Article conflates Israel and Egypt’s reasons for not allowing Palestinians out of Gaza

"Given that allowing the mass influx of Palestinians from Gaza into Egypt could assist in Israel’s forced displacement and, thus, ethnic cleansing of the population, Egypt’s motivations for rigid border control could not be more different than Israel’s genocidal ones. History has shown that Israel has prevented Palestinians from returning to their land, so Egypt is necessarily treading carefully."


February 22, 2024

To:

Ben Cohen, Reporter, Toronto Star  

Anne Marie Owens, Editor-in-Chief, Toronto Star

Ben Cohen,

I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to ask you about an article titled “Immigration lawyers ask for judicial review of refugee application process for Gazans: 'People just need answers',” published on February 22 by Toronto Star.

Reporting on how Canadian immigration lawyers are taking issue with Canada’s immigration program for Gazans is essential. While I appreciate your thorough reporting, I’d like to recommend a few ways your article could be improved.

You state that “Israel and Egypt have thus far refused to let anyone Canada has approved out of Gaza…” By listing these two countries together, you are insinuating that the motivations behind their respective decisions are the same. Given that allowing the mass influx of Palestinians from Gaza into Egypt could assist in Israel’s forced displacement and, thus, ethnic cleansing of the population, Egypt’s motivations for rigid border control could not be more different than Israel’s genocidal ones. History has shown that Israel has prevented Palestinians from returning to their land, so Egypt is necessarily treading carefully. For these reasons, please elaborate on each state’s motivations for border control to avoid the conflation of the two.

Another component that is missing is any mention of the program’s design as antithetical to the horrific conditions Israel has imposed in Gaza. Due to Israel’s ongoing aggression, frequent media blackouts have made it nearly impossible for Gazans to communicate with loved ones abroad, let alone send the required information for applications. This context must be included in your article for readers to understand further the long, arduous application process that has, thus far, yielded no results.

Lastly, your article would highly benefit from Palestinian-Canadian perspectives. While you mention an immigration lawyer’s testimony that the “stress and panic” caused by the immigration program is “unimaginable,” these emotions are best expressed by the people who feel them. Given that Palestinian-Canadians with family in Gaza are the ones who are experiencing the frustration and sadness of waiting to hear back from the IRCC, these perspectives should be prioritized.

Sincerely,

Rose Mardikian,

Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East