"If the U.S. were committed to a ceasefire, they would not make such public statements and actions that indicate, on the opposite, that they are prepared to support Israel in its plans. One should present a more balanced and accurate portrayal of the U.S.’s position as it causes prejudice and demonizes the other parties implicated, such as Iran."
August 01, 2024
To:
Caroline Barghout, Investigative Reporter, CBC Manitoba
Nancy Waugh, Sr. Manager, Journalistic Standards, CBC
Dear Caroline Barghout and Nancy Waugh,
I am writing to express concerns about the article: “Does assassination of Hamas leader in Iran signal start of a regional war?” published on July 31 in CBC News.
You write:
On Tuesday, less than 24 hours before Haniyeh’s death, Israel took out top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, also known as Sayyid Muhsan, in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Israeli military said the killing was retaliation for a rocket attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights three days earlier that killed 12 children.
There are two issues in this paragraph.
First, you completely omitted to mention that the Israeli strike killed three women and two children, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, and injured more than 80. This omission of information not only renders lives on the Lebanese side as nonvaluable but also absolves Israel’s responsibility for inflicting damage and destruction in Lebanon, which goes beyond Israel trying to target assassinating a Hezbollah commander.
Please update your article to mention the casualties on the Lebanese side.
Second, you only provided Israel’s justification for airstriking Beirut without questioning it.
As many experts have already indicated, it would make no sense for Hezbollah to launch an attack on the Golan Heights when it is an occupied Syrian territory by Israel since 1967, and Hezbollah has been an ally of Assad’s Syria. Several eyewitnesses have claimed that they saw the Iron Dome misfire and cause the destruction. Others have claimed that the missile was likely a misfire by Hezbollah and fell on the camp accidentally. In any case, the exact facts are in dispute, and one should question the claims made by Israel, especially this one, as it serves Israel’s strategy of finding an excuse to start a regional war and not wanting a ceasefire.
I ask that you nuance your article by adding that Hezbollah has denied being responsible for the rocket attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 children.
Third, you omit to nuance the U.S.’s position, which results in presenting them in a good light and presenting Iran as the one who “seeks revenge.”
While the U.S. has publicly stated that it is working on achieving a ceasefire, its actions have contradicted this claim.
On Wednesday, a day after Haniyeh was killed, according to the Pentagon, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirmed the US’s “unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and right to self-defense” in a call with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant.[1]
According to open-source intelligence, the US is moving the USS Wasp class: USS Wasp (LHD-1), USS New York (LPD-21), USS Oak Hill (LSD-51), and 2,500 Marines with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit from the Greek island of Crete towards Lebanon.
If the U.S. were committed to a ceasefire, they would not make such public statements and actions that indicate, on the opposite, that they are prepared to support Israel in its plans. One should present a more balanced and accurate portrayal of the U.S.’s position as it causes prejudice and demonizes the other parties implicated, such as Iran.
I ask that you provide more background information on the U.S.’s actions to make your article more balanced.
I hope CBC will make these changes and be more critical when reporting on Israel’s actions.
Sincerely,
Fatima Haidar,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
[1] “Ismail Haniyeh killing plunges Biden diplomacy into chaos but shows Iran’s vulnerability,” Middle East Eye, accessed August 1, 2024 at https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-win-haniyeh-killing-plunges-biden-ceasefire-diplomacy-chaos-shows-iran-vulnerable