The Media Accountability Project  

"Both the journalist and CBC deserve thanks for such a compelling human interest story, which leaves the listener informed and inspired."

"While I appreciate that the segment includes references to international criticism on Israel’s annexation policies, the overall framing and language of the report are heavily reliant on Israel's administrative decisions. The real story is that Israel is ramping up its attempts at ethnically cleansing the West Bank of Palestinians."

"It appears that AP is relying on numbers from the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a U.S.-based organization that aggregates arrest data through activist networks under conditions of severe information blackouts inside Iran. While HRANA’s work may be valuable, its figures have not been verified by a reliable third-party."

Adding to the long history of condemnation by the international community of Israel’s illegal settlements, the July 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice reaffirmed “that the continued presence of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is illegal” and states that “Israel must immediately cease all new settlement activity”. 

The organizations you name are, of course, well within their rights to advocate for whatever legislation they see fit, and we readily acknowledge that their stance on Israel is irrelevant when they comment on matters unconnected to Israel and Palestine. In this case, however, their support for Israel is clearly relevant to their advocacy of Bill C-9 and so to omit any mention of it deprives the reader of the context required to fully understand the perspective that informs key points of the joint statement to which you refer.

A new documentary released by CBC's The Fifth Estate is generating significant blowback. Upset by how CBC lifts the veil on Canadian charities complicity in apartheid, pro-Israel groups like the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and HonestReporting Canada (HRC) are fiercely the attacking the public broadcaster.

To be clear, I am not asking you to take sides in your reporting on Palestine and Israel but rather to provide reporting that includes new and significant developments in both Canadian and United Nations positions. I appreciate your consideration and look forward to your responses to my questions and request.

"Simply put, repeating what “Israel says” misinforms and misleads listeners. CBC has a responsibility to distinguish fact from assertions, and provide adequate, balanced context to the listener."

"In light of the above, referring to it as “disputed” misleads readers and violates the journalistic imperative of accuracy. I urge you to revise the article in question and to adopt the terminology “occupied West Bank” in all future reporting on this issue. Using accurate language is essential to uphold the journalistic principles of accuracy, impartiality, and fairness expected from professional journalists."