Specifying that protesters were allowed to block and abuse people going to a religious service is misleading and lacks critical context.
To the Rebel Rock 101.7,
I am writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East regarding your radio segment that aired today at 7:35:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time.
During the radio segment, the presenter asks, “Why are these protesters even allowed to block and abuse people going to a religious service?” and claims that the CBC is “punishing a reporter who happens to be Jewish for reporting on a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside a place of worship.”
As you already know, commercial talk radio stations are regulated by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and are expected to adhere to the broadcasting standards including those administered by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC).
The CBSC Code of Ethics recognizes the distinction between newscasts and social commentary and gives commentators considerable latitude to express their opinions.
And we understand that, unlike a traditional newscast, a talk radio program offering social commentary is entitled to express opinions, criticism, and analysis on a specific topic. However, this latitude does not permit commentators to present misleading factual information as the basis for opinion.
Specifying that protesters were allowed to block and abuse people going to a religious service is misleading and lacks critical context.
In his thread, Herland said he was going to see a “guest speaker at the Toronto synagogue tonight,” and said the speaker “was an Australian-born university teacher who lives in Israel and once served as Israeli ambassador to the UK.” He also noted that the speaker’s “speech was about making peace in the Middle East.”
The truth is that Herland was on his way to the Meridian Arts Centre, which is visible in the video he shared, to see Mark Regev. Regev was not merely an Israeli ambassador, he also served in multiple high-ranking positions in the Israeli government, including as the Prime Minister's Senior Advisor for Foreign Affairs and International Communications and the International Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office.
Regev is also a staunch genocide supporter. Just Peace Advocates and Writers Against the War on Gaza (WAWOG) both launched a campaign to have Regev barred from entering Canada for his atrocious track record. Journalist Samira Mohyeddin also shared a thread including many of Regev's most disturbing comments and beliefs. Regev calls the genocide in Gaza, as well as the illegal aggressions against Lebanon and Iran, “victories.”
The people were therefore protesting Regev whose public record includes denying Israel's role in the Gaza GHF flour massacre and claimed that Palestinian detainees were being stripped down because of the hot weather.
Other controversies surrounding Mark Regev are his vocal opposition to the Palestinian right of return, denying the Nakba, and also being charged with advocacy for genocide by indigenous activists in Australia after defending Israel's decision to lay a complete siege over Gaza in October 2023.
The radio segment omitted all of this context regarding Regev’s awful record on Palestinian human rights. What it did was specify that protesters were allowed to block and abuse people going to a religious service, when it wasn’t even a religious service. It was the Meridian Arts Centre.
The radio segment also specifies that CBC is “punishing a reporter who happens to be Jewish for reporting on a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside a place of worship.” However, we have yet to receive confirmation from the CBC regarding the circumstances of the reporter’s departure.
CJPME therefore believes that that Rebel Rock 101.7 crossed the line between commentary and the presentation of unsupported and misleading claims as fact.
We therefore ask Rebel Rock 101.7 to issue an on air correction, clarifying to its listeners that the protest concerned an event featuring Mark Regev at the Meridian Arts Centre, and that the circumstances surrounding Mr. Herland’s departure from CBC have not been confirmed by CBC itself. Otherwise, we have no choice but to file a complaint with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC).
Media Analyst. Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East