The Media Accountability Project  

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."

"This is an inappropriate and reductive way to introduce a discussion about Nakba Day. Palestinians are not “mourning the foundation of Israel” but massacres of ancestors, the loss of their homeland, and other particularly sensitive subject matter. It is also a day to recognize the existence of Palestine, and to portray the topic in such a slanted way is a form of anti-Palestinian racism since it negates the existence of Palestine before the establishment of the State of Israel and the horrors that the establishment of the State of Israel entailed."

"Considering this lack of responsiveness and accountability, I am curious whether there is a more useful contact at the Associated Press. If so, please pass it on. If not, I would appreciate verbal confirmation that the Associated Press is not interested in feedback and criticism for improved reporting."

Unfortunately, this highly sanitized, ambiguous language to explain the Nakba is inappropriate. “Displacement,” as you write, doesn’t begin to describe even one component of the ethnic cleansing that led to the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. About 700,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled, 15,000 were massacred, roughly 500 Palestinian towns were destroyed, and Israel stole 4,244776 acres of Palestinian land.

In the sea of popular Canadian media indulging in the pro-Israel lobby’s narrative that teaching the Nakba somehow distorts history, this type of article is rare, refreshing, and much appreciated. Some articles that have been widely circulated across media outlets border on one of the most pervasive forms of anti-Palestinian racism: Nakba denial.

"To refer to them as ‘Jewish’ is misleading to the reader and inaccurate, according to the position of both the United Nations and the Canadian government. Both the United Nations and Canada consistently refer to them as Israeli settlements or Israeli settlement activity.  I would ask that you consider exchanging the word ‘Jewish’ for ‘Israeli’. This change would clearly identify the role the Israeli government has had and continues to have in the creation and expansion of the settlements."

"The 1948 Nakba is a historical event just like the Holocaust. Why teach one but not the other? The Nakba is what led to the establishment of the State of Israel, as the ethnic cleansing and cultural genocide of Canada's First Nations is part of our country's foundation. Teaching one but not the other shows a double standard."

"I would, therefore, recommend editing the sentence to the following: 'The Nakba marks the ethnic cleansing and forced expulsion of Palestinians from their land to establish the State of Israel in 1948.' At the very least, please replace 'mass displacement' with 'forced expulsion'."

"The article refers to al-Nakba education as “partisan lies” and “politicized content on the Israel-Palestinian conflict.” The title of the piece, “Twistory, not history,” undermines the historical significance of the Nakba and implies that its teaching and commemoration is a distortion of historical facts. All these examples amount to Nakba denial, which is a pervasive form of anti-Palestinian racism."