"They were not protesting in front of synagogues because of what they represent to the Jewish people. They were protesting in front of the synagogue because of the events they were hosting: a “real estate event” advertising stolen land for sale in the broader context of genocide in Gaza and the rise of illegal settlements in the West Bank."
March 08, 2024
To:
Joshua Freeman, Journalist, CP24
Kathleen Peroff, News Writer, CP24
Dear Joshua Freeman and Kathleen Peroff,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to express concern regarding a recent article titled “Arrests made at demonstrations outside Tornhill synagogue: police,” published on March 7 on the CP24 website.
First, you write: “The synagogue, in the area of Bathurst Street and Clark Avenue in Vaughan, was the site of another protest yesterday as well as one over the weekend which resulted in one person being charged for allegedly bringing a nail gun.”
Writing “one person being charged for allegedly bringing a nail gun” is misleading for two reasons. The first reason is that it insinuates that it could have been a member of the pro-Palestine demonstration who brought a nail gun. The situation, however, has been revealed as quite the opposite. The second reason is that you write “allegedly,” although it has been documented with pictures and videos that the person indeed brought a nail gun and was carrying it.
To make your article more precise, I recommend that CP24 edit the sentence to: “Pro-Israel man being charged for bringing and attacking pro-Palestine demonstrators with a nail gun.”
Second, you write:
Pro-Palestinian activists have taken issue with an event at the synagogue for those interested in buying real estate in Israel. The activists claim that the event includes the promotion of real estate purchases in the West Bank – land Israel captured from Jordan in 1967 and which the Palestinians want for a future state.
“Buying real estate” is illegal as the West Bank is considered occupied Palestinian land and is not “land Israel captured from Jordan in 1967.” For more information on the status of the West Bank, whether “captured” or “occupied,” please consult the page here. Among other important points, Canada does not recognize Israel’s presence in the Palestinian territories as a “capture,” stating explicitly, “Canada does not recognize permanent Israeli control over territories occupied in 1967 (the Golan Heights, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip).”
As such, to make your article accurate, please change “land Israel captured from Jordan in 1967” to “land Israel occupies illegally since 1967.”
Third, by giving voice to public officials and a pro-Israel organization (the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs-CIJA) and describing other pro-Palestine protests negatively, your article perpetuates the idea that pro-Palestine protesters were violent, hateful, and targeting synagogues, although they were not. They were not protesting in front of synagogues because of what they represent to the Jewish people. They were protesting in front of the synagogue because of the events they were hosting: a “real estate event” advertising stolen land for sale in the broader context of genocide in Gaza and the rise of illegal settlements in the West Bank.
Your article undermines the reasons why pro-Palestinian protesters were even protesting, the broader context, and does not give voice to pro-Palestinian protesters to state their intentions precisely.
To make your article less one-sided, I ask you to add context about Gaza and the West Bank and add voices from the Pro-Palestinian protesters so that their intentions are clearly stated and not further mischaracterized.
I hope CP24 will make these changes and consider these suggestions when reporting on pro-Palestine protests.
Sincerely,
Fatima Haidar
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East