"I understand that you may find Hassan Husseini statements controversial or repugnant, but it is misleading and downright ridiculous to claim he is 'celebrating' the attacks of October 7. Such a claim is plainly your opinion, not an established matter of fact. This misrepresentation is a clear case of injecting your opinion into a news piece, which compromises journalistic integrity."
July 26, 2024
To:
Ari David Blaff, National Post
Rob Roberts, Editor-in-chief, National Post
Mr. Blaff,
I am once again writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to express my concern regarding your article titled "Jewish union members condemn PSAC after negotiator praised October 7," published on July 20, 2024, in the Courier Press and the National Post. This article is a glaring example of anti-Palestinian racism, as defined by the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association, and fails to provide a fair and balanced perspective on the issue.
To begin, the framing of your article is fundamentally flawed. I understand that you may find Hassan Husseini statements controversial or repugnant, but it is misleading and downright ridiculous to claim he is "celebrating" the attacks of October 7. Such a claim is plainly your opinion, not an established matter of fact. This misrepresentation is a clear case of injecting your opinion into a news piece, which compromises journalistic integrity. I also suggest you file this piece as an op-ed.
The article, like many other ‘stories’ with your byline, also perpetuates several forms of anti-Palestinian racism, including defamation, dehumanization, and the exclusion of Palestinian voices.
For one, the article heavily features pro-Israel perspectives while completely neglecting voices from the Palestinian community or third parties such as independent human rights organizations. This one-sided reporting creates an imbalanced narrative that excludes the lived experiences and perspectives of Palestinians.
Secondly, you once again unfairly target the UN agency, accusing it of having its supplies ‘pilfered’ by Hamas.
According to UNRWA themselves, they have not received any specific allegations regarding systemic diversion of aid in Gaza by Hamas or other armed groups. Should it be revealed to be the case, UNRWA has stated it would strongly condemn any diversion of humanitarian supplies. UNRWA's distribution of aid is implemented through a robust system of oversight and checks, ensuring the safety and appropriate use of the aid.
This baseless attack ignores and is a gross misrepresentation of the agency and a clear example of anti-Palestinian racism. By echoing these unfounded accusations, the article aligns with the defamatory rhetoric used to undermine humanitarian efforts in Gaza. Please correct this inaccurate claim.
CJPME is considering filing a formal complaint on this article to the NNC. I sincerely hope you consider my points and correct your baseless claims.
Anthony Issa
Media Analyst
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East