"You claim that Israeli airstrikes have been "halted" over the past two decades. It is true that the Israeli military has not carried out many airstrikes in the West Bank in the past two decades, but this obscures the fact that just two weeks ago the Israeli military launched a drone strike against targets in the West Bank. Your statement is therefore misleading."
July 3, 2023
To:
Greg O’Brien, News Director, CHCH TV
Tansy Ko, Producer, CHCH TV
Dear Mr. O’Brien and Ms. Ko,
I’m writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to express concern about your recent segment about a “Large-scale raid in the occupied West Bank” that aired July 3 at 9:36 AM on CHCH Morning Live.
Your short segment began by noting the number of Palestinians killed or wounded (up to that point). However, I believe that your segment may have led viewers to believe that the assault had ended, but it continues. Casualties are actively increasing. This serves to downplay the severity of the Israeli attack on a Palestinian refugee camp.
Next, you give the Israeli military's explanation for its invasion of the refugee camp. You describe the militants' "unified command center" as the reason for the attack on the refugee camp. This language obscures the fact that these so-called "militants" are, by all accounts, refugees living in the camp who are defending their city from an active military attack. The Jenin refugee camp has been the target of regular deadly Israeli military raids that have caused several mass casualties this year.
You claim that Israeli airstrikes have been "halted" over the past two decades. It is true that the Israeli military has not carried out many airstrikes in the West Bank in the past two decades, but this obscures the fact that just two weeks ago the Israeli military launched a drone strike against targets in the West Bank. Your statement is therefore misleading.
Finally, while you do manage to fit Israel’s justification for the attack into your brief segment, there is no Palestinian perspective. You only note “black smoke” and “calls to support fighters” coming from loudspeakers. Again, the language of “fighters” and “militants” obscures the asymmetrical nature of the violence taking place between an occupying military force and refugees facing an active military invasion by some 2,000 soldiers.
I insist that you address these issues in your upcoming broadcasts about this attack.
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