The Media Accountability Project  

On December 6, 2023, CJPME learned that a previous complaint with Toronto Star was upheld. The article stated that “to some, [the chant is] a cry for the repatriation of a people kicked to the outskirts of a land they call home.”

CJPME complained that by using the word “outskirts,” the article downplays the Nakba. There are nearly 7 million Palestinian refugees around the world today. They were not merely kicked to the “outskirts” of Palestine. Many were kicked entirely out of the territory and are stateless to this day.

The article now reads, "To some, it’s a cry for the repatriation of a people kicked out of a land they call home." CJPME believes this is a meaningful improvement. We remain committed to demanding fair coverage of pro-Palestine rallies.

"I am astonished that so many journalists in Canada want to silent voices critical of the IDF, and the actions of the State of Israel, when so many of your colleagues have not only been silenced, but killed."

Please help us challenge the Toronto Star for a pro-Israel opinion piece by George Monastiriakos that attempts to justify horrifying war crimes.

"While it is not my role to defend Mr. Zaarour — I do not know him nor am I familiar with his broader beliefs — I am concerned that the article obscures a couple of important aspects of the Instagram post."

"There are nearly 7 million Palestinian refugees around the world today. They were not merely kicked to the “outskirts” of Palestine. Many were kicked entirely out of the territory and are stateless to this day. It is again alarming that this reality would be downplayed by insinuating that Palestinians were just displaced to the outskirts, just a little bit."

"Parents would be able to identify with Ms Nassrawi, when she  tries to reassure the children with the pretense of a thunderstorm and earthquake. It reminds me of what one of the researchers for Defense for Children International Palestine (dci-Palestine) wrote: " give me another story to tell my children" .The thunderstorm story only goes so far."

"Importantly, your article includes reference to the rise in antisemitism as well as  Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism associated with the violent events in Israel and Gaza. Such balance is necessary at this time as individuals of all religions in this violence are feeling threatened along the lines you express."

"Without this context and in the absence of Canada advocating more strongly for a truce or ceasefire, the Canadian government is leaving Canadians and Palestinians in Gaza in a life threatening situation."

Please help us demand improvements to the Toronto Star's latest major article regarding the Canadian policy debate on Gaza. Like much of the Star's recent coverage, it fails to give a full and fair presentation of the situation. This is often at the expense of essential facts and context that add weight to the Palestinian point-of-view.

"First, I thank you for publishing this comprehensive account, with its graphic details, of the attacks on Mr Matar and Mr Khaled of a non-violent resistance group, a local man, Majd, and on five Israeli activists intent on protecting villagers. The language used is clear and does not obfuscate or use the passive voice. We are told who did what. Violence against the population of the occupied West Bank by illegal colonial settlers is noted in the mainstream media when it is extreme, such as the Huwara pogrom, but goes otherwise underreported."