"While you specify that Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, you simply state that there was a subsequent “Israel-Gaza War.” What about Israel’s brutal, largely one-sided attack on Palestinians in Gaza?"
February 21, 2024
To:
Harry North, Reporter, The Gazette
Marilena Lucci, Editor-In-Chief, The Gazette
Dear Harry North,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to express concern regarding the article “Pro-Palestinian students start hunger strike at McGill,” published on February 20 by The Gazette.
While I appreciate your coverage of the group of students who are going on hunger strike until McGill divests from Israeli defense manufacturers, the article lacks some critical context. Within your final paragraphs, you write:
McGill’s ties to Israel have come under increased scrutiny following Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and the subsequent Israel-Gaza War.
While you specify that Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, you simply state that there was a subsequent “Israel-Gaza War.” What about Israel’s brutal, largely one-sided attack on Palestinians in Gaza? The way your sentence is constructed absolves Israel of its responsibility for its highly disproportionate share of the killing since October 7th. For clarity, please specify that the Gaza Strip has been under blockade and occupation since 2007 and that Israel launched a military assault on Gaza following the attacks on Oct. 7, which has, to date, killed close to 30,000 civilians.
Without providing adequate context regarding the nature of Israel’s persistent and violent occupation of Palestine, readers are less likely to understand the motivations behind forms of protest for Palestinian liberation, including the current hunger strike.
I hope your coverage of pro-Palestine demonstration will continue and that you will implement the edits mentioned above,
Sincerely,
Rose Mardikian,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East