"These statements promote the narrative that Israel is defending itself. The reality is the opposite, Israel chose to instigate these attacks against Palestinians in Jenin and is facing widespread international condemnation as a result."
July 4, 2023
To:
Nathan Sekhon, Executive Producer, Global National
Redmond Shannon, Europe Correspondent, Global News
Dear Nathan Sekhon and Redmond Shannon,
I’m writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to express our concerns regarding your recent segment titled “Israel launches deadly raid on Palestinian refugee camp in West Bank” which aired on July 3, 2023, by Global News, and posted online.
I appreciated that you acknowledged that the West Bank is occupied, however this must be included in your headline as well.
You also provided some key context, such as the fact that this is the biggest military raid in two decades and the violence in Jenin in the past month which led to the death of seven Palestinians and four Israelis. This is important information that shows viewers how violence in Jenin and the West Bank has been on the rise.
Your segment unfortunately included more Israeli perspectives than Palestinians. Although the Palestinian Prime Minister was quoted calling the attacks on Jenin “a war crime”, more time was given to quotes from both the Israeli Defence Forces and the Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister. Furthermore, both Israeli sources were quoted with excuses for why the Jenin attacks were happening, which included calling it a “hornets’ nest for militants”, and saying they are “focused on stopping the infrastructure of terrorism”. These statements promote the narrative that Israel is defending itself. The reality is the opposite, Israel chose to instigate these attacks against Palestinians in Jenin and is facing widespread international condemnation as a result. This narrative framing is a long-time tactic used by the Israeli military to justify their attacks against Palestinians and Palestinian land, and your use of Israeli quotes further promotes it. Including more Palestinian sources, such as human rights organizations or actual Palestinians in Jenin are necessary in stories about this issue to provide fair and balanced coverage.
Additionally, your descriptions of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) are extremely reductive. They are only described as being “militant groups with connections to Iran”. Both groups are Palestinian liberation organizations that are fighting against Israeli colonization. This information must be included when talking about Hamas and PIJ to accurately describe who they are.
I insist that Global News puts more effort into including more context in these stories. Thank you in advance for making these changes. Should you wish, you can contact me at 438-380-5410 for more information.
Sincerely,
Yasmeen Amer
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East