How does displaying a flag constitute an incitement to violence? And how does such a claim make it into the opinion pages of a Canadian media outlet?
To the National Post,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East regarding the opinion piece by Avi Benlolo titled: “Avi Benlolo: Why Toronto's mayoralty race matters.”
While opinion pieces are, by their nature, different from news reporting, they are not exempt from basic journalistic standards. Benlolo’s column makes a deeply troubling claim with serious consequences for the Palestinian movement: he calls the Palestinian flag a “rallying cry” for “violence.”
How does displaying a flag constitute an incitement to violence? And how does such a claim make it into the opinion pages of a Canadian media outlet?
Associating a symbol of Palestinian national identity with violence is an outrageous statement, one that dehumanizes Palestinians and portrays peaceful expressions of their national identity as inherently threatening.
This characterization is particularly concerning given the broader language used throughout the column. Benlolo claims that “the Palestinians” seek to expand their struggle against the West, suggests that pro-Palestinian demonstrations have produced a growing population of radicalized individuals, and links this alleged radicalization to immigration. These generalizations are presented without evidence and perpetuate racist and deeply dehumanizing stereotypes about Palestinians and immigrants.
The Canadian Association of Journalists’ Ethics Guidelines explicitly state that journalists who provide a platform to outside commentators have a responsibility to ensure that standards of fairness and accuracy are applied. The guidelines also caution against reinforcing negative stereotypes about particular communities.
Benlolo’s column violates these principles by making generalizations about Palestinians and immigrants, associating their identities and political expression with violence and radicalization without evidence.
Benlolo is entitled to his opinion, but that does not exempt his claims from the CAJ’s standards of fairness, accuracy, and avoidance of harmful stereotypes. His column fails to meet these standards and therefore warrants an immediate correction from the National Post.
Media Analyst. Canadians for Justice in the Middle East