"Highlighting the ICJ’s ruling is crucial for readers to understand that Israel has not been waging a “counter-offensive” in Gaza after Hamas’ October 7th attacks; it has been committing genocide for the past year. Gaza right now is on the brink of collapse, with Israel ordering evacuation orders, bombing hospitals, imposing a siege and blockade."
October 15, 2024
To:
Joshua Freeman, Journalist, CTV News Toronto
Dan Taylor, Managing Editor, CTV News
Ian Caldwell, Managing Editor, CTV News
Dear Mr. Freeman, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Caldwell,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express both our gratitude and concerns regarding your article titled: “Toronto mayor defends record on handling Israel-Hamas war fallout amid criticism over missing Oct. 7 vigil” published by CTV News Toronto on Thursday October 10, 2024.
In a media landscape often marred by censorship of pro-Palestinian voices, I appreciate your inclusion of a pro-Palestine perspective, especially in challenging the harmful narrative that portrays these protests as hateful or antisemitic. I especially appreciated your mention of the motivations behind the pro-Palestine protests, whose focus, as you noted, “is on trying to end a war which has left more than 41,000 Palestinians dead.”
While I appreciate your mention of the intention behind the pro-Palestine protests, I was disappointed by the use of the word “war” in this context. Instead of stating, “their focus is on trying to end a war which has left more than 41,000 Palestinians dead,” I urge you to avoid language that obscures Israel’s responsibility. A more accurate phrasing would directly acknowledge Israel's role as the aggressor. Your sentence should rather read: “their focus is on trying to end Israel’s war against Palestinians which has left more than 41,000 Palestinians dead.” Alternatively, you might mention the word most used by protesters, that is, “genocide.” Either way, your statement as it stands now is somewhat misleading, as it does not accurately capture the concerns of protesters and what they are fighting.
Second, while you mentioned the current pro-Palestine protests are opposing Israel’s war on Gaza, it would have been helpful to also reference the broader legal context. For example, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an Advisory Opinion that determined Israel’s presence in the entirety of the occupied Palestinian territories—including the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza—as unlawful. This ruling is based on the Fourth Geneva Convention, which explicitly prohibits an occupying power from transferring its population into the territory it occupies.
Furthermore, you could have mentioned that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled it plausible that Israel is committing genocide on Gaza and has established six provisional measures. Highlighting the ICJ’s ruling is crucial for readers to understand that Israel has not been waging a “counter-offensive” in Gaza after Hamas’ October 7th attacks; it has been committing genocide for the past year. Gaza right now is on the brink of collapse, with Israel ordering evacuation orders, bombing hospitals, imposing a siege and blockade. The situation is really very dire, and this context is so important for readers to understand why pro-Palestine demonstrations have been taking place for the past year.
Nevertheless, overall, I found your article refreshing to read. Please continue to write balanced pieces that include pro-Palestinian perspectives.
Sincerely,
Lynn Naji
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East