In this piece, the editorial board asserts that the shooting involving Sean Ward in Belleville is connected to anti-Zionism, describing Belleville as an "escalation" of anti-Zionist activity. This characterization is not only factually unfounded, but it also represents a dangerous journalistic error.
To the Globe and Mail editors,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to register our formal protest regarding your recent editorial, “The courage needed to face down hatred.”
In this piece, the editorial board asserts that the shooting involving Sean Ward in Belleville is connected to anti-Zionism, describing Belleville as an "escalation" of anti-Zionist activity. This characterization is not only factually unfounded, but it also represents a dangerous journalistic error.
To date, there is no evidence connecting Ward or his actions to anti-Zionist organizations or Palestine advocacy. On the contrary, available evidence points toward far-right, antisemitic, and xenophobic ideologies, according to investigations by Global News and CBC News. By linking this violent act to anti-Zionism without evidence, the Globe and Mail misidentifies the source of extremism and falsely smears peaceful advocacy groups.
Conflating anti-Zionist advocacy with political violence does nothing to protect Jewish communities from genuine threats of hatred and violence. Instead, it recklessly maligns organizations like CJPME—an anti-Zionist, human-rights-focused advocacy group—and creates a hostile environment for those who speak out on Palestine.
We urge the editorial board to uphold basic standards of journalistic integrity by correcting the record, removing unsubstantiated claims linking the Belleville shooting to anti-Zionism, and refraining from conflating political speech with violent extremism. Even opinion must be based in fact.
Similar standard-of-proof requirements should apply to recent op-eds by Robyn Urback, who linked Avi Lewis to the Belleville incident, and Steven Wernick, who made baseless claims connecting the event to anti-Zionism and Iran.
Sincerely,
Jason Toney
Director of Media Advocacy, CJPME