"The segment falsely implied that Palestinian actions were the origin of the latest escalation of violence, whereas the opposite is true."
June 22, 2023
To:
Camilla Di Giuseppe, Anchor and Senior Producer, CTV News
Ian White, Senior Anchor and Reporter, CTV Calgary
Pat Krauskopf, Producer, CTV Calgary
Dear Ms. Di Giuseppe, Mr. White, Mr. Krauskopf,
I’m writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to express concerns regarding a segment about Israeli settler violence which aired during your newscast, “CTV News Calgary at Noon” on June 21, 2023.
I appreciate that CTV reported on this important story of settler violence in the occupied West Bank. However, absent from your segment was the context necessary to correctly explain the events taking place.
It is inadequate to simply say that the settler attack was a “response” to the killing of four Israeli settlers the previous day. While that is certainly one part of the story, it is also true that Israeli settlers have been attacking Palestinian civilians, property and towns indiscriminately without any justification for many weeks. This pattern of violence should have been prominently noted.
Similarly, your segment failed to mention that the attack on four Israelis was itself a response to the previous day’s Israeli military invasion of Jenin, which killed seven Palestinians, including two children, and injured 91. By excluding this information, the segment falsely implied that Palestinian actions were the origin of the latest escalation of violence, whereas the opposite is true..
Finally, your segment mentions Netanyahu’s announcement to build 1,000 new settler homes without mentioning that these are illegal under international law and are being built on occupied Palestinian land.
I insist that CTV’s coverage should include this essential context, and I trust that these changes will be incorporated into future reporting. Should you wish to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to contact me at 438-380-5410.
Sincerely,
Mohamed Khalaf
Director of Strategic Operations, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East