"I ask once again that if the National Post is an openly Zionist newspaper, then it should clearly disclose this to readers instead of misleading them into believing they are getting balanced journalism. Your paper’s editorial stance is not dictated by journalistic integrity but by ideological loyalty to Israel."
February 26, 2025
To:
Rob Roberts, Editor-in-Chief, National Post
Dear Mr. Roberts and by extension the Jewish News Syndicate,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to express serious concerns regarding your recent article, “Netanyahu orders 'massive' counter-terror op after three buses bombed near Tel Aviv”, published by the National Post and sourced from the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS).
I take issue with this article because it is factually incorrect and pins blame on a suspect assuming they are Palestinian although after cross verification, it seems likely both suspects were Jewish Israelis. I also want to remind you that your close ties to JNS, as well as your admitted ideological one-sidedness, raises serious ethical concerns about the integrity of your reporting.
As highlighted in my previous letter regarding your open collaboration with this far-right wire service, the JNS openly honored you and National Post for your coverage of Israel, praising your newspaper as essential in “covering Jew hatred in Canada since Oct. 7.” Receiving an award from a pro-Israel media outlet while overseeing National Post’s Middle East coverage is a blatant conflict of interest that compromises any claim of editorial independence.
I ask once again that if the National Post is an openly Zionist newspaper, then it should clearly disclose this to readers instead of misleading them into believing they are getting balanced journalism. Your paper’s editorial stance is not dictated by journalistic integrity but by ideological loyalty to Israel.
Additionally, I would like clarification regarding your visit to Israel as part of a delegation since the National Post has failed to disclose whether this trip was funded by the Israeli government, pro-Israel lobbying groups, or other political interests.
Did a foreign government or political lobby pay for this trip? If so, that information should be fully disclosed to readers in order to be transparent with your editorial independence.
Now, let’s get to the article itself.
It repeatedly refers to the occupied West Bank as “Judea and Samaria”—a biblical, politically charged term Israeli authorities use to justify settlement expansion and annexation. This terminology isn’t internationally recognized and directly contradicts legal and diplomatic frameworks upheld by the United Nations and the Canadian government, both of which recognize the West Bank as occupied Palestinian territory.
Using this term is not neutral—it’s a deliberate editorial choice that erases Palestinian history and identity. It pushes the idea that the West Bank belongs to Israel while denying Palestinians their Indigenous ties and rightful claims to the land. This is a textbook case of anti-Palestinian racism (APR) as defined by the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association (ACLA).
Many purveyors of APR, including far-right pro-Israel groups like Honest Reporting Canada (HRC), argue that all of historic Palestine is part of Israel yet refuse to grant citizenship or rights to Palestinians living in the West Bank. HRC considers “Judea and Samaria” integral to modern Israel but simultaneously claims only 21 per cent of Israel’s population is Arab, referring exclusively to Palestinians with Israeli citizenship. This blatant contradiction reveals a racialized, exclusionary vision where the land belongs to Israel, but its Palestinian population does not.
Let me illustrate this through far-right pro-Israel vigilante organizations like Magen Herut Canada, which advocates for the permanent settlement of the occupied West Bank and Gaza—a policy that directly violates international law. Magen Herut fundraises through Magshimey Herut North America, an organization rooted in Ze’ev Jabotinsky’s extremist ideology that calls for a Jewish state on both sides of the Jordan River. These are not fringe beliefs—they are explicitly far-right expansionist ideologies that fuel ongoing violence and displacement against Palestinians.
It is alarming that a mainstream Canadian newspaper would parrot JNS’s terminology and exclude all of this critical context. By doing so, National Post implicitly endorses a political ideology championed by far-right extremist groups that justifies violence, occupation, and the erasure of Palestinian rights.
Failure to provide accurate suspect information
Your article states that the Shin Bet arrested "three people, including at least one Palestinian and one Jewish Israeli" in connection with the bombing incident. The article reports that "the Palestinian suspect was in Israel illegally," although no other report makes mention of an “Illegal Palestinian. Furthermore, this implies that the mere presence of Palestinians, who are indigenous to the land, is itself incriminating. By contrast, illegal Israeli settlers—who routinely incite violence and occupy Palestinian land in violation of international law—are never described as being in the West Bank “illegally” in your coverage. This glaring double standard erases the power imbalance and systemic discrimination that define Israel’s occupation.
Furthermore, this claim about a Palestinian extremist is baseless. According to the Jerusalem Post, Shin Bet actually arrested two Jewish Israeli suspects, who are being investigated for aiding in the transportation of the suspects responsible for planting the bombs. This discrepancy raises serious concerns about the accuracy of your reporting. Presenting a Palestinian suspect as the primary focus of the arrests—when, in fact, the main suspects were Jewish Israelis—misleads readers and reinforces harmful stereotypes associating Palestinians with terrorism.
Lack of contextual reporting on military escalation
The article states that the Israeli military launched a large-scale operation in the occupied West Bank following the bombing, including the deployment of three additional battalions and the closure of certain areas. However, it fails to acknowledge that Israeli forces have been conducting relentless military raids in Palestinian towns and refugee camps for months, killing hundreds and displacing thousands. Presenting Israel’s military actions solely as a response to security incidents distorts the reality of the ongoing Israeli military occupation and repression.
Given these significant issues, I urge the National Post and the Jewish News Syndicate to correct the misrepresentation of suspect arrests and accurately reflect the involvement of Jewish Israeli individuals. I also demand your newsroom use proper terminology to describe the occupied West Bank.
For the sake of transparency and accountability, I will be escalating this issue with Hudson’s Bay, one of Postmedia’s major advertisers. Hudson’s Bay has already been reviewing my concerns about National Post’s biased reporting and continued reliance on the far-right JNS wire service. Now, given that you’ve once again published a JNS article that distorts reality, erases Palestinian identity, and promotes dangerous misinformation, I will take this matter directly to their Corporate Social Responsibility team for further action.
I look forward to your response
Sincerely,
Anthony Issa
Media Analyst
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East