"At a minimum, the reporter should indicate that the Israeli settlers were armed, and she should have attempted to obtain and refer to Palestinian accounts of the confrontation - not just relying on what 'the Israeli military has said' - especially since this situation occurred in a Palestinian village."
To the CBC Newsroom,
I’m writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to express concern about the segment “Israeli settlers set fire to mosques, farmland in West Bank” aired on July 27, 2026.
At 1:20, the reporter says that Sunday's Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank was in response to clashes on the previous Friday, and at 1:42 recounts that “a group of Israeli settlers entered that village clashing with Palestinians. Four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers died.” She also mentions that “the Israeli military has said that shots were fired on both sides.”
By omitting essential context, the report presents an inaccurate account of events that is skewed towards the official Israeli account of events. In contrast, Al Jazeera’s July 26, 2026 account of the previous Friday’s events was: "Last Friday, nearly 30 settlers entered Tal, next to the illegal Israeli settlement of Havat Gilad, and tried to break into two houses when residents confronted them. The settlers opened fire… A video shows a Palestinian man seizing a rifle from a settler and shooting him before soldiers shoot him dead. Three others were killed and four people wounded." A report from Human Rights Watch based on verified footage and eyewitness accounts is similar.
At a minimum, the reporter should indicate that the Israeli settlers were armed, and she should have attempted to obtain and refer to Palestinian accounts of the confrontation - not just relying on what “the Israeli military has said” - especially since this situation occurred in a Palestinian village.
Then, incredibly, when asked about “the international reaction to these latest attacks” at 2:05, rather than highlighting the strong, international condemnation of what is just the latest in a long series of acts of violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank by the likes of the UN, Spain, Canada, Egypt and the UAE, the correspondent first says “I think it’s important we hear from the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu….” and platforms what “he has said in a Cabinet meeting that he is prepared to act against what he has called nests of terror”.
At a minimum, when asked about the international reaction to a situation in Palestine, a CBC correspondent should not platform what Israel says first, before highlighting the international condemnation.
It is difficult to imagine the same kind of segment describing a Russian incursion in Ukraine that resulted in deaths on both sides. When asked about the international reaction to this, would the same correspondent say “I think it’s important that we hear from Putin” and platform what Putin had said to his government colleagues, before referring to objections by Pope Leo XIV?
To avoid bias, the CBC should seek Palestinian perspectives on all events that unfold in Palestine, and I hope that this is considered in future programming, in order to align with the standards of accuracy, fairness and balance set out in the Canadian Association of Journalists ethics guidelines.
Sincerely,
Alison Jenkins