The Media Accountability Project  

"It is frankly appalling that you write several paragraphs about the settler rampage in Hawara and the subsequent settler attack on Monday but make no mention of the fact that a Palestinian was shot and killed in Hawara. To be clear, around 100 Palestinians were injured and one was killed. It is not fair to mention that two Israelis were killed and not mention the significant casualties of Palestinians. It is even more troubling that you mention that two Israeli brothers were killed but you fail to report on the murder of Sameh al-Aqtash, just four days after he returned from Turkey where he had been supporting earthquake victims. If we take seriously that Palestinian life matters equally to those of Israelis, a full and fair broadcast must mention the casualties of Palestinians in this story. Otherwise, the story is incomplete and unfair."   Continue reading

"Your news article highlights the shameful incident at Park West School in Halifax where Palestinian students were reproached for wearing the Kufiyah by the school’s principal. I commend you for your thoughtful and inclusive coverage of this incident. I especially appreciated your interviews with members of the local Palestinian community, including the President of the Atlantic Canada Palestinian Society." Continue reading

"My organization has also pointed out that Canada’s Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade of Canada, Mary Ng met recently with Ofir Akunis, a minister in Israel's far-right government. In addition to serving in Israel’s most right-wing government ever, Minister Akunis is himself an anti-Palestinian extremist and a supremacist. While the international community (and all of Canada’s federal parties) support an independent state for Palestinians, Akunis supports Israel’s full annexation of the Palestinian West Bank, stating, 'I will never agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria [the occupied West Bank] and I will continue to promote, with all my might, the application of sovereignty [annexation], which is an historical process that cannot be prevented.' In 2017, he claimed that 'Israel in its entirety is the country of the Jewish People, and the right to it belongs only to the Jewish People.'" Continue reading

"You write that 'one Palestinian man [was] killed by rioting Israeli settlers.' In fact, while the fact that he was killed by Israeli fire is not in dispute, it is an open question of whether he was killed by settlers or by Israeli soldiers. Relatives of Sameh Aqtesh claim that he was shot by Israeli soldiers, while investigations by Israeli news outlets are not conclusive but confirm the presence of Israeli soldiers during the attack. For example, Haaretz has reported that although 'the source of the gunfire that killed Aqtash cannot be determined,' the killing 'took place in front of soldiers who were standing next to a group of settlers.'" Continue reading

"This dehumanizing generalization of Palestinians as a group and labelling them with the “death-culture” slander is inflammatory and a clear example of anti-Palestinian racism, as discussed by the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association (ACLA) in a 2022 report." Continue reading

"The framing of a “cycle of violence” between Jewish settlers and Palestinians is problematic when describing recent events and Israel’s occupation of Palestine. While there is an element of truth to this framing, as the actions of either party often trigger a response, it is extremely misleading for readers who are not aware of the power dynamics at play. Such framing obscures the overall asymmetrical nature of the violence, in which Israel as an occupying power maintains a system of oppression and apartheid over Palestinians. One of the ways in which this oppressive system is imposed is through Israel’s expanding network of settlements which empower settlers to carry out attacks and pogroms against Palestinians with utmost impunity." Continue reading

"Over the course of your four-minute segment, Jerusalem and the Holy sites are strictly described as being within Israel. This is a serious factual error. Both Israel and the Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital city, and East Jerusalem (which includes the Old City) is considered occupied Palestinian territory under international law." Continue reading

"Even if the statistics are accurate, it would be far more relevant to say that about half of those killed are civilians, including at least 13 children killed by Israeli fire since the start of 2023. That would mean that approximately 1 in 5 Palestinians killed this year have been children." Continue reading

"However, there is an unjustified asymmetry in how Israeli and Palestinian casualties were reported while presenting the segment on both The National and CBC News Network. While the Israeli who was killed on Monday was mentioned, there is no similar mention that a Palestinian was killed during the Israeli settler attack on Huwara and surrounding villages. The killing of Sameh al-Aqtash1 is the immediate context for yesterday’s retaliatory attack on an Israeli motorist, as is accurately reflected in the segment itself. His death should have been mentioned in the preliminary remarks." Continue reading

"Israeli settlers did not just burn and vandalize 'hundreds of vehicles and buildings' as you claim in your introduction. Over a period of four hours, more than 400 settlers torched at least 75 Palestinian homes, 35 of which were destroyed completely. In fact, at least nine families reportedly had to be rescued from their burning homes. Although the settlers announced their intention to commit this horrific crime, Israeli forces allowed them to enter the towns freely and did not intervene until hours after the start of the violence. By solely reporting on the vehicles and buildings impacted, you are minimizing the human cost of what many are calling a 'pogrom' against Palestinians." Continue reading