"Clear and accurate reporting is crucial, especially when addressing violations of international humanitarian law. I, therefore, immediately urge you to change the headline to: "A wounded Palestinian was used as a human shield, beaten, and tied to an Israeli army jeep." It is essential to accurately reflect this information as it significantly shapes readers’ perceptions of the story, even if they do not read the entire article."
June 27, 2024
To:
Julia Frankel, Jersualem Correspondant, Associated Press
Maya Alleruzzo, Photojournalist, Associated Press
Anne Marie Owens, Editor-in-Chief, Toronto Star
Donovan Vincent, Public Editor, Toronto Star
Dear Ms. Frankel, Ms Alleruzzo, Ms. Owens, Mr. Vincent,
I’m writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to express our concerns regarding the headline of your article: “A Palestinian was shot, beaten and tied to an Israeli army jeep. The army says he posed no threat” published on June 26, 2024, by the Toronto Star.
I challenge your decision not to describe the incident in the headline as an example of the Israeli Army using Palestinian civilian Mujahid Abadi as a human shield.
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations’ special rapporteur to the occupied Palestinian territory, described this incident as “human shielding in action.” More importantly, the use of human shields is prohibited under Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions and is considered both a war crime and a violation of humanitarian law. Unfortunately, your current headline does not address the gravity of the Israeli Army’s actions as it fails to accurately convey that Mujahid was used as a human shield.
Clear and accurate reporting is crucial, especially when addressing violations of international humanitarian law. I, therefore, immediately urge you to change the headline to: "A wounded Palestinian was used as a human shield, beaten, and tied to an Israeli army jeep." It is essential to accurately reflect this information as it significantly shapes readers’ perceptions of the story, even if they do not read the entire article.
Thank you for considering this request seriously in the interest of upholding the principles of accurate and responsible journalism.
Sincerely,
Lynn Naji
Junior Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East