Thanks for fair coverage of Israeli judicial reform and democracy

"I commend you for rightfully highlighting the criticism of Israel’s 'questionable democratic credentials' due to their treatment of Palestinians. This is an important critique, one backed effectively by a 200+ page Amnesty International report titled 'Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel system of domination and crime against humanity.' Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians is necessary context for understanding the nature and quality of Israel’s democratic institutions, and this should be included in all coverage of Israel’s judicial reforms."


February 20, 2023

To:

Tia Goldenberg, Journalist, Associated Press

Moshe Edri, Journalist, Associated Press

Dan Taylor, Managing Editor, CTV (CC)

Dear Ms. Goldenberg and Mr. Edri,

I’m writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to commend you for your recent AP article entitled “Israel's Netanyahu advances judicial changes despite uproar,” published by CTV on February 20, 2023.

I was pleased to read your article and would like to take a moment to congratulate you on a couple of points. Firstly, I appreciate that you used the language recommended by the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJA) by referring to “Palestinian citizens of Israel” instead of the inappropriate label "Arab-Israeli." I believe this should become standard practice at the Associated Press.

Secondly, I commend you for rightfully highlighting the criticism of Israel’s "questionable democratic credentials" due to their treatment of Palestinians. This is an important critique, one backed effectively by a 200+ page Amnesty International report titled "Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel system of domination and crime against humanity."[1] Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians is necessary context for understanding the nature and quality of Israel’s democratic institutions, and this should be included in all coverage of Israel’s judicial reforms.

Overall, the article did an excellent job of providing adequate context and using contextually appropriate language.

Thank you again for sharing this important story.

Respectfully,

Jason Toney

Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East

[1] Israel's apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel system of domination and crime against humanity. Amnesty International. (2022, February 1). Retrieved February 20, 2023, from https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde15/5141/2022/en/