The Media Accountability Project  

"I’m not particularly interested in being a spokesperson for Roger Waters. His controversial status is well deserved. However, given the waves of misinformation following his recent Berlin concert and the subsequent misrepresentation of his performance, I feel compelled to try to provide some basic information that Michael Levitt left out."

"The controversy to which you refer surrounding the inflatable pig occurred a decade ago, in 2013, at a concert in Belgium, not at the most recent concert in Berlin. Images from the 2023 Berlin concert confirm that the inflatable pig did not have a Star of David. It should be noted that the 2013 pig relates to Pink Floyd’s album “Animals,” which features an inflatable pig in the sky on the cover and included three different songs with “Pigs” in the title – including “Pigs on the Wing.”"

I appreciate that you call attention to an event organized by a new community organization called the Palestinian Heritage Revival Society in Halifax. Your news segment also highlights the event’s display of traditional Palestinian garments. I greatly appreciate that you interview one of the organizers on the importance of this event for the Palestinian community in Halifax.

I am happy to also see your mention of a collaborative performance by Palestinian poet Zaynab Muhammed and Jewish musician Bessie Wapp. It is important for the Canadian public to be aware of Israel’s violations against Palestinians and to highlight the narratives of Palestinians as well as those who support them.

"During the conversation, Mr. Eisenberg falsely claimed that Khader Adnan, the subject of the retweet by Sarah Jama in question, was a “Palestinian terrorist.” This is demonstrably false and was not challenged by Mr. Brady."

"Grant LaFleche’s article titled “Hamilton Centre MPP Sarah Jama’s retweet condemned by party” misleads readers and omits critical context to understanding the nature of Jama’s tweets. Sarah Jama has publically supported Palestinian rights and the rights of all oppressed communities making her the target of a smear campaign. Jama retweeted the news of the death of Khader Adnan, a Palestinian prisoner who died as a result of being on a hunger strike for 90 days and of medical negligence by Israeli authorities."

On April 28, 2023, the Thompson Citizen published a letter from CJPME’s Ghida Mawlawi. The letter was a response to a Canadian Press article on B’nai Brith’s “Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents,” which as CJPME has noted conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism. B’nai Brith’s report had attacked MP Niki Ashton, who represents the region which includes Thompson, Manitoba, for her support for Palestinian rights. The letter reads in part:

In perusing the report, I was surprised to find that B’nai Brith seems to deliberately conflate incidents of anti-Semitic speech and violence with pro-Palestinian activism and criticism of Israeli policies. For instance, Churchhill-Keewatinook Aski NDP MP Niki Ashton was flagged down for anti-Semitic speech for a tweet in which she employs the terms “apartheid” and “settler-colonialism.” In the same vein, a bus advertisement in St. John’s, sponsored by Independent Jewish Voices Canada, which cites Amnesty International’s claims that Israel is practicing apartheid, was also featured in their report as anti-Semitic speech.

B’nai Brith’s tendency to lump all anti-Israel actions with actual incidents of anti-Semitism seriously undermines the reliability and validity of their data. Moreover, I find that it comes at a great disservice to the fight against anti-Semitism.

"Your interview with the rally organizer and activist Riyaz Khawaja was excellent. Often enough, Palestinian, and pro-Palestinian perspectives are silenced or deliberately left out of Canadian public discourse, especially when they challenge established power structures. Palestinians are engaged in a decades-long struggle for their liberation and human rights, and the media must be sure to include their narratives."

"To put it simply, B’nai Brith deliberately conflates incidents of antisemitic speech and violence with pro-Palestinian activism and criticism of Israeli policies. Right at the top of the cover page, the report includes an image of pro-Palestinian demonstrators urging a boycott of Israeli wine and places it directly next to antisemitic and white supremacist content."

The use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism is unchallenged despite its attempt to conflate criticism of Israel’s apartheid policies with antisemitism and silence human rights organizations and pro-Palestinian activists.