"You assert that there have been 'periodic flare-ups of fighting with the Palestinian Islamist-ruled Gaza strip.' Your use of the phrase 'periodic flare-ups' is inaccurate because it assumes sudden escalations of violence without cause. This completely ignores the context of the over 15-year punishing and illegal blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza strip and its population. In fact, these escalations of violence are almost always instigated by Israel and quickly transform into a fully-fledged bombing campaign on Gaza, indiscriminately killing civilians. By omitting this critical context, your article assumes a pro-Israel, biased stance."
March 24, 2023
To:
Brian Moss, Reporting standards, Reuters
Rob Roberts, Editor-in-Chief, National Post
Carson Jerema, Comment Editor, National Post
Dear Mr. Ross, Mr. Roberts, and Mr. Jerema,
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 serious concerns regarding your news article titled “Some Israeli army reservists rule our call-cup if judiciary weakened,” published by National Post (Reuters) on March 23, 2023.
Your coverage of the recent escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank is extremely one-sided and biased. I take issue with the following paragraph in your article for several reasons:
Israel faces enemy entities on several fronts. There have been periodic flare-ups of fighting with the Palestinian Islamist-rule Gaza strip. Violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has surged over the past year as Israel has stepped up raids in response to a spate of deadly Palestinian attacks.
First, your claim that Israel “faces enemy entities on several fronts” is extremely vague and ambiguous. While it’s true that Israel considers militant groups in Gaza and Lebanon to be its enemies, this sentence does not help the reader to understand the power dynamics on the ground. This paragraph should include that Israel is in fact an occupying force in the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights, as confirmed by the United Nations Security Council, the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention.
As such, I insist that you change your sentence to: “While Israel sees that it faces enemy entities on several fronts, it is also considered an occupying power according to international law.”
Second, you assert that there have been “periodic flare-ups of fighting with the Palestinian Islamist-ruled Gaza strip.” Your use of the phrase “periodic flare-ups” is inaccurate because it assumes sudden escalations of violence without cause. This completely ignores the context of the over 15-year punishing and illegal blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza strip and its population. In fact, these escalations of violence are almost always instigated by Israel and quickly transform into a fully-fledged bombing campaign on Gaza, indiscriminately killing civilians. By omitting this critical context, your article assumes a pro-Israel, biased stance.
As such, I insist that the paragraph is updated to include the following sentence which provides critical context: “The Gaza strip has been under Israeli military occupation since 1967 and an illegal blockade restricting basic goods and medical equipment since 2006.”
Third, you incorrectly blame Palestinians for the recent surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank by claiming that “Israel has stepped up raids in response to a spate of deadly Palestinian attacks.” In the same sentence, you mention the “Israeli-occupied West Bank,” however you choose to ignore the fact that the occupation might have something to do with the recent surge in violence. It is frankly racist to pin the blame for the current level of violence on a people living under Israeli occupation for the last 56 years. This period has been the deadliest for Palestinians living in the West Bank in the last two decades. More than 80 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of 2023, including many civilians and at least 15 children. Good journalism would present an unbiased account of the reality on the ground, but your article presents a deeply one-sided, imprecise, and unbalanced view.
As such I insist that you change this sentence to: “The past year has been the deadliest period for Palestinians living in the West Bank in the last two decades as Israeli forces have carried out almost daily raids, killing at least 80 Palestinians, including 15 children.”
Thank you for making this change. 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