"While it’s true that General Assembly resolutions aren’t legally binding like Security Council resolutions, dismissing them as having "no legal weight" ignores their significant political impact. The overwhelming support for this resolution reflects a firm international stance against Israel’s apartheid policies, illegal occupation, and ongoing genocide in Palestine. This echoes the global pressure faced by apartheid South Africa in the 20th century, as the world rallied to demand an end to its regime."
December 12, 2024
Dear Sam and Jane,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express serious concerns regarding statements made during your radio segment aired at 8:00 AM on Thursday, December 12, 2024.
First, I am troubled by your unqualified categorization of Hamas as a "terrorist group" in the statement: "The UN General Assembly has voted to demand a permanent ceasefire between Israel Defense Forces and the terror group Hamas in Gaza." As you are no doubt aware, the term "terrorism" is often politicized and used strategically to frame particular groups in a negative light.
Hamas is a Palestinian organization that governs parts of the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip. It operates both as a political force, providing social services and running media outlets, and as a resistance movement against Israel’s illegal military occupation of the Palestinian territories. The right to resist occupation is enshrined in international law, yet this critical context is often omitted in discussions about Hamas. Therefore, the blanket characterization of Hamas as a "terror group" disregards the complexity of the organization and its important role within the Palestinian society.
Furthermore, the designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization is far from universally accepted. As you can see in the linked map, very few countries in the world recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization. It’s mainly the US and its Western allies, which are already complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza in their efforts at supplying weapons to the Israeli Offensive Forces and providing diplomatic cover to Israel.
While the Canadian government recognizes Hamas as a terrorist organization, it also supports Israel, a country where its leaders have been accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.
I urge you, in future reporting, to attribute the categorization of Hamas as a terrorist group to specific bodies, because it certainly is not a universal stance.
Second, I am deeply concerned with the assertion that the U.N. General Assembly resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and supporting the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees “is non-binding" and "carries no legal weight."
While it’s true that General Assembly resolutions aren’t legally binding like Security Council resolutions, dismissing them as having "no legal weight" ignores their significant political impact. The overwhelming support for this resolution reflects a firm international stance against Israel’s apartheid policies, illegal occupation, and ongoing genocide in Palestine. This echoes the global pressure faced by apartheid South Africa in the 20th century, as the world rallied to demand an end to its regime.
These resolutions may not be legally enforceable, but they represent a powerful moral condemnation of Israel’s genocidal actions and exert considerable political pressure. I urge you to acknowledge the political weight of such resolutions in future reporting, as they reflect the growing international consensus for ending genocide, apartheid, and occupation in Palestine.
I understand that this is a live radio segment, but even in such a setting, it’s important for speakers to be mindful of their words and ensure they adhere to the ethical standards set by the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ).