"Although the news segment in question is very brief, it is incredibly biased that you fail to mention that the West Bank is militarily occupied by Israel since 1967. In your news segment, you claim that “the militants opened fire on troops near the city of Nablus.” This statement reflects the fact that Israeli soldiers are stationed in the Palestinian city of Nablus as an occupying force. You should also be aware that the UN General Assembly has recently asked the International Criminal Court to determine whether Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territories is illegal, given that it has become a de facto annexation. By omitting such important information, you are failing to meet basic journalistic standards."
March 13, 2023
To:
Steve Dankoff, Senior News Producer, CP24
Kathleen Peroff, News Writer, CP24
Ryan Smith, Producer, CP24
Dear Mr. Dankoff, Ms. Peroff and Mr. Smith,
I’m writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to express my deep concerns regarding your news segment on 3 militants killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, aired by CP24 on March 13, 2023.
This is the third letter I have written to CP24 in the last month to voice my issues with the problematic language and framing used in your news segments. Although the news segment in question is very brief, it is incredibly biased that you fail to mention that the West Bank is militarily occupied by Israel since 1967. In your news segment, you claim that “the militants opened fire on troops near the city of Nablus.” This statement reflects the fact that Israeli soldiers are stationed in the Palestinian city of Nablus as an occupying force. You should also be aware that the UN General Assembly has recently asked the International Criminal Court to determine whether Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territories is illegal, given that it has become a de facto annexation.[i] By omitting such important information, you are failing to meet basic journalistic standards.
Given CP24’s often one-sided and misleading coverage of events in Israel and Palestine, I plan on making a complaint with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) if nothing is done to address my concerns.
Should you wish, you can contact me at 438-380-5410 for more information.
Sincerely,
Reem Majid
Policy Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
[i] Tress, Luke, “UN asks world court to weigh in on Israeli ‘occupation’ and ‘annexation’,” The Times of Israel, Dec. 31, 2022, accessed Mar. 13, 2023 at https://www.timesofisrael.com/un-passes-resolution-asking-world-court-to-weigh-in-on-israeli-palestinian-conflict/