The Media Accountability Project  

"While your article is generally sympathetic to the Palestinian civilians picking up the pieces after a brutal Israeli invasion, your failure to mention Israel’s occupation and contextualize the Jenin invasion in the context of Israel’s occupation is telling, and ultimately prejudiced against Palestinians."

"It is highly concerning that CityNews would refer to a refugee camp in Jenin simply as a “militant hotbed” and entirely exclude the name of the city itself, let alone make clear that it is a refugee camp, or that it has faced numerous Israeli military invasions this year, not just one 'raid'".

"The use of the word “captured” when referring to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank is misleading, suggesting that Israel has a strong claim to or ownership of these territories. International law never uses the term “captured” when referring to land appropriation, and the international community has never diplomatically acquiesced to Israel's ongoing military presence in the West Bank."

"You refer to Islamic Jihad simply as 'Iran-backed' without providing any further context. By using such a reductive qualifier, readers are left with a limited, if not one-sided, picture."

"This is obvious political ‘doublespeak’, which is not reflected in your reporting. It shows that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s intentions for the Palestinian Authority are not benevolent, but cynical - he sees the PA’s ongoing existence is consistent with his goal of ‘crushing’ Palestinian statehood aspirations."

"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."

"Overall, the article does a fine job at providing context for the recent rise in tensions and violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. However, I would like to draw your attention to two significant issues.

First, the article mentions that Hamas “rules the Gaza strip.” Referring to Gaza only as “the Gaza strip” obscures the fact that Gaza is militarily-occupied territory according to international law. In doing so, the article fails to adequately describe the oppressive situation that Palestinians in Gaza face, and does not properly capture the severe restrictions as a result of Israel’s 15 year-long illegal blockade and siege.[1] The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJA) encourages journalists to avoid the language of “Hamas-controlled” or “Hamas-ruled” for this same reason, as it minimizes Israel’s control as an occupying power.[2]"