"Your news segment sheds light on the rise in tensions and violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank which resulted in the death of Amir Bustami, a 21-year old Palestinian man, by Israeli forces. However, I would like to point out several problems with your video segment.
First, you report that the events are taking place in the “West Bank.” However, you fail to mention that the West Bank has been militarily-occupied by Israel since 1967 according to international law. Referring to it only as the “West Bank” omits critical context and fails to adequately describe the oppressive situation that Palestinians in the occupied West Bank face. We ask that future reporting correctly identifies the West Bank as Palestinian territory occupied by Israel."
February 13, 2023
To:
Jennifer Hsiung, Anchor / Reporter, CP24 Breakfast
Dear Ms. Hsiung,
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 a video segment titled “1 Dead, 7 wounded after shootout in West Bank,” which was aired by CP24 on February 13, 2023.
Your news segment sheds light on the rise in tensions and violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank which resulted in the death of Amir Bustami, a 21-year old Palestinian man, by Israeli forces. However, I would like to point out several problems with your video segment.
First, you report that the events are taking place in the “West Bank.” However, you fail to mention that the West Bank has been militarily-occupied by Israel since 1967 according to international law. Referring to it only as the “West Bank” omits critical context and fails to adequately describe the oppressive situation that Palestinians in the occupied West Bank face. We ask that future reporting correctly identifies the West Bank as Palestinian territory occupied by Israel.
Second, you mention that a Palestinian man was killed during a “gun battle” with the Israeli military. Using the term “gun battle” obscures the fact that the Israeli forces were the aggressor party in this incident. In reality, this was an Israeli raid on the Palestinian city of Nablus which took place following a series of Israeli attacks in the West Bank, leaving many civilians dead and increasing the death toll to 45 Palestinians since the start of this year.[1] The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJA) encourages journalists to avoid “both sides” framing and contextualize events by mentioning the Israel’s occupation and power imbalance over Palestinians.[2] We insist that future reporting avoids language such as “gun battle,” and instead describes the asymmetrical nature of Israel’s attacks.
Third, while reporting the military raid, your video segment uses footage solely from the Israeli military. This shows an explicit bias towards the Israeli perspective of events. We ask that future reporting also include footage from Palestinians sources.
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] Middle East Eye Staff. Israeli forces kill Palestinian during Nablus raid. (2023). https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-kill-nablus-raid
[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