"You quote Zeid’s remark that “this conflict did not start on October 7th” without providing any context. A concerning trend we’ve been observing in Canadian media is the tendency to begin the timeline on October 7th, failing to acknowledge that for decades, Israeli settlers have looted Palestinian land, attacked civilians, and forcibly expelled Palestinians from their homeland."
October 11, 2024
To:
Tyler Searle, Journalist, Winnipeg Free Press
Chris Kitching, Journalist, Winnipeg Free Press
Paul Samyn, Editor, Winnipeg Free Press
Dear Mr. Searle, Mr. Kitching, and Mr. Samyn,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express our concerns regarding your article titled: “Manitoba Jewish criticize misleading rally” published by Winnipeg Free Press on Monday October 7, 2024.
While the article captures the sentiments of Israeli officials and Jewish organizations regarding the Palestinian rally, it does so at the expense of a balanced narrative. You briefly quote Ramsey Zeid, president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba, who states that the rally commemorates “the lives that have been lost in the last year, and in the last 75 years.” However, this pro-Palestine perspective is presented without the historical context essential for readers to understand Israel’s decades-long occupation of Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, as well as the reasons behind the current Palestinian rallies—not only against the ongoing genocide in occupied Gaza but also against Israel’s decades of violent occupation and dispossession.
Furthermore, you quote Zeid’s remark that “this conflict did not start on October 7th” without providing any context. A concerning trend we’ve been observing in Canadian media is the tendency to begin the timeline on October 7th, failing to acknowledge that for decades, Israeli settlers have looted Palestinian land, attacked civilians, and forcibly expelled Palestinians from their homeland.
You could have, for example, mentioned the ICJ Advisory Opinion which determined that Israel’s presence in the entirety of the occupied Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, is unlawful. This is based on the Fourth Geneva Convention, which explicitly prohibits the transfer of an occupier’s population into the territory it occupies. Additionally, you could have mentioned the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” during which Israel forcibly expelled 700,000 Palestinians, massacred 15,000, and destroyed approximately 500 towns, leading to the establishment of the State of Israel on 4,244,776 acres of stolen Palestinian land in 1948.
By focusing primarily on the misleading nature of the pro-Palestine rally, your article contributes to the demonization of Palestinians and their supporters, portraying them primarily as threats or sources of misinformation.
In the spirit of fair journalism, I urge you to provide more balanced coverage in the future that includes Palestinian perspectives and the context necessary to understand the motivations behind pro-Palestine protests.
Thank you for your attention to this vital issue. I await your response.
Sincerely,
Lynn Naji
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East