The Media Accountability Project  

If AP is not willing to assign blame on Hezbollah for the rocket attack in the Occupied Golan Heights, how can Global News do so?

"Writing 'in retaliation' attributes responsibility to Hezbollah for the killing of 12 children in the Occupied Golan Heights. At the time of writing, this claim remains meaningfully disputed."

August 9, 2024

To:

Touria Izri, Digital Broadcast Journalist, Global News

Rishma Govani, Director of Communications News & Radio, Global News

 

Dear Touria Izri and Rishma Govani,

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 article: “Canada pulls diplomats’ families out of Israel as fears of a spiral grow,” published on August 8, 2024, on Global News.

I take foremost issue with the following sentence in your article: "Israel said it killed Fuad Shukr – a top Hezbollah military commander – in retaliation for a rocket attack from Lebanon that killed 12 children and teenagers."

Writing "in retaliation" attributes responsibility to Hezbollah for the killing of 12 children in the Occupied Golan Heights. At the time of writing, this claim remains meaningfully disputed.

Hezbollah has denied it is behind the attack, which is notable. Many experts have already indicated that it would make no strategic sense for Hezbollah to launch an attack on the Golan Heights. Since 1967, the Syrian Golan Heights have been occupied by Israel. Hezbollah is an ally of Assad. Several eyewitnesses have even claimed that they saw the Iron Dome misfire and cause the destruction. Most compelling, the Associated Press has not been able to verify who was responsible. If the AP is not willing to assign blame, despite investigations backed by significant resources, how can Global News do so?

Attributing responsibility to Hezbollah for the killing of 12 children is to take Israel’s words at face value, which is problematic and concerning.

I, therefore, ask you to clarify your sentence this way: "Israel said it killed Fuad Shukr – a top Hezbollah military commander – in retaliation for a rocket attack it blames on Hezbollah that killed 12 children and teenagers. Hezbollah has denied being behind the attack."

I hope that Global News will make these changes and be more cautious and skeptical when reporting on claims made by Israel.

Sincerely,

Fatima Haidar

Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East

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