The Media Accountability Project  

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Dear CP24 editorial team

I’m writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East regarding your article titled, “UNESCO adds West Bank site and Lebanese castles to World Heritage List despite Israeli objections.” The piece raises several concerns, in that it inserts Israel into an event that has nothing to do with it while omitting other key facts about Israel that deserve mention given the subject of the article.

First, we are baffled by the undue importance and therefore legitimacy your article gives to Israel’s views on an extraterritorial issue that is none of its affair. As your piece notes, the designated sites are located in the West Bank (which you properly described as Israeli-occupied) and Lebanon. As both of those locations are beyond Israel’s borders, it is unclear what salience Israel’s views have on the matter or why UNESCO should give them any attention. Unfortunately, the piece fails to explain how Israel’s position is relevant.

Second, in the case of Sebastiya, we appreciate you noting Israel’s expropriation of “large swaths of land around the site.” It is unfortunate, however, that you uncritically repeat the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s assertion that UNESCO is “falsely portraying Sebastia as facing an emergency.” The Palestinian claims that an emergency exists are backed by evidence provided in the piece. If Israel has other evidence, it should be presented. If not, you should note that their claims are unfounded. It is also regrettable that you quote the Ministry’s accusation that UNESCO is trying to “erase the site’s profound, well-documented Jewish and Christian history.” How does the designation do any such thing? The piece fails to answer this elementary question while leaving the claim unchallenged.

Third, the piece repeats Israeli claims that Hezbollah has turned Beaufort Castle in Lebanon “into a military stronghold.” No evidence whatsoever is provided for this key assertion. As a result, to simply parrot it is an act not of journalism, but of stenography. Moreover, if the site has indeed been militarized then Israel should welcome a designation that lends additional urgency to the fight against the location’s use in such a dangerous and disgraceful manner. The fact that Israel is instead objecting to the measure casts doubt on both the grounds for their opposition and to the veracity of the claim itself.

Fourth, the article mentions in passing the addition of Tyre to the list of world heritage sites in danger. It is a serious omission to fail to mention what Al Jazeera has termed, following its review of satellite images, “a deliberate pattern of land-clearing and demolition” not only in residential areas, but in Tyre’s recognized UNESCO World Heritage sites as well. The article should be the subject of a correction to add this essential information.

Sincerely,

 

Adam Allouba

Media Advocate
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East