"This sustained bombardment has left Syria defenseless, effectively shaping the country for a new administration that lacks the means to resist. Yet, your article presents these aggressive actions as strategic, failing to report on Israel’s destructive, unlawful and occupying encroachment on Syria."
December 10, 2024
David Walmsley, Editor-in-Chief, Globe and Mail
Sylvia Stead, Public Editor, Globe and Mail
Sandra Martin, Standards Editor, Globe and Mail
To the Globe and Mail newsroom,
I am writing to express serious concern about your article titled “What is happening in Syria? Everything we know so far about the fall of Assad’s dictatorship and its regional impact,” published on December 10, 2024. The article's framing, particularly in the section “Why is Israel carrying out airstrikes in Syria?”, falls woefully short of providing an accurate and balanced account of Israel's unlawful attacks on Syria.
First, the article neglects to acknowledge that Israel occupies the Golan Heights, which is internationally recognized as Syrian territory. By framing Israel’s actions purely as “self-defense,” the piece erases the historical and legal context of Israel’s continued occupation and expansionist policies in Syria. You fail to mention that Israel has actively worked to consolidate its control over more Syrian land even further than the Golan Heights days after the fall of al-Assad’s regime. This is a practice that violates international law and the ceasefire agreement signed by Israel and Syria in 1974.
Reports also indicate that Israel’s army has seized a buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights, with Army Radio claiming that Syrian soldiers abandoned their positions. This act has drawn widespread condemnation, including from the Arab League who are accusing Israel of committing an unlawful and grab. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric also stated that any violation of Syrian territorial integrity is unacceptable. This includes Israel.
Despite such clear international opposition, your article omits these critical details, portraying Israel’s actions as legitimate security measures.
Moreover, over the past 60 hours Israel has unleashed unprecedented air strikes across Syria, targeting Damascus, Homs, Qamishli, and Latakia. Al Jazeera reports reveal that these strikes have decimated Syria’s air defenses, military infrastructure, and weaponry, with the Israeli military boasting about destroying 80 per cent of Syria’s military capabilities. This sustained bombardment has left Syria defenseless, effectively shaping the country for a new administration that lacks the means to resist. Yet, your article presents these aggressive actions as strategic, failing to report on Israel’s destructive, unlawful and occupying encroachment on Syria.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Syria’s new government which further reveals Israel’s expansionist agenda. He has warned against any cooperation with Iran, promising a "heavy price" for actions deemed threatening to Israeli interests. Such rhetoric underscores Israel's aggressive stance, which your one-sided article fails to include. Instead, the piece minimizes these violations of sovereignty, framing them as necessary security precautions.
Furthermore, the article's focus on Israel’s perspective, without sufficient acknowledgment of Syrian sovereignty or the impact on its civilian population, perpetuates a misleading narrative that excludes the Syrian perspective. It is also dehumanizing towards Syrians concerned with Israel's aggressive attacks days after the fall of Assad’s regime. Secular and independent Syrian advocacy groups such as Wanabqa have condemned Israel’s actions and are pleading for the international community to take measures against Israel for its invasion of Syrian territory.
I urge the Globe and Mail to revise this article to include the broader context of Israel’s actions in Syria, their violation of international law, and the voices condemning these actions.
If these concerns remain unaddressed, I will have no choice but to escalate this matter to the National NewsMedia Council.
Anthony Issa
Media Analyst
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East