This is not the case. The screenshot below shows parts of the motion that were amended. The motion specifically cited international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and others, that have characterized Israel’s actions as acts of genocide.
To the Canadian Press,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) regarding the article published yesterday titled: “Montreal City Hall adopts amended motion in solidarity with the Palestinian people.”
The article specifies that “the original motion, introduced by Projet Montréal, the municipal party that forms the official Opposition at city hall, called on Montreal to recognize and denounce what it describes as an apartheid regime in Palestine and a genocide being perpetrated there, and to express solidarity with Palestinians and other civilian victims of the conflict.”
The major issue with this statement is that CP does not clarify the basis for Project Montreal’s characterization of genocide and apartheid. Rather, the wording places the onus on Project Montreal by framing these conclusions as being made by the party itself. The implication is that readers might be misled into thinking that the crimes of genocide and apartheid are merely Project Montreal’s own characterizations.
This is not the case. The screenshot below shows parts of the motion that were amended. The motion specifically cited international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and others, that have characterized Israel’s actions as acts of genocide.
The motion also specifies that numerous human rights organizations have concluded that Israel maintains an apartheid regime against Palestinians.
By attributing the characterizations of genocide and apartheid solely to Project Montreal, without informing readers that the motion explicitly grounds these statements in the findings and conclusions of international human rights organizations, the article presents a misleading account of the basis of the motion.
We therefore ask Canadian Press to amend its coverage to reflect the basis upon which terms of genocide and apartheid are used in the motion, as reflected in the language PM itself used, to provide readers with the necessary context to understand that these characterizations are not simply assertions originating from Project Montreal, but are grounded in a mountain of evidence, with every single international body affirming that Israel violates the international prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid.
Thank you for taking these concerns into consideration and I look forward to your response.
Regards,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East