"However, you mention that the Al-Aqsa mosque sits on a “contested hilltop” revered as the third-holiest site in Islam and the holiest site in Judaism. This characterization fails to note that Al-Aqsa mosque is located in East Jerusalem which is an occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) under international law. This is not an opinion but a matter of a settled consensus at the international level, as confirmed by the United Nations General Assembly, the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention."
April 20, 2023
To:
Anne Marie Owens, Editor in Chief, Toronto Star
Debra Yeo, Deputy Editor, Toronto Star
Dear Ms. Owens and Ms. Yeo,
I’m writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) with feedback about your news article titled: “China offers to facilitate Israel-Palestinian peace talks” published on April 18, 2023.
Thank you for your fair and credible reporting, and for rightfully depicting Benjamin Netanyahu’s government decision to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank as illegal and an obstacle to peace. I also appreciate how you mention that key allies to Netanyahu’s government are staunchly opposed to the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Thank you for also including how the increase in violence in the occupied West Bank, and Israel originated as a result of Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.
However, you mention that the Al-Aqsa mosque sits on a “contested hilltop” revered as the third-holiest site in Islam and the holiest site in Judaism. This characterization fails to note that Al-Aqsa mosque is located in East Jerusalem which is an occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) under international law. This is not an opinion but a matter of a settled consensus at the international level, as confirmed by the United Nations General Assembly[1], the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel’s military occupation of Palestinian territories is critical context for interpreting the nature of, and motivations behind, any “tensions” or violence.
As such, I ask that you amend your article to mention that Al-Aqsa mosque is located in occupied East Jerusalem as opposed to sitting on a “contested hilltop”.
Thank you for your coverage and I hope that you continue to highlight important Palestinian stories for Canadian audiences.
Should you wish, you can contact me at 438-380-5410 for more information.
Sincerely,
Ghida Mawlawi
Policy Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
[1] General Assembly resolution 76/225, A/RES/76/225 (11 January 2022), available from undocs.org/en/A/RES/76/225.