"Israeli society is made up of approximately 21% of Palestinians, who are marginalized and excluded from receiving any employment, healthcare, education and military benefits. While Israel exercises a policy of mandatory conscription, Muslim, and Christian Palestinian citizens are exempt from military service because they are deemed “disloyal” and “untrustworthy” by Israel. Furthermore, the refusal of Palestinians to join the Israeli army is exemplary of the continued military occupation of Palestinian land including the West Bank and Gaza Strip and their violent treatment of Palestinians. In other words, the military is not inclusive or diverse but segregationist."
March 10, 2023
To:
Dan Williams, Journalist, Reuters
Steve Bartlett, Senior Managing Editor, Saltwire
Dear Mr Williams and Mr. Bartlett,
I’m writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to provide an important critique of your news article “Protesting Israeli air force reservists to return to base for dialogue,” published on March 7, 2023.
In the article, you describe the Israeli military as a “melting pot” for an “ethnically and religiously disparate society.” I assume that your use of “melting pot” seeks to characterize the military as diverse and inclusive of various groups within Israeli society. This is factually incorrect and misleading to your audience.
Israeli society is made up of approximately 21% of Palestinians, who are marginalized and excluded from receiving any employment, healthcare, education, and military benefits. While Israel exercises a policy of mandatory conscription, Muslim, and Christian Palestinian citizens, are exempt from military service because they are deemed “disloyal” and “untrustworthy” by Israel. Furthermore, the refusal of Palestinians to join the Israeli army is exemplary of the continued military occupation of Palestinian land including the West Bank and Gaza Strip and their violent treatment of Palestinians. In other words, the military is not inclusive or diverse but segregationist.
Moreover, the segregationist structure of the Israeli military feeds into Israel’s apartheid system by providing citizens who complete military service with economic benefits and access to employment opportunities and housing subsidies. This is one of many examples of how Israel maintains exclusionary and racist policies against Palestinians as documented by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
I ask that you remove the term “melting pot” from your article as it is factually incorrect and misleading.
Should you have any additional questions, you can contact me at 438-380-5410 for more information. Sincerely,
Tayla Shair
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East