Employees must respect CBC restrictions on political activity, which include, "attending a partisan political event... except as required in the performance of CBC/Radio-Canada duties." It appears that Herland was attending this political event in a personal capacity.
To the National Post editorial newsroom,
I am writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express concern over the article “Michael Higgins: Carney Liberals grudgingly admit antisemitism is a problem.”
I take issue with the following statements:
“Neil Herland, a veteran CBC journalist and national newsreader, posted a video on X of protesters outside a synagogue service on Yom Kippur in Toronto last week. Herland said he felt intimidated and was taunted by protesters as he entered the event.
It will be up to police to determine whether demonstrators are exercising their legitimate right to political protest. But should Herland really have had to endure going through a baying mob to get to worship on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar? Or endure punishment from his employer over his social media posts?”
You omit essential context on Neil Herland. The reality is that Herland was telling a demonstrable lie to defame pro-Palestine activists.
In his thread, Herland said he was going to see a "guest speaker at the Toronto synagogue tonight," and said the speaker "was an Australian-born university teacher who lives in Israel and once served as Israeli ambassador to the UK." He noted that the speaker's "speech was about making peace in the Middle East."
In fact, Herland was on his way to the Meridian Arts Centre, not a synagogue, to see Mark Regev. Regev was not merely a teacher and former Israeli ambassador, but served in multiple high-ranking positions in the Israeli government, including as the Prime Minister's Senior Advisor for Foreign Affairs and International Communications and the International Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office.
Regev is a vociferous genocide supporter. Just Peace Advocates and Writers Against the War on Gaza (WAWOG) launched a campaign to have Regev barred from entering Canada for his atrocious track record and alarming statements. Journalist Samira Mohyeddin also shared a thread showing many of Regev's most disturbing comments and beliefs. Regev calls the genocide in Gaza, as well as the illegal aggressions against Lebanon and Iran, “victories.”
According to the event website, tickets to the event cost $180 and gave the opportunity to hear Regev explain "what's really happening in Israel." Based on his record, it's safe to assume that Regev's speech had very little to do with peace, contrary to what Herland claimed.
Morover, he violated the CBC’s code of conduct which stipulates that:
Employees must conduct themselves in a manner that "promotes and maintains trust, reflects our professionalism, takes into account the possible impacts of our actions and can bear public scrutiny." We believe Herland fell short, as he lied about there being protesters at a synagogue, when in fact he was attending a ticketed political event at a public performing arts centre to see a former Israeli official — one known for genocide denial and unwavering support of Israel — speak.
Employees must avoid "perceived conflicts of interest" that "can affect others’ trust in the person involved or in CBC/Radio-Canada." By Herland fundamentally misrepresenting the context, as well ask Regev's resume and character, he opens himself up to the perception that his personal interests might impact his impartiality or independence.
Employees must "ensure we act in a way that reflects CBC/Radio-Canada’s policies and values" on social media, nor should posts "compromise CBC/Radio-Canada's integrity, independence or impartiality." We believe Herland's posts significantly undermine CBC's reputation and perceived impartiality.
Employees must respect CBC restrictions on political activity, which include, "attending a partisan political event... except as required in the performance of CBC/Radio-Canada duties." It appears that Herland was attending this political event in a personal capacity.
Additionally, CBC's Social Media Guidance states: "We respect your right to share your views on issues you are passionate about, as long as you aren’t going against the spirit of the Code of Conduct or your professional responsibility. Simply put, don’t engage in activity that could compromise your ability to do your job." We believe that Herland's activities have violated the Social Media Guidance and impact his ability to do his job going forward.
Aggravating the above ethics violations was the fact that Herland introduced himself as a "journalist" before disseminating his deeply distorted and harmful narrative. In doing so he exploited his position and association with CBC in order to give more credibility to his claims. This preface is likely to have been a significant factor in why his posts were widely shared by political observers, including outside of Canada.
Journalists are also expected to follow the CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices (JSP) when they post on social media. By misrepresenting the context of the event and obscuring Regev's identity and role as a former senior Israeli government official and spokesperson, Herland fell far short of the standards of fairness and accuracy. Given the context in which these errors occurred, this is not only an editorial issue, but one that deeply impacts CBC's reputation and deserves serious examination by the Values and Ethics Commissioner.
It is also concerning that Herland didn't previously recuse himself from reporting on Israel and Palestine, given that he has revealed his profound bias on the subject. He has repeatedly hosted interviews for CBC on the subject, here and here are examples.
A previous National Post article quoted us demanding CBC's Neil Herland be held accountable. We ask that this context also be included for this op-ed.
Moreover, CJPME takes issue with this statement:
“A day before Herland’s fraught encounter, the full, lethal ferocity of antisemitism was on display outside the Sons of Jacob synagogue in Belleville, Ont.
Sean Ward, 29, an ex-Canadian Forces soldier, opened fire on police Const. Jeff Smith who was guarding the building because congregants had safety concerns after previously seeing a suspicious vehicle.
Ward died in hospital following an exchange of fire that left Const. Smith seriously injured.
Reports later indicated that Ward had espoused antisemitic conspiracy theories including blaming the Jewish community for COVID.
The murderous attack was the latest in a string of shootings, firebombings and vandalism at synagogues, schools and Jewish buildings since Hamas slaughtered 1,200 people on Oct. 7.”
The National Post is asserting that the shooting involving Sean Ward in Belleville is connected to Oct. 7 and pro-Palestine demonstrations although not directly named. This characterization is not only factually unfounded, but it also represents a dangerous journalistic error.
To date, there is no evidence connecting Ward or his actions to anti-Zionist organizations or Palestine advocacy. On the contrary, available evidence points toward far-right, antisemitic, and xenophobic ideologies, according to investigations by Global News and CBC News. By linking this violent act to anti-Zionism without evidence, the National Post misidentifies the source of extremism and falsely smears peaceful advocacy groups.
We urge the National Post to uphold basic standards of journalistic integrity by correcting the record on Neil Herland, and removing unsubstantiated claims linking the Belleville shooting to anti-Zionism or pro-Palestine advocacy. Even opinions must be based in fact.