Associated Press
Anne Marie Owens, Editor-in-Chief, Toronto Star
Dear Ms. DeBre and Ms. Owens,
I’m writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to express our concerns regarding an AP news article titled “Israeli police: 2 killed, 5 wounded in Jerusalem car-ramming,” which was published by the Toronto Star on February 10, 2023.
Overall, the article does a fine job at providing context for the recent rise in tensions and violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. However, I would like to draw your attention to two significant issues.
First, the article mentions that Hamas “rules the Gaza strip.” Referring to Gaza only as “the Gaza strip” obscures the fact that Gaza is militarily-occupied territory according to international law. In doing so, the article fails to adequately describe the oppressive situation that Palestinians in Gaza face, and does not properly capture the severe restrictions as a result of Israel’s 15 year-long illegal blockade and siege.[1] The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJA) encourages journalists to avoid the language of “Hamas-controlled” or “Hamas-ruled” for this same reason, as it minimizes Israel’s control as an occupying power.[2]
We therefore respectfully ask that you add the following sentence to provide necessary context for the reader: “The Gaza strip has been under Israeli military occupation since 1967 and an illegal blockade restricting basic goods and medical equipment since 2007.”
Second, we applaud you for reporting on the 43 Palestinians who have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of 2022. However, you mention that 10 of them were killed in a “gunfight” during an army raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. Using the term “gunfight” obscures the fact that the Israeli forces were the aggressor party in this incident. In reality, this was an Israeli attack on the Jenin refugee camp where at least ten Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, three being civilians[3] including two children.[4]
We therefore additionally ask that you replace “gunfight” with “attack” and provide deeper context on the civilians murdered in order to accurately portray the asymmetrical nature of Israel’s occupation of Palestine.
Thank you for making these changes. Should you wish, you can contact me at 438-380-5410 for more information.
Sincerely,
Reem Majid
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
[1] Amnesty International. Israel’s Apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime
against Humanity. (2022). https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde15/5141/2022/en/.
[2] Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association. Tips and resources for covering issues related to Israel and Palestine. (2021). https://ijnet.org/en/story/tips-and-resources-covering-issues-related-israel-and-palestine
[3] Al Jazeera News. Israeli army kills 10 Palestinians, including elderly woman. (2023). https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/26/israeli-raid-kills-three-palestinians-in-jenin-fighting
[4] Defense for Children International – Palestine. Israeli forces kill two Palestinian children during incursion into Jenin Refugee Camp. (2023). https://www.dci-palestine.org/israeli_forces_kill_two_palestinian_children_during_incursion_into_jenin_refugee_camp