The use of the terminology “Jewish settlements” is unusual, as settlements are primarily defined by their being Israeli - and illegal - and as such, they are almost universally called “Israeli settlements” by the media and the international community.
To Global News producers,
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 “Canada joins European nations in enacting trade sanctions on West Bank Israeli settlements” aired on September 8, 2026 at 7:15 on Global Lethbridge (CISA) and other local Global stations.
There are many positives in the anchors’ introduction, such as the clear acknowledgment of the illegality of Israeli settlements under international law, and the reference to the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, and the use of accurate, strong language such as “ethnic cleansing” and “settler terrorists” in the pre-recorded video segment, which also portrayed balance by featuring statements from the British Foreign Secretary, Canada’s Prime Minister, and the Israeli Foreign Minister.
But starting at 7:17, both in the anchors’ introduction and the video segment, the piece refers to “Jewish settlements” instead of the more accurate “Israeli settlements”. The use of the terminology “Jewish settlements” is unusual, as settlements are primarily defined by their being Israeli - and illegal - and as such, they are almost universally called “Israeli settlements” by the media and the international community.
That the introduction relies on a statement from Israel’s Ambassador to Canada, who said Ottawa’s decision to sanction Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank will only undermine peace and “contribute to a surge in global antisemitism” creates a misleading, false link between objections to “Jewish settlements” with antisemitism. The term “Jewish settlements” is then repeated in the video segment.
For the sake of accuracy, I hope that the use of “Jewish settlements” is avoided in Global’s future programming, especially in introductory remarks.
Sincerely,
Alison Jenkins