The Media Accountability Project  

CBC makes sweeping generalizations to describe Israel’s view of the Nakba

"It is critical that CBC not use sweeping generalizations to describe Israel’s view of the Nakba and provide at least some acknowledgment of the diverse views within Israeli society."

May 2, 2024

To:

Francis Plourde, CBC News BC

Nancy Waugh, CBC

Dear Francis Plourde and Nancy Waugh,

I’m writing to express concern about unfair framing and half-truths stated as facts in the recent article, “Proposal to teach Palestinian history in schools faces backlash,” published by CBC News on May 2, 2024.

As your own article shows, the statement early on that “The proposal has drawn backlash from members of the Jewish community” is very much a half-truth. The proposal is backed by Independent Jewish Voices and many others within the Jewish community. Your article should be more clear that the proposal has drawn mixed reactions from members of the Jewish community — this would be far more fair and appropriate framing.

Next, I’m concerned about the statement that “Israel insists the Palestinians were not driven out, but instead that most of them left the territory voluntarily for various reasons, among them to avoid being caught in the crossfire.” Such commentary is inappropriate in a news article, as it rests on a sweeping generalization that is not true in multiple senses.

  1. Israel has no “official” perspective on the Nakba, so to make such a claim with whitewashed language is both misleading and highly inappropriate. There are notable Israeli scholars, activists, and politicians who view the Nakba as forced expulsion and ethnic cleansing.
  2. There are those in Israeli society who view the Nakba as a form of ethnic cleansing to be celebrated. Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter called for “Gaza’s Nakba,” an implicit recognition of the horrors of 1948 and a call to repeat it today. Dichter’s comment is one among many such comments made by Israeli officials that call for a modern-day Nakba.

It is critical that CBC not use sweeping generalizations to describe Israel’s view of the Nakba and provide at least some acknowledgment of the diverse views within Israeli society.

Sincerely,

Jason Toney

Director of Media Advocacy, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East

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