"Both the writers of this piece, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand refer to “the West Bank,” as opposed to the Israeli Occupied West Bank. The failure to mention the context of Israeli occupation obscures the fact that Palestinian Canadians there face the added difficulties of settler and Israeli military violence, numerous Israeli checkpoints, and travel restrictions before they can access safety outside the country."
June 20, 2025Dear Globe and Mail editorial team,
Your article, “Ottawa facing criticism for not doing more to help Canadians leave Middle East,” fails to provide necessary context to understand the difficulties faced by Canadians in the region.
Although thousands of Canadians in Iran are presently at risk of death or injury from the unprovoked Israeli rocket and bombing attacks, and those in the occupied territories face both bombs and escalating settler violence, the piece focuses on Canadians in Israel. Not one Iranian or Palestinian Canadian in the occupied territories is interviewed.
Instead we have a fulsome story about how former Conservative member of Parliament Michelle Ferreri, who was in Israel on an propaganda tour financed by the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto, felt she had to wear running shoes when crossing into Jordan for safety.
Both the writers of this piece, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand refer to “the West Bank,” as opposed to the Israeli Occupied West Bank. The failure to mention the context of Israeli occupation obscures the fact that Palestinian Canadians there face the added difficulties of settler and Israeli military violence, numerous Israeli checkpoints, and travel restrictions before they can access safety outside the country.
The difficulties faced by Canadian visitors to Israel—an ex MP, a charity worker, a hockey player, are personalized and humanized, and the article closes with a quote from a spokesperson from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (not the Centre for Jewish and Israel Affairs sic).Visitors to the occupied West Bank or Iran, more likely to be Palestinian or Iranian Canadians, remain voiceless, faceless statistics, despite the potentially greater dangers they face.
Sincerely
Tim McCaskell
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