"Your coverage of Canadians who are completing hunger strikes to protest Israel’s brutal military campaign and the deliberate blocking of water, food, and fuel is much appreciated. Providing context, like Gaza’s history of food inaccessibility, as well as the mass displacement of the population and the destruction of essential infrastructure, conveys the catastrophic scale of starvation occurring in Gaza."
To:
Ben Cohen, Staff Reporter, Toronto Star
Anne Marie Owens, Editor-in-Chief, Toronto Star
Dear Mr. Cohen,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to thank you for your article “Elizabeth May, Niki Ashton lend support to Canadians on hunger strike for Gaza,” published on January 18 by Toronto Star.
Your coverage of Canadians who are completing hunger strikes to protest Israel’s brutal military campaign and the deliberate blocking of water, food, and fuel is much appreciated. Providing context, like Gaza’s history of food inaccessibility, as well as the mass displacement of the population and the destruction of essential infrastructure, conveys the catastrophic scale of starvation occurring in Gaza.
In addition to providing this critical context, the article includes testimonies of Canadians who have engaged in these hunger strikes. It was particularly emotional to hear Nadine Nasir, a Palestinian-Canadian organizer, say that she’s exhausted as she hunger strikes while having two children and working full-time. Thank you for shining light on this powerful form of solidarity with the starving in Gaza. This effort helps readers better understand the formidable motivations that propel protests for Palestine.
Thank you, Mr. Cohen, for highlighting this form of protest for Palestine and uplifting Palestinian narratives. Please continue to do so.
Sincerely,
Rose Mardikian,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East