"The current headline downplays Israel’s actions and doesn’t capture the core angle of the story. A significant portion of the article centers around Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, the head of Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital, who claims he was tortured, not merely abused, by the Israelis. CJPME demands that the headline be corrected to emphasize Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya’s claims of torture."
June 2nd, 2024
To:
Nancy Waugh, Managing Editor, CBC News
Brodie Fenlon, News Editor in Chief, CBC News
Paul Moore, Senior Adviser, CBC Journalistic Standards and Languages, CBC News
John Daniszewski, Vice President and Editor at Large for Standards, Associated Press
Nicole Meir, Media Relations Manager, Associated Press
Dear CBC and Associated Press Newsrooms,
I am writing to express my concern regarding your recent article titled “Israel orders Palestinians to flee Khan Younis, signaling possible return of troops,” published by The CBC and the Associated Press on July 2, 2024. Your article presents a misleading headline and omits critical information.
Firstly, the current headline downplays Israel’s actions and doesn’t capture the core angle of the story. A significant portion of the article centers around Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, the head of Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital, who claims he was tortured, not merely abused, by the Israelis. CJPME demands that the headline be corrected to emphasize Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya’s claims of torture.
Furthermore, the article fails to mention that Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya was detained by Israel at the Sde Teiman detention center, which has been notorious for torture, as highlighted in a recent CNN report.
Whistleblowers have revealed that Palestinians at Sde Teiman were abused while strapped down, blindfolded, and even held in diapers. Whistleblowers reported that “doctors sometimes amputated prisoners’ limbs due to injuries sustained from constant handcuffing,” that medical procedures were sometimes performed by underqualified medics, earning the facility a reputation as “a paradise for interns,” and that the air was filled with the smell of neglected wounds left to rot.
This is clear evidence of torture. Omitting this information from your reporting is irresponsible and goes against essential standards of journalism. Please add this context to your article.
Additionally, you fail to mention that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office stated the release of detainees followed a petition filed to the high court against the detention of prisoners at Sde Teiman, not solely because the Israeli state needed “to free up space in overcrowded detention centers.” This context is crucial and must be included.
The article also uses passive language that undermines Israel’s actions and responsibility for killing Palestinians. Here are two sentences that exemplify this issue:
"Israel has since raided several other Gaza hospitals on similar allegations, forcing them to shut down or dramatically reduce services even as tens of thousands have been wounded in Israeli strikes or sickened in the harsh conditions of the war."
"Tens of thousands have been wounded in Israeli strikes or sickened in the harsh conditions of the war."
These statements obscure Israel's direct responsibility and genocidal actions towards Palestinians. This language minimizes the severity and culpability of Israel's actions, failing to convey the true impact on Palestinian lives.
I also take issue with the sentence, "The army raided Shifa a second time earlier this year, causing heavy destruction after saying that militants had regrouped there."
This framing fails to mention that Israel besieged the hospital for two weeks, with 30,000 Palestinians sheltering inside. Journalists were stripped, blindfolded, interrogated, beaten, and taken to undisclosed locations. Palestinians were arrested, killed, and mass graves were found on site. This framing softens and whitewashes the very clear crimes against humanity carried out by the state of Israel in their genocide against Palestinians.
Additionally, the article’s claim that "Hospitals can lose their protection under international law if combatants use them for military purposes" appears to justify Israel’s extremist and unlawful actions without skepticism. Unless the CBC and the Associated Press have a reliable primary source other than the Israeli state or military on these hospitals sheltering Hamas fighters, you should critically evaluate these justifications. The Israeli military is not an impartial source in this situation. An occupying force will use any justification to maintain its military operations. There is a clear double standard at play here, as similar claims made by Hamas fighters would likely not be reported with the same amount of credibility.
Lastly, your article states, "Since the start of the war, Israeli forces have detained thousands of Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank." Be precise with your numbers—over 9,000 Palestinians have been illegally arrested and detained.
CJPME cannot stress enough that the CBC and AP pay special attention to this matter. We demand that you make the necessary corrections and revisions to ensure a clear presentation of this genocide.
I await your response,
Anthony Issa
Media Analyst
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East