"This is also a major double standard on the part of your newsroom. Imagine describing Russia's actions in Ukraine using Kremlin terminology such as using the term “special military operation” instead of “war.” It would rightly be condemned as irresponsible. The same standard should be applied to Palestinians in the West Bank."
January 27, 2025
To the CBC Radio One Calgary newsroom,
I am writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express my concern regarding your one-sided coverage of Israel’s siege on the West Bank and brutal raids in Jenin.
For the past week I have raised the alarm about your lack of balance when covering the West Bank. Unfortunately, your morning broadcast that aired today at 5:35 am is no different than before and continues to dehumanize and exclude Palestinian narratives.
I take issue with these two statements:
"The Gaza cease-fire, which came into effect last Sunday, has not put an end to the violence between Israelis and Palestinians in Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
And.
“Israeli forces have begun a new campaign called Operation Iron Wall. An Israeli military spokesman said that the Israeli defence forces are applying lessons learnt in Gaza.”
As I’ve repeated before, this framing uncritically repeats the IDF’s narrative of a counterterrorism operation without questioning its proportionality or compliance with international law.
In these two snippets alone, your broadcast whitewashes Israeli military’s actions by blindly repeating their justifications for their special military “operation” by uncritically spotlighting the claims made by Israeli military spokespeople. These are sources who have a clear vested interest in protecting the image of their army and will deliberately exclude any aspects of their raids that violate human rights.
Furthermore, the article barely includes any Palestinian perspectives which contributes to this one-sided reporting that heavily relies on the claims made by an occupying force.
You need to report this as a siege. Not some fancy military operation name propagated by soldiers.
The broadcast also failed to provide essential context about the impact on Palestinian civilians and communities by Israel’s siege on Jenin and raids in the West Bank. When discussing Israel's operations in the West Bank, your broadcast claims that they target militants. However, the segment overlooked the challenges faced by emergency services and civilians, such as restricted access for ambulances, disruptions to water supplies, and the broader impact on families and neighborhoods due to these Israeli raids. Most importantly, you fail to mention that the UN estimates that at least 2,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in Jenin prior to and during these brutal attacks as well.
This is also a major double standard on the part of your newsroom. Imagine describing Russia's actions in Ukraine using Kremlin terminology such as using the term “special military operation” instead of “war.” It would rightly be condemned as irresponsible. The same standard should be applied to Palestinians in the West Bank.
As the National Public Broadcaster, CBC has a responsibility to provide fair, accurate, and comprehensive reporting.
For future coverage, I demand that the CBC include detailed accounts of the devastating impacts these raids have on Palestinian civilians.
I urge you again to take these concerns seriously.
Anthony Issa
Media Analyst
CJPME