"This is obvious political ‘doublespeak’, which is not reflected in your reporting. It shows that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s intentions for the Palestinian Authority are not benevolent, but cynical - he sees the PA’s ongoing existence is consistent with his goal of ‘crushing’ Palestinian statehood aspirations."
July 12, 2023
To:
Julia Frankel, Journalist, Associated Press
Josef Federman, News Director, Associated Press
Jonathan Whitten, News Director, CityNews Toronto
Dear Ms. Frankel, Mr. Federman and Mr. Whitten,
I am writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org ) regarding the article: “Palestinian president visits Jenin refugee camp after devastating Israeli military raid” that was published online by CITYNEWS Toronto on July 12, 2023.
I appreciated that your article described the devastating impact of the Israeli attack on Jenin on the lives of the refugees living in the Jenin camp. Your concluding statement reporting that more than 150 Palestinians have been killed in 2023 helps Canadians like myself understand the impact of the Israeli illegal occupation and the military attacks on Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.
However, your article references a statement made by Prime Minister’s Netanyahu’s office that ‘his government would take steps to strengthen the Palestinian Authority’. Without additional context, this statement suggests to Canadian readers that Israel is working to support the Palestinian Authority and it suggests a certain benevolence and moderation when compared with statements from his caucus in support of disbanding the PA. However, this is directly contradicted by recent media reports in which Prime Minster Netanyahu is quoted as saying that Israel ‘needs to crush [the Palestinian] ambition’ for an independent state; but that they also “need” the Palestinian Authority to continue to exist as “it does our job for us”. (1) (2)
This is obvious political ‘doublespeak’, which is not reflected in your reporting. It shows that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s intentions for the Palestinian Authority are not benevolent, but cynical - he sees the PA’s ongoing existence is consistent with his goal of ‘crushing’ Palestinian statehood aspirations.
I would expect good journalism to report these discrepancies so that Canadians can understand what the true intentions of the Israeli government are.
If you wish to discuss this article further, you can contact me at 250-469-4468.
Sincerely,
Debbie Hubbard
Kelowna, British Columbia
[1] Netanyahu said to tell MKs: Israel Needs the PA, ‘must crush’ statehood aspirations June 27, 2023. https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-war-crimes-palestinians-jenin-rights-1948addf9785086572790dc22111f3fa
[2}Netanyahu’s call to block creation of Palestinian state sparks fury, condemnation. July 12, 2023. https://www.arabnews.com/node/2328446/middle-east