"Thank you for including this information in your article, for it further contextualizes Robinson’s comments as a form of anti-Palestinian racism. This article was thoughtful, well-researched, and, most importantly, showed a prioritization of pro-Palestinian perspectives, all of which contribute to good journalism. Please continue to do so."
February 19, 2024
To:
Gerry Chidiac, Writer, Kirkland Lake Voice
Dear Mr. Chidiac,
I am writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to thank you for a recent article titled “The Selina Robinson saga is a lesson in political accountability,” published on February 16 by Kirkland Lake Voice.
After Robinson had made her racist comments about Palestine, we noticed a lot of media coverage that referred to Robinson’s comments as being about “the land on which Israel was founded.” This is an obvious case of anti-Palestinian racism, as it erases the existence of Palestine before the Nakba. In your article, however, you refer to Robinson’s “demeaning comments about pre-colonial Palestine.” Thank you for referring to Palestine.
Another component we urged journalists to include in their reporting of Selina Robinson was a clear explanation of how and why her comments were particularly racist and harmful. As we both know, her claim that the land was “crappy” and “had nothing on it” perpetuates a key feature of Zionist political discourse: the claim that Palestine was a “land without a People for a People without a Land” and, therefore, ideal for the creation of the state of Israel. Thank you for including this information in your article, for it further contextualizes Robinson’s comments as a form of anti-Palestinian racism.
This article was thoughtful, well-researched, and, most importantly, showed a prioritization of pro-Palestinian perspectives, all of which contribute to good journalism. Please continue to do so.
Sincerely,
Rose Mardikian,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East