Palestinians are under siege in their own towns and being attacked by Israeli settlers. This is also an important context that should be added in future reporting.
To the CBC News,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) regarding The National’s reporting on July 27 titled: “Manhunt after ‘brazen’ U.S. Consulate shooting.”
There is a key inaccuracy regarding the July 24 Israeli settler attack on the village of Tal.
The reporting mentions that “in that clash, 4 Palestinians and 2 Israeli soldiers died after a group of settlers entered and were confronted by residents.”
The reporting suggests that Israeli settlers merely “entered” the Palestinian village, and implies that it was Palestinians who started the “confrontation.” However, this contradicts reports from Al-Jazeera and Human Rights Watch (HRW) that are based on witness accounts and verified video footage. According to HRW:
Between 6:10 and 6:45 a.m. on July 24, 40 to 50 settlers, including children, approached Tal from the east, attacked four or five Palestinian homes with stones, and tried to break in, witnesses said. A confrontation between the settlers and Palestinians erupted, during which an armed settler shot and wounded a Palestinian man, the witnesses said. More Palestinians then arrived to assist the family, and the settlers fled.
About 30 minutes later, the same group of settlers reentered Tal from the southwest, where they were joined by Israeli soldiers, said Mujahid Waleed, a local resident who witnessed both incidents.
Given the above, it is inaccurate to say the settlers simply “entered.” It is clear from reports that the settlers “attacked” the village. CBC’s reporting misleads the public about the nature of this violence. This issue deserves a correction.
Such a correction is critically important as it relates to the broader trend of Israeli settlers attacking Palestinian villages with impunity and Israel’s expanding subjugation of Palestinians in the West Bank.
On Democracy Now, Palestinian journalist and writer Mariam Barghouti mentioned that the Israeli army responded by not only killing 4 Palestinians, but also expanding its collective punishment across the entirety of the West Bank, torturing former Palestinian detainees, and ensuring checkpoints remain closed, preventing Palestinians from accessing essential daily infrastructure. As she says, Palestinians are under siege in their own towns and being attacked by Israeli settlers. This is also an important context that should be added in future reporting.
As Israeli settler violence attacks across the occupied West Bank have intensified on an unprecedented scale, I sincerely hope you take this feedback into consideration now and in future reporting in the interest of fair, accurate, and balanced reporting.
Media Analyst
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East