"88.1% of Jewish Israelis trust the IDF, the number 1 ranking institution. However, only 33.9% of Arab Israelis (Read: Palestinian citizens of Israel) trust the IDF, which ranks 5th in terms of trust. The authors do not combine this data and explicitly warn against it, so as far as I can tell it is unclear whether or not the IDF would still be the most trusted institution if the data was combined. In any case, the statement should be properly qualified, as it is currently misleading and potentially false."
March 20, 2023
To:
Tia Goldenberg, Journalist, Associated Press
Josef Federman, News Director, Associated Press
Dear Ms. Goldenberg and Mr. Federman,
I’m writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to express concern regarding a misleading statement — which is potentially factually inaccurate — in a recent article entitled “Netanyahu urges military chief to contain reservist protest” by Tia Goldenberg of the AP published in Toronto Star on March 19, 2023.
The statement in questions reads:
“The divide over Netanyahu’s plans to change the legal system has not spared the country's military, its most trusted institution, where many reservists have pledged not to show up for duty under what they see as impending regime change” [emphasis added].
This is presented as a factual claim. However, the question we have to first ask is: Most trusted by whom? The study on which this claim is presumably based (“The Israeli Democracy Index: 2022” by the Israel Democracy Institute) surveyed respondents based on a variety of factors, one being whether they are “Jewish” or “Arab” (i.e., Palestinian). In all of the data about institutional trust, the results from their polls are separated into these two distinct categories. The importance of differentiating between these two groups is so significant that the authors of the study write:
“With regard to trust in the IDF, the gaps between Arabs and Jews are so substantial that analyzing the total sample is irrelevant.”[1]
To illustrate the chasm between these groups, see this chart from the report:[2]
As you can see, 88.1% of Jewish Israelis trust the IDF, the number 1 ranking institution. However, only 33.9% of Arab Israelis (Read: Palestinian citizens of Israel) trust the IDF, which ranks 5th in terms of trust. The authors do not combine this data and explicitly warn against it, so as far as I can tell it is unclear whether or not the IDF would still be the most trusted institution if the data was combined. In any case, the statement should be properly qualified, as it is currently misleading and potentially false.
This is without getting into the question of how the IDF is viewed by Palestinians under its military occupation in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza.
I insist that AP change the sentence to read:
“The divide over Netanyahu’s plans to change the legal system has not spared the country's military, its most trusted institution by Jewish Israelis…”
I strongly recommend that the AP also acknowledge in the article that trust in the military ranks very low amongst Palestinian citizens of Israel.[3]
As it stands, this is but another example of the Palestinian perspective being erased or obscured in reporting on the region.
If you would like to discuss this matter further, please contact me at 438-380-5410.
Sincerely,
Jason Toney
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Director of Media Advocacy
[1] “The Israeli Democracy Index 2022.” The Israel Democracy Institute, 2023, page 81, https://en.idi.org.il/publications/47508.
[2] “The Israeli Democracy Index 2022.” The Israel Democracy Institute, 2023, page 99, https://en.idi.org.il/publications/47508.
[3] “The Israeli Democracy Index 2022.” The Israel Democracy Institute, 2023, page 13, https://en.idi.org.il/publications/47508.