"In past articles, you have done more to explain to the reader what collective punishment is and the impact it has on Palestinians. It is a violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention as well as many other international laws. Please provide readers with a definition of collective punishment that makes reference to international law."
May 23, 2023
To:
Josef Federman, News Director, Associated Press
Donovan Vincent, Public Editor, Toronto
Dear Mr. Federman and Mr. Vincent,
I’m writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to express concern about your recent article entitled “Israel demolishes home of Palestinian behind Tel Aviv attack that killed 1” published on the Toronto Star website on May 23, 2023.
The AP writes:
“The Israeli army said on Tuesday it demolished the home of a Palestinian involved in an attack in Tel Aviv that killed one and wounded two others in March.”
However, it should be clarified that this was the family home of Moataz Khawaja, especially since critics accuse Israel of collective punishment for this practice.
The article then states:
“Israel demolishes the homes of attackers in an attempt to deter others, a tactic critics say amounts to collective punishment.”
In past articles, you have done more to explain to the reader what collective punishment is and the impact it has on Palestinians. It is a violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention as well as many other international laws. Please provide readers with a definition of collective punishment that makes reference to international law.
Finally, the article frames the Israeli military incursions as “in response to Palestinian attacks against Israelis.” As your own past reporting indicates, this is highly reductive. The reasons for these military incursions are various and often not related at all to previous attacks. Beyond that, innocent civilians, including children, are routinely killed in wounded in the violence. I insist that you remove this unnecessary, misleading, and factually questionable qualification.
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