The Media Accountability Project  

Presenting the Nakba as a fight “over control” of “what is now Israel” misleads audiences about the nature of the violent forced expulsion and uprooting of Palestinians at the hands of Zionist paramilitary groups.

"The National Post's latest article frames the Nakba as an event that never happened. In its coverage of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights exhibit, the piece claims the Nakba was a voluntary departure or a deserved consequence of war. This framing actively erases the documented mass displacement and forced expulsion of Palestinians from their homelands."

The National Post published an opinion piece engaging in anti-Palestinian racism through Nakba denial, historical erasure, and victim-blaming. In his column, David Bercuson reframes the mass displacement, dispossession and ethnic cleansing of more than 700,000 Palestinians during Israel’s establishment in 1948 as a simple consequence of war.

Of particular note, the article draws on perspectives from the New Brunswick chapter of Independent Jewish Voices and CJPME, demonstrating the solidarity of Jewish allies and other activists and advocates for Palestinians, and more broadly, for peace and justice in the Middle East. 

Israel has been deliberately killing the voices of truth - the brave journalists on the ground documenting its massacres - from the assassination of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in May 2022, who was shot by the Israeli forces while covering an Israeli military raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, to Israel’s deliberate assassination of Al-Manar correspondent Ali Shoaib in an Israeli airstrike in Jezzine, southern Lebanon, in which Al-Mayadeen correspondent Fatima Ftouni was also killed.

"This segment would be much more accurate if it stated: 'Around the world, Palestinians, along with their allies and supporters, are marking the 78th anniversary of the mass expulsion from lands that took place during 'Israel’s establishment' in 1948.'"

To suggest that the Nakba, an internationally recognized historical event commemorated annually on May 15, is equivalent to propaganda is a textbook example of Nakba denial, a pervasive form of anti-Palestinian racism that seeks to erase the collective trauma and lived history of the Palestinian people.

On June 18, 2024, CJPME's Media Analyst Anthony Issa filed a formal complaint with the Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council (CBSC) regarding a segment of The Drive aired on CKTB Radio on June 16. The complaint highlighted multiple egregious instances of anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia expressed by pro-Israel commentator Dahlia Kurtz, who was invited onto the show by host Jon Mark. Ms. Kurtz's racist rhetoric, which included Nakba denial, labeling Palestinian protesters as terrorists, calling Palestinian children "terrorists in training," and falsely accusing the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) of antisemitism for incorporating anti-Palestinian racism training, was allowed to go unchallenged throughout the broadcast.

Mr. Issa’s complaint pointed out the shocking lack of journalistic integrity on the part of Jon Mark, who failed to question any of Kurtz’s blatantly racist and false claims. The broadcast violated ethical journalistic standards by presenting harmful misinformation about Palestinians without any critical examination, allowing Ms. Kurtz to freely dehumanize and defame Palestinians.

In response to CJPME’s formal CBSC complaint, CKTB was required to acknowledge its failure in maintaining journalistic oversight. On October 10, 2024, CKTB issued a public apology, admitting that it had aired content that could be misinterpreted as “facts” when, in fact, it was “opinion”—particularly concerning the TDSB’s policies on anti-Palestinian racism.

Here is a transcript of CKTB’s on-air apology:

“During an episode of The Drive on July 17, 2024, a guest on the show expressed an opinion regarding what the Toronto District School Board is going to do with respect to anti-Palestinian hate that was not presented clearly as an opinion. The words of the guest could be interpreted as facts rather than an opinion. 610 CKTB apologizes for this statement.”

This apology is a glaring acknowledgment of the lack of responsibility CKTB showed in platforming a figure like Dahlia Kurtz. CJPME is disappointed that CKTB’s apology is not a firmer rejection of racism. Nevertheless, by allowing her to spread such abhorrent views the station effectively gave a platform to hate speech. Kurtz’s offensive statements and Jon Mark’s failure to challenge them reflect poorly on The Drive and CKTB as a whole.

Kurtz’s claims during the broadcast crossed numerous lines of hatred. She denied the existence of Palestinian history, and claimed that Palestinians have never had a country. Additionally, she attempted to erase the documented human rights violations Palestinians face by falsely portraying Israel as the only democracy in the region. These were not harmless opinions—they were dangerous lies, and CKTB’s decision to air them without proper scrutiny is nothing short of embarrassing.

CJPME welcomes CKTB’s eventual accountability but emphasizes that the apology, though necessary, does not erase the harm done by platforming Kurtz’s views. By failing to confront her racist and inflammatory rhetoric, CKTB has not only failed its listeners but has contributed to the normalization of hate speech under the guise of free speech.

CJPME remains committed to challenging anti-Palestinian racism and ensuring that Palestinian perspectives are treated with the respect and accuracy they deserve in Canadian media. We will continue to hold media outlets accountable for giving airtime to hate speech and misinformation, whether it occurs in print, on video, or on the radio.

"Jon Mark must be held accountable for his role in allowing such racist and harmful content to be broadcasted without challenge. I question Mr. Mark’s journalistic integrity into question as at no point does he challenge the misinformation that Ms. Kurtz spews which crosses numerous lines of hatred."