"One of commentators in this linked article was quoted as saying Israel has been a “dictatorship for Palestinians for 75 years.” As such, your summary of critics concerns was a whitewash of the actual documented concerns of Palestinians."
August 16, 2023
To:
John Daniszewski, VP and Editor at Large, The Associated Press
Josef Federman, News Director – Jerusalem bureau, The Associated Press
Angus Scott, Editor in Chief, The Niagara Falls Review
Dear Mr. Scott, Mr. Daniszewski, Mr. Federman,
I’m writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to express concern regarding an AP article published in The Niagara Falls Review dated August 15, 2023 titled “PM Benjamin Netanyahu voices support for Israel’s military after his allies and son lambaste security officials.”
The second to last paragraph states:
“Netanyahu and his allies say the changes limit the authority of unelected judges and give elected officials more powers over decision-making. Critics say the move would endanger Israel’s democratic ideals and upend the country’s system of checks and balances by concentrating too much power in the hands of politicians.”
The summary links to another AP article titled “Israeli protesters are calling for democracy. But what about the occupation of Palestinians?” The linked article cites the arguments of Palestinians, that Israel is not a democracy at all and how Palestinians are subject to constant military aggression, a two-tiered legal system where Palestinians are subject to military law while Israeli’s are subject to civil law, as well as other injustices. One of commentators in this linked article was quoted as saying Israel has been a “dictatorship for Palestinians for 75 years.” As such, your summary of critics concerns was a whitewash of the actual documented concerns of Palestinians. I suggest that this sentence be changed to the following:
Some critics say that the move would endanger Israel’s democratic ideals, while others say that Israel is not a democracy at all and judicial reforms worsen the situation for Palestinians.
Beyond the concerns of Palestinians, multiple human rights organizations including B’Tselem and Amnesty International have labelled Israel an apartheid regime[i], a view which is becoming more prevalent and was echoed by the UN special rapporteur in a report published in March, 2022.[ii]
I would urge you to also include the concerns of rights groups.
Should you wish, you can contact me at 438-380-5410 for more information.
Sincerely,
Mohamed Khalaf
Director of Strategic Operations,
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
[i] https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-jerusalem-israel-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-83b44a2f6b2b3581d857f57fb6960115