The Media Accountability Project  

"The headline for Andrew Phillips’ article should have read “The atrocities in Gaza are being ignored.” For weeks, we have witnessed civilians being shot as they try to access food. It is not only the Gaza Ministry of Health detailing the number of casualties. Palestinian and International doctors serving in Gaza are reporting on the casualties that are arriving daily at their hospitals. As of July 13, the UN confirmed 875 Palestinians were killed while seeking food, 201 on aid routes and the rest at distribution points. Thousands more have been injured."

"On behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, and as a concerned Canadian, I demand that the government takes concrete actions to stop Israel’s ongoing violations of international law. Canada must impose sanctions and a two-way arms embargo on Israel, and exert meaningful pressure to allow full, immediate and unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, enforced through international mechanisms."

"Canada cannot claim to champion human rights while fueling a military campaign that international experts have described as genocidal."

"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."

"It is telling that the authors make no attempt at framing the PA as a body that prioritizes Palestinians’ freedom. Instead, they touch on the “weakness of the PA in the face of hundreds of Palestinian militants.” Such a tired and veiled characterization of Palestinian resistance to occupation is borrowed directly from the Israeli narrative and lends credence to the current perceived scope of the PA’s activities."

"There is no symmetry between resistance fighters defending their homes in Jenin and one of the world’s most sophisticated armies laying waste to it. To describe Israel’s attack on Jenin as an effort to eliminate armed groups is absurd when one reviews the uncontroversial facts on the ground. The real objective was to instill terror in the people of Jenin, destroying their homes and vital infrastructure."

"An Israeli soldier who shoots a simple-minded autistic Palestinian cowering next to a garbage bin, is cleared of all culpability.  The article hits all the right points: Israel’s investigations of its soldiers almost never lead to convictions, witnesses are often not even consulted; surveillance cameras in the area supposedly weren’t working."

"Ali Sawafta’s reliance on the official Israeli military narrative results in a complete whitewash of Israel’s brutal military invasion and siege of the Jenin refugee camp. Describing Israel’s assault as an “operation” misrepresents the systematic and large-scale damage caused by Israeli forces, evidenced in the destruction of roads, homes, electricity and water networks, hospitals and even mosques."

"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."

"MPs should avoid unethical, all-expenses-paid tours with pro-Israel advocacy organizations like CIJA. If an MP decides to go anyway, they should at the very least insist on setting up additional meetings with Palestinian and Israeli human rights defenders and devote equal time and resources to this part of the itinerary. Finally, MPs must make sure to push for access to the Gaza Strip and other areas restricted by the Israeli government."