"A journalist ought to ask some clarifying questions about these comments, but Mulroney doesn’t. Given that he is an ambassador for a pro-Israel lobby organization, and the West Block no longer seems to have segments focused on Palestine or Israel since Mulroney joined, it appears to CJPME that Mulroney either cannot ask these questions or is unwilling to given these extreme conflicts."
Dear Doug Murphy, Michael Goldberg, and George Browne,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express serious concerns about the most recent broadcast on The West Block which aired on January 25, 2026.
Ben Mulroney has clear conflicts of interest and his interview with John Bolton demonstrates he is unfit not only to conduct interviews with people like this, but to be the host of a flagship political show at all.
During the interview Bolton made claims that the Gaza Board of Peace is useless unless Hamas disarms and that the Gaza strip is entirely demilitarized. He also confusingly claims that "roams around the world.”
Mr. Bolton is free to express his political views on Gaza, but what is problematic is that Mr. Mulroney, as host, offers no challenge, clarification, or follow-up whatsoever. Was Bolton expressing his total or conditional opposition to the Board of Peace? What did he mean when he said Hamas “roams around the world?”
A journalist ought to ask some clarifying questions about these comments, but Mulroney doesn’t. Given that he is an ambassador for a pro-Israel lobby organization, and the West Block no longer seems to have segments focused on Palestine or Israel since Mulroney joined, it appears to CJPME that Mulroney either cannot ask these questions or is unwilling to given these extreme conflicts.
Further, Mulroney could have mentioned that under international law Palestinians possess the legal right to self-determination and the right to military resist Israeli occupation. Again, these are rights enshrined in international laws that Canada helped to construct and claims to uphold.
Mr. Bolton’s confusing and vague comment about Hamas portrays the group as a globally operative terrorist threat—a bold assertion meriting some interrogation. But it passes by unacknowledged. This form of decontextualization and exaggeration aligns with what the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association’s definition of anti-Palestinian racism. Framing Palestinians (or Palestinian political actors) as inherently violent without evidence or critical scrutiny is incredibly dehumanizing and has no place in a TV broadcast.
Furthermore, Israel is occupying the Gaza strip. Yet no mention of this context is included in the interview.
Conflict of Interest
The West Block is expected to be accurate, fair, and balanced as required by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) and reflected in Global’s Journalistic Principles and Practices. Global’s Ethical Code of Professional Conduct states: “Employees will conduct themselves on and off the job in such a way as to avoid any perception of bias or conflict of interest.”
With Ben Mulroney as host, these standards are cast aside.
Last year, CJPME wrote to your team about our concerns with appointing Ben Mulroney as the host of the West Block.We pointed out that Mr. Mulroney has a clear conflict of interest when it comes to reporting on the Middle East, due to his close ties with the pro-Israel lobby group B’nai Brith Canada.
He has been appointed as an “Ambassador” for B’nai Brith Canada, a registered lobby group that advances pro-Israel policy positions with the federal government, which has publicly celebrated his pro-Israel interventions.
Most recently he was at the B’nai Brith Toronto Gala as moderator for the event.
CJPME also pointed out that Mr. Mulroney has a public track record of sharing racist misinformation on Palestine.
Given the above, Mr. Mulroney’s role as an ambassador for a registered Israel lobby group constitutes clear violations of these standards. His actions create not only a real conflict of interest but also the perception of bias, both of which are grounds for CBSC complaints.
CJPME believes that Global’s appointment of Mr. Mulroney as host of The West Block has undermined public trust in Global News’ compliance with CBSC codes due to this glaring conflict of interest.
We urge once again for Global News to reconsider its decision to maintain Mr. Mulroney as host and ensure that The West Block lives up to the standards of fairness, independence, and integrity that Canadians expect.
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Media Analyst
