"While it is true that civilians were killed at the Nova music festival, the attack occurred across multiple locations, including military bases and settlements near the Gaza border. By narrowing the focus to a music festival, the article distorts the broader context of the attack and implies that it was solely an assault on a cultural event rather than part of a larger confrontation between Hamas and Israel."
March 13, 2025
To:
Nicole MacIntyre, Editor-in-Chief, Toronto Star
Debra Yeo, Deputy Editor, Toronto Star
Donovan Vincent, Public Editor, Toronto Star
Marisa Coulton, Staff Reporter, Toronto Star
Dear Toronto Star newsroom,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to raise my concern with the recent article published by Marisa Coulton titled “Toronto police apologize to Jewish community after backlash to podcast episode,” published on March 12, 2025.
I take issue with your sixth graph:
On Oct. 7, Hamas attacked a music festival in Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250 as hostages. The ensuing Israeli war effort has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to the latest death toll from the Gaza Health Ministry.
The phrase “attacked a music festival” is extremely misleading and selectively frames October 7 as an attack exclusively targeting a festival, reinforcing a pro-Israel narrative that completely decontextualizes the events of Oct 7.
While it is true that civilians were killed at the Nova music festival, the attack occurred across multiple locations, including military bases and settlements near the Gaza border. By narrowing the focus to a music festival, the article distorts the broader context of the attack and implies that it was solely an assault on a cultural event rather than part of a larger confrontation between Hamas and Israel.
A more accurate and balanced way to describe October 7 would acknowledge the complexity of the events, the multiple locations affected, and the broader historical context. Here’s a more precise alternative I’d recommend:
"On Oct. 7, Hamas and other armed groups from Gaza launched an attack on southern Israel, targeting military installations and civilian areas. The attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of around 250 hostages. In response, Israel launched a military siege on Gaza, which has since killed more than 48,000 Palestinians.”
If you remain unconvinced by my concerns and my recommendation, here is a passage by the Associated Press which properly reports and contextualize the events of October 7 in a proper way while also being more objective and journalistic tone:
“Israel launched its war against Hamas after the militant group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, in which some 1,200 people were killed and roughly 250 were taken hostage. Within hours, Israel began a devastating air assault on Gaza, and weeks later it launched a ground invasion
Israel has inflicted heavy losses on Hamas. It has killed most of its top leadership, and claims to have killed thousands of fighters while dismantling tunnels and weapons factories. Months of bombardment and urban warfare have left Gaza in ruins, and more than 47,000 Palestinians are dead, according to local health authorities who don’t distinguish between militants and civilians in their count.”
This is the standard the Toronto Star should follow. If you compare it to the Toronto Star’s passage, stating that Hamas “attacked a music festival” suggests that the entire assault was directed at this event, which is not true.
The phrase “launched an attack on southern Israel” is more accurate than “attacked a music festival”, as it reflects the full extent of the events. The phrase “targeting military installations and civilian areas” acknowledges that the attack was not exclusively against civilians, without downplaying the harm to them
As I’ve demonstrated, the article’s phrasing is inaccurate and imbalanced, selectively reinforcing an Israeli-centric narrative of October 7 while failing to properly contextualize Palestinian deaths and Israel’s military response. These distortions violate journalistic principles of fairness and accuracy and require immediate correction.
I demand that you make the appropriate corrections,
Anthony Issa
Media Analyst
CJPME