The Media Accountability Project  

I want to thank Mr. Sheppard for his piece that humanizes Palestinian perspectives which so often are excluded from the press.  By centering Serena Nicole LeGrow’s reflections as a Canadian and the partner of a Palestinian, the article provides a deeply personal lens on the growing hostility faced by Palestinians and their allies under the current U.S. administration.

"Alongside the 1956 Suez Crisis and the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the October 1973 airlift of weapons to Israel ranks among the most divisive moments in the history of NATO. It should not be forgotten."

"Henry Srebrnik’s article, “American media criticize Israeli government,” was encouraging to read. As someone who served as a human rights observer in the occupied Palestinian territory in 2014, I have been disappointed in the Canadian government’s unfaltering support of the Israeli government and the coverage in Canadian media."

"To downplay the unjust and oppressive reality that Palestinians endure on a daily basis in such a negligible way is a disservice to Palestinian human rights and a distortion of history."

"The Israeli military’s attack on Jenin is just one of many instances of violence perpetrated against the Palestinians this year. More worryingly, we have seen deadly attacks on Palestinians coming not just from the occupying military, but also from Israeli settlers under the protection of Israeli soldiers. It appears that the Israeli military have given the  violent settlers a virtual “carte blanche” to commit acts of terror."

By failing to specify the number of Palestinian casualties, you obscure the reality that Israeli airstrikes are not “targeted” considering the majority of casualties were civilians and omit necessary context for your reader in understanding why Palestinian resistance groups have launched rockets in retaliation.

"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."

The article, although very brief, cites four different Israeli sources including “Israeli officials,” “Israel’s military,” “a settlements spokesperson” and the “Israeli army.” The article does not specify whether the fifth source, “medical officials,” is Palestinian or Israeli. The article does not include even one Palestinian source.

By excluding Palestinian sources and perspectives and citing only Israeli sources, your article presents as deeply biased to your readers. The Cape Breton Post has a journalistic responsibility and obligation to provide both perspectives in this article. Following the Canadian Association of Journalists’ (CAJ) ethics guidelines on diversity, news organizations and journalists should seek to “include views from all segments of the population.”