"Noa Tishby is an Israeli government official. Israel’s Foreign Minister appointed Noa Tishby as the “Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and Delegitimization.” Again, this is an official role in the Israeli government. Tishby is not acting as an activist in her forthcoming talk in Winnipeg, but rather acting in her role as an Israeli Official."
March 27, 2023
To:
Paul Samyn, Editor, Winnipeg Free Press
Stacey Thidrickson, Associate editor (news), Winnipeg Free Press
Brenda Suderman, Journalist, Winnipeg Free Press
Dear Ms. Suderman, Mr. Samyn, and Ms. Thidrickson,
I’m writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to request a headline correction and additional updates to an article in the Winnipeg Free Press by Brenda Suderman entitled “Distressing rise of hate on agenda for activist’s lecture.”
First of all, I’m concerned that Noa Tishby is referred to in the headline and opening paragraph as an “activist,” without mentioning her official role with the Israeli government until 12 paragraphs into the article. Paragraph 12 of the article states:
“As Israel’s inaugural special envoy for combating antisemitism and delegitimization of Israel, Tishby is well-versed in the old tropes around Jews controlling Hollywood, finances or the entire world order.”
Noa Tishby is an Israeli government official. Israel’s Foreign Minister appointed Noa Tishby as the “Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and Delegitimization.” Again, this is an official role in the Israeli government. Tishby is not acting as an activist in her forthcoming talk in Winnipeg, but rather acting in her role as an Israeli Official. In Israel’s press release about her appointment, they refer to her not as an activist, but as an “artist, author and thought leader.” Between the headline, the opening paragraph, and her role not being capitalized in the 12th paragraph, all obscure Tishby’s role as an Israeli official.
In fact, it is worth noting that Tishby has been at the center of criticism for two recent, significant controversies, which were omitted from the article. The first deals with her sharing Israeli military investigation files on Tik Tok to justify the arrest of a 14-year-old Palestinian boy as reported in +972 Magazine, and her claim that the anger expressed by three prominent American Muslims regarding the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli forces was rooted in “anti-Jewish racism” as reported by The Intercept. Both of these articles reference positions taken by Tishby that many Canadians would consider ethically questionable.
I insist that you amend your headline and article to make it clear that Tishby is an “Israeli Official,” as opposed to an activist. The headline should read “Distressing rise of hate on agenda for Israeli Official’s lecture.”
Thank you in advance for your consideration. 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