"Your reporting failed to provide adequate scrutiny expected from reporters on Mendicino’s political record. The segment in question vaguely references “mixed reactions” to Mendicino’s appointment within the Liberal caucus but does not delve into his extensive history of anti-Palestinian rhetoric and policies. Your report merely states that he was a “strong advocate for Israel following the October 7 attacks,” an overly neutral phrasing that conceals the full extent of his record."
March 12, 2025
To:
Heather Hiscox, CBC Morning Live, CBC
Nancy Waugh, Managing Editor, CBC News
Brodie Fenlon, News Editor-in-Chief, CBC News
Dear CBC Morning Live team,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express my concerns regarding your broadcast coverage of Marco Mendicino’s appointment as Chief of Staff to Prime Minister-designate Mark Carney that aired on CBC Morning Live with Heather Hiscox, Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 9:14 am.
Your reporting failed to provide adequate scrutiny expected from reporters on Mendicino’s political record. The segment in question vaguely references “mixed reactions” to Mendicino’s appointment within the Liberal caucus but does not delve into his extensive history of anti-Palestinian rhetoric and policies. Your report merely states that he was a “strong advocate for Israel following the October 7 attacks,” an overly neutral phrasing that conceals the full extent of his record.
Context on Meir Weinstein
This is omission is most alarming as Mr. Mendicino has shared posts by pro-Israel figures with far-right affiliations, such as his engagement with Meir Weinstein,
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) denounced his public support of Meir Weinstein as this was an explicit threat of violence on Palestinians. Despite being urged by the NCCM to remove these posts.
It's important to note that Meir Weinstein is the former leader of the Jewish Defense League (JDL) in Canada. The JDL is a group with documented ties to Kahanist extremism—a listed terrorist organization in Canada.
CJPME has produced an extensive report on Weinstein and the JDL for your reference here.
Contextualize Mendicino’s far-right pro-Israel leanings
Given this context, it is extremely concerning that your broadcast made light of Mr. Mendocino’s controversial track record on Israel and Palestine.
CBC’s failure to mention these crucial facts misleads viewers, making Mendicino’s appointment seem like a routine political decision rather than a blatant continuation of Canada’s anti-Palestinian policies.
Mendicino’s refusal to distance himself from Weinstein, even after being confronted about these ties, raises serious concerns about his political judgment and ethical fitness for such a high-ranking role.
In addition to the points already outlined, in a press release, the NCCM highlighted concerns regarding Marco Mendicino’s deeply troubling record on national security, human rights, and anti-Palestinian racism (APR)—all of which were completely ignored in CBC’s coverage.
Here are some of the ani-Palestinian stances Mendicino has taken:
- Mendicino has stood against supporting international institutions like the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and has opposed decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning ongoing human rights abuses.
- Voting against halting weapons exports to human rights abusers—even as the majority of his own party supported the measure.
- Standing against a ceasefire in Gaza, despite overwhelming Liberal caucus and public support.
Mendicino has consistently aligned himself with organizations that vilify Palestinian advocacy, opposed international human rights protections for Palestinians, and failed to condemn Israeli war crimes. He has even publicly denied that there is a genocide in Gaza, despite the overwhelming evidence and concerns of the international community.
The CBC does not elaborate on how this might impact Canada’s policy on Gaza. Given that some of Carney’s strongest supporters were pro-Palestinian MPs, this internal divide will definitely shape Canada’s foreign policy.
This exclusion contributes to the erasure of Palestinian concerns from mainstream political discourse. This lack of critical analysis is unacceptable for a national broadcaster. CBC’s reporting must go beyond surface-level descriptions and hold political figures accountable for their records.
Lack of Precision around Anti-Palestinian Racism (APR)
Your refusal to clearly identify Mendicino’s actions as APR allowed media bias to persist in your broadcast.
Here is a copy of the recently released Canadian Guide to Understanding & Combating Islamophobia produced by Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia. Significantly, the guide builds on Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy by recognizing the unique experience of racism and persecution faced by Palestinians in Canada as anti-Palestinian racism (APR).
Here is a qualification of APR:
Anti-Palestinian racism (APR) has become a significant term used by Canadian Palestinian organizations and civil society to describe the discrimination faced by Palestinian Canadians, a group of over 45,000 people. While many Palestinian Canadians identify as Muslim, they represent a diverse population from different faiths. This form of discrimination extends beyond Palestinians, affecting Arab and Muslim communities as well. Public discourse often unfairly associates Palestinian and Muslim identities with terrorism, leading to harassment, hate crimes, and other negative consequences in schools, workplaces, and communities. Advocacy for Palestinian human rights is sometimes viewed through the lens of suspicion, hostility, and incompatibility with national values.
According to this definition, your coverage of Mendicino’s appointment completely ignored these elements, even though they are central to understanding his political history.
Your segment described Mendicino as having been a “strong advocate for Israel” after October 7. Although Mendicino has publicly and consistently dismissed Palestinian suffering while justifying Israeli aggression; Aligned himself with groups that equate Palestinian advocacy with extremism, fueling the very type of discrimination that the government’s definition of APR warns against; Refused to distance himself from far-right extremists, such as Meir Weinstein of the Jewish Defense League (JDL), a group with documented ties to Kahanist extremism
By omitting these facts, CBC’s reporting sanitizes his record and erases the very real consequences of APR in Canadian politics.
As Canada’s public broadcaster, CBC has a duty to ensure fair and accurate reporting. Therefore, we demand that CBC:
- Issue a follow-up segment that fully contextualizes Mendicino’s record, including his anti-Palestinian rhetoric, support for extremist figures, and opposition to human rights protections for Palestinians.
- Include Palestinian-Canadian voices and human rights experts in future discussions about political appointments and Canada’s foreign policy.
- Avoid softening language that obscures the reality of APR, particularly when discussing politicians with documented histories of anti-Palestinian positions.
I expect a proper response by the CBC to correct this failure. Furthermore, I would appreciate a response outlining how CBC will ensure future reporting does not contribute to the normalization of APR in its journalistic standards.
I look forward to your response,
Sincerely,
Anthony Issa
Media Analyst
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East