The Media Accountability Project  

Before October 7^th, ongoing violence by Israeli settlers was a daily reality in occupied Gaza. Israel turned occupied Gaza into the world’s largest open-air prison, posing severe limitations on its military and economy. This vital context is frequently omitted from Canadian media, framing Palestinians as the aggressors and starting the narrative from October 7th.

Even if one accepts the notion that Israel was on the “defensive” for a single day, the criteria for labeling subsequent actions as a counteroffensive must be questioned, especially in light of the ICJ's ruling on the plausibility of genocide. Ultimately, continuing to use this type of language editorializes the situation for your readers in a way that takes a side and undermines impartiality.

"This is not merely an Israeli “counteroffensive” on the occupied Gaza Strip. Israel has been waging a year of genocide. Please name it as such, or at the very least, refrain from perpetuating euphemistic language that downplays Israel’s one-year of brutal attacks and violence on Gaza."

On October 7, 2024,  CJPME sent a letter to The Globe and Mail and Canadian Press (CP) to address concerns about the misleading language used in the CP article titled: “Events, protests to be held across Canada to mark one year since Oct. 7 attacks, Israel-Hamas war.”

In the article, the journalist referred to Israel’s year-long campaign of genocide as a “counter-offensive.” CJPME argued that labeling Israel’s genocidal actions as a “counter-offensive” is not just misleading; it is an egregious euphemism that journalists should avoid, especially since the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the world’s highest court, has indicated that Israel's actions could plausibly constitute genocide.

In the first edit of the article, the phrasing was changed to “the attack triggered a retaliatory Israeli offensive.” In a subsequent revision, CP altered the entire paragraph, stating that the events triggered a “region-wide conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as well as Iran and other allies.”

These changes represent a step forward in our advocacy efforts to hold outlets accountable and emphasize the importance of accurate reporting and pushing the narrative on the escalations in the region to a higher standard.

"This is not merely an Israeli “counter-offensive.” It has been a year of genocide. Name it genocide, or at very least, please do not perpetuate Israel’s euphemistic language that downplays a year of brutal attacks on Gaza."

"If the world’s highest court considers Gaza occupied, why won’t the CBC? If the CBC acknowledges that Gaza is occupied, why would it fail to include that context for readers on Gaza, but include it for the West Bank? If the CBC rejects the ICJ’s findings and refuses to refer to Gaza as occupied, what is its justification? Will CBC commit to informing readers of Gaza’s status as an occupied territory moving forward?"

"The UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner has accused Israel of war crimes, including “starvation as a method of warfare, murder or willful killing, intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects, forcible transfer, sexual violence, torture and inhuman or cruel treatment, arbitrary detention, and outrages upon personal dignity.” Referring to these massacres and military invasions as “incursions” is a dangerous distortion that trivializes the gravity Israel’s war crimes and undermines the suffering of Palestinians."

"However, I take issue with the complete absence of any direct reference to Israel’s role in why the schools are closed. In a news report on September 2, you identify Hamas as the party responsible for the deaths of the hostages. Yet you fail to name the Israeli government as being directly responsible for the school closures and also provided minimal information as to the context for the school closures."

Simply put, the G7 summit is taking place during an active Israeli genocide in Gaza, and some G7 nations and their leaders are extremely concerned, while others – including Canada – refuse to take substantive action.  This point should have been emphasized far more strongly.

"I found it pertinent for your readers that you mentioned that Rafah’s actual population is six times bigger than before October 7 and that you included voices from different governmental representatives to show how unpopular an Israeli military operation is."