This type of celebration of state violence, especially in a context where civilians, including children, were killed is a new low for the conservative newspaper. This piece violates the ethical principles of responsible journalism, particularly as outlined by the National NewsMedia Council (NNC).
Poor coverage – Media outlet to be critiqued
A CJPME Media Researcher has launched a media alert for the following article. Please submit a quick response to the media, even if it’s just a sentence or two:
Title of Piece: Brendan O'Neill: This wasn’t a war crime — it was an audacious assault on antisemites
Media Outlet: The National Post
Click here to access the piece on-line.
Comments of the CJPME Media Researcher:
(Note: Please do not copy and paste the material below as the content to your message to the media - put all comments in your own words):
Brendan O’Neill’s column published in the National Post crosses the line of acceptable journalistic standards, even for opinion, and exhibits blatant anti-Arab racism and dehumanizing rhetoric towards Lebanese civilians. The piece celebrates an attack that caused thousands of explosions across Lebanon, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries, while framing the event as a triumph of Israeli ingenuity. This type of celebration of state violence, especially in a context where civilians, including children, were killed is a new low for the conservative newspaper. This piece violates the ethical principles of responsible journalism, particularly as outlined by the National NewsMedia Council (NNC).
- O’Neill’s opening paragraph mocks the victims of the attack with offensive and dehumanizing language, such as “getting your balls blown off by a primed pager,” which trivializes the human suffering involved.
- The article further conflates anti-Zionism with antisemitism, a dangerous and misleading narrative that falsely equates political opposition to Israel’s policies with hatred toward Jewish people. This erasure of the distinction between Zionism and Judaism not only distorts the reality of political discourse but also fuels harmful stereotypes towards Arabs.
- O'Neill’s framing of Hezbollah as “medieval militants” reinforces deeply problematic, orientalist stereotypes of Arabs as barbaric and uncivilized, while ignoring the broader context of the conflict, including Israeli airstrikes and the displacement of Lebanese civilians. This one-sided portrayal omits key facts, such as the tens of thousands of Israeli air sorties over Lebanon and the displacement of nearly 100,000 people in southern Lebanon. This lack of balance and omission of crucial context breaches journalistic fairness and impartiality.
- The article minimizes the severity of Israel’s actions, which human rights organizations have condemned for violating international humanitarian law. The use of booby traps like the exploding pagers, which are indiscriminate and put civilians at grave risk, clearly violates the laws of war. The piece not only glorifies this violence but also dismisses the legitimate concerns raised by international legal standards.
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