"I would like to remind the Toronto Star that my concerns stem from a place of good intention in order to hold journalists and Canadian media accountable in their reporting of Israel-Palestine and raise awareness about harmful stereotypes that vilify Arabs. I look forward to hearing your thoughts."
To:
Donovan Vincent, Public Editor, Toronto Star
Raisa Patel, Journalist, Toronto Star
Dear Ms. Patel and Mr. Vincent,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) regarding your recent article titled, “NDP MP cautioned for wearing pin supporting Palestinians in the House of Commons.”
First, I want to thank you for your balanced and fair reporting on MP Heather McPherson’s decision to wear a watermelon pin symbolizing solidarity with Palestine and the controversy it sparked in the House of Commons.
However, in the interest of accurate reporting, I would like to offer a recommendation regarding the misleading language used in this sentence: “Since Hamas’s deadly Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and the resulting loss of lives in Gaza from Israel’s retaliatory strikes, the watermelon has become a mainstream symbol to signal support for Palestinian rights.”
Referring to Israel’s more than one year of genocide in occupied Gaza as “retaliatory” is misleading but also a euphemism that journalists should stop saying. Israel has been repeatedly bombing civilian neighbourhoods, schools, and other non-military sites. These acts violate international law. Furthermore, 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.
Even if one were to accept the notion of self-defence in response to the events of October 7, it cannot justify Israel’s over a year of continuous genocide that is disproportionately killing and affecting Palestinian civilians.
Therefore, using terms like “retaliatory” or “offensive” editorializes the situation, undermining the impartiality expected of responsible journalism.
I believe the Toronto Star should rework the sentence based on this suggestion:“Since Hamas’s deadly Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and the resulting loss of lives in occupied Gaza from Israel’s genocide, the watermelon has become a mainstream symbol to signal support for Palestinian rights.”
While this concern may seem subtle, the implications of misleading language in media coverage is profound, particularly in a media landscape where Palestinian voices are often silenced and misrepresented.
I would like to remind the Toronto Star that my concerns stem from a place of good intention in order to hold journalists and Canadian media accountable in their reporting of Israel-Palestine and raise awareness about harmful stereotypes that vilify Arabs. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Warm regards,
Lynn Naji
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East