CTV highlights challenged book on Palestinian children

The term “Palestine territories” was used, but we recommend using the widely accepted “Occupied Palestinian Territories” instead. When speaking about the adverse impact that Israel’s military occupation has on children, this is an especially important nuance to capture. Additionally, the region is described as a “warzone,” but this phrasing obscures the asymmetrical nature of the situation, in which Israeli military violence disproportionately impacts Palestinians, especially children. In 2022 alone, Israeli forces and settlers killed 36 children with live ammunition.


February 24, 2023

Dear Ms. Mediwake and Ms. VanSickle,

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 segment on “Banned and challenged books in Canada” which aired on February 20, 2023.

I was pleased to see that you included the book Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak, which features the perspectives of Palestinian and Israeli children. Perspectives of Palestinians are too often left out of, or deliberately excluded from, Canada’s public discourse, as demonstrated in the fact that in the past some Ontario high schools had previously sought to limit access to this book. By highlighting this book in a positive light, your program helps to counter this trend and gives Palestinians, including children, a right to speak. We hope to see Palestinian perspectives become a more regular part of CTV’s programming.

With that said, we did want to note some concerns regarding the language during the segment. The term “Palestine territories” was used, but we recommend using the widely accepted “Occupied Palestinian Territories” instead. When speaking about the adverse impact that Israel’s military occupation has on children, this is an especially important nuance to capture. Additionally, the region is described as a “warzone,” but this phrasing obscures the asymmetrical nature of the situation, in which Israeli military violence disproportionately impacts Palestinians, especially children. In 2022 alone, Israeli forces and settlers killed 36 children with live ammunition.[1] While I think touching on these issues is significant, framing the violence as a “both-sides” issue distorts the reality on the ground.

We hope to hear more coverage which incorporates Palestinian perspectives in the future. Should you wish, you can contact me at 438-380-5410.

Respectfully,

Jason Toney

Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East

Director of Media Advocacy

 

[1] “Year-in-review: A deadly year for Palestinian children,” Defense for Children Palestine, December 2022, “https://www.dci-palestine.org/year_in_review_2022.