"This is not merely an Israeli “counter-offensive.” It has been a year of genocide. Name it genocide, or at very least, please do not perpetuate Israel’s euphemistic language that downplays a year of brutal attacks on Gaza."
October 7, 2024
To:
Allison Jones, Journalist, Canadian Press
Sandra Martin, Standards Editor, The Globe and Mail
Dear Ms. Jones and Ms. Martin,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express serious concerns regarding misleading language used in the Canadian Press article published by The Globe and Mail on October 7, 2024, titled: “Events, protests to be held across Canada to mark one year since Oct. 7 attacks, Israel-Hamas war.”
I am particularly alarmed by your statement: “The Oct. 7, 2023 attack killed more than 1,200 Israelis, while another 250 were abducted and held as hostages, triggering an Israeli counter-offensive in Gaza that the health ministry there says has left more than 41,000 dead.”
Referring to the genocide in Gaza as a "counter-offensive" is not merely misleading; it is an egregious euphemism that journalists should avoid. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the world’s highest court, has ruled that it is plausible that Israel's actions could constitute genocide and has established six provisional measures. These measures compel Israel to take all necessary actions to prevent genocidal acts, including stopping and penalizing incitement to genocide, ensuring that aid and services reach Palestinians under siege in Gaza, and preserving evidence of crimes committed in Gaza.
Furthermore, labelling Israel’s genocide in Gaza as a “counter-offensive” diminishes the suffering Palestinians have been facing for an entire year. For an entire year, we have been witnessing Palestinians being forcibly relocated to so-called “safe” zones by Israel, only to endure constant bombardment. For an entire year, we have been witnessing Gaza’s health system collapsing, with hospitals running out of fuel and unable to treat the injured. For an entire year, we have been witnessing Israel bombing civilian residential neighborhoods and schools, which is illegal under international law.
Lastly, according to the Merriam-Webster definition, “counteroffensive” means “a large-scale military offensive undertaken by a force previously on the defensive.” One might argue that, in a sense, Israel was on the defensive for a single day on October 7. However, the history of the region is such that Israel has for decades not had a defensive posture towards Gaza. This is largely due to Gaza’s long standing economic impoverishment and relatively limited military means. If one does accept that for a day Israel was on the “defensive,” surely the criteria of counteroffensive must at some point come to an end. Ultimately, for a journalist to continue using this type of language is to necessarily be editorializing a situation for your readers in a way that takes a side and is not impartial.
This is not merely an Israeli “counter-offensive.” It has been a year of genocide. Name it genocide, or at very least, please do not perpetuate Israel’s euphemistic language that downplays a year of brutal attacks on Gaza.
Your sentence should rather read: “triggering an Israeli attack in Gaza, that the ICJ is investigating as a plausible case of genocide, that the health ministry there says has left more than 41,000 dead…”
I await your prompt response and expect to see the necessary changes made in the name of accurate reporting.
Sincerely,
Lynn Naji
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East