"I appreciate that your coverage included an interview with Elyanna, quoting her pride to perform in Arabic, her inspiration in Palestinian poetry and the donning of the keffiyeh. I am also especially happy that you include Palestinian voices such as Masa Qzaih and Sam Agha. Palestinian arts, culture, and voices are frequently excluded from Canadian public discourse and media."
April 21, 2023
To:
Richie Assaly, Journalist, Toronto Star
Anne Marie Owens, Editor-in-Chief, Toronto Star
Donovan Vincent, Public Editor, Toronto Star,
Dear Mr. Assaly, Ms. Owens, and Mr. Vincent,
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 appreciation for the article “Elyanna is making history at Coachella. Here's how the Palestinian-Chilean singer is taking Arabic music global,” written by Richie Assaly and published on April 21, 2023.
I appreciate that your coverage included an interview with Elyanna, quoting her pride to perform in Arabic, her inspiration in Palestinian poetry and the donning of the keffiyeh. I am also especially happy that you include Palestinian voices such as Masa Qzaih and Sam Agha. Palestinian arts, culture, and voices are frequently excluded from Canadian public discourse and media.
I would like to note, however, that when referring to Elyanna, you write that she “was born and raised in Nazareth, a predominantly Arab city in northern Israel.”
You may not be aware, but the International Press Institute (IPI) issued a document entitled “Use with Care: A Reporter’s Glossary of Loaded Language in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”[1] which highlights terms that may be offensive either to Israelis or Palestinians.
Concerning the term Israeli Arab, the IPI notes that, “There are Palestinians who prefer ‘Palestinian citizens of Israel’ because a sense of Palestinian identity is dominant among Arabs in Israel, and this term reflects their civil and national identity.”
The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJA)[2] also makes a similar recommendation.
Israel’s preferred use of the politicized term “Arab” (or “Arab city”) – which your article utilizes – is intended to downplay the “Palestinian” identity of the citizens in Nazareth. It also intentionally downplays the Palestinians’ connection with their land, suggesting that they are indistinguishable from Arabs elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa.
As such, I ask that you update the sentence to read “…was born and raised in Nazareth, a predominantly Palestinian city in northern Israel.”
Thank you for making this change.
Should you wish, you can contact me at 438-380-5410 for more information.
Sincerely,
Tayla Shair
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
[1] “Use with Care: A Reporter’s Glossary of Loaded Language in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,” International Press Institute, Oct. 23, 2013, p. 26, https://ipi.media/use-with-care-reporters-glossary-of-loaded-language-in-the-israeli-palestinian-conflict/
[2] Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJA), “Tips and resources for covering issues related to Israel and Palestine,” May 24, 2021, https://ijnet.org/en/story/tips-and-resources-covering-issues-related-israel-and-palestine