The Media Accountability Project  

Unfortunately, in today’s article, you again refer to the Israeli military operation in the city of Nablus as simply “raids.” This greatly downplays the violence and brutality inherent in these operations. The violent military raid wounded at least nine other Palestinians and resulted in at least 150 people suffering from tear gas inhalation, including children.

In 2023, Israeli forces have repeatedly conducted military raids into various neighbourhoods and towns in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. These operations are frequently carried out in the middle of the night – where heavily armed Israeli forces forcefully enter Palestinian homes to search, interrogate, photograph, beat, and arrest Palestinians, including young children and the elderly.

"It’s bold to suggest that Israel was ever a democracy to start with. It is highly problematic that an article on the erosion of Israel’s “democracy” fails to include how the Palestinians under Israeli control are largely excluded from said democracy." 

"2023 has been the deadliest for Palestinians living in the West Bank in the last two decades, where at least 80 civilians including 17 children have been killed. Palestinians have been subjected to destructive and violent rampages by illegal Israeli settlers, often resulting in the destruction of Palestinian homes, businesses, and possessions. Palestinians also endure constant raids, arrests, and violence by Israeli forces. By referring to the escalation of violence in such generalized terms, you obscure the asymmetrical nature of Israeli violence on Palestinians."

As such, I insist that you make more explicit mention of the Palestinians, and the reason they are on the sidelines, literally and figuratively. You mention the Palestinian citizens of Israel, and how they are sitting out the protests, but you don’t mention why. You also don’t mention the 2.5 million Palestinians living under military occupation and apartheid in the territories, and why the protests in Israel are effectively irrelevant to them, even though their every action is controlled by Israel.

I was alarmed to see the original article was reframed to treat the Palestinian man who was killed in an Israeli raid as secondary by pushing the information down in the article and removing reference to the killing of Suleiman Ayesh Awaid, or the Israeli arrest raid, from the headline entirely. I am aware that it is common practice for the AP to update existing articles rather than create new ones when stories are related — I find that it is a reasonable practice in general — but in this case, the AP has essentially overwritten a story about yet another deadly Israeli raid, making it about something else entirely.

"I appreciate that your coverage included an interview with Elyanna, quoting her pride to perform in Arabic, her inspiration in Palestinian poetry and the donning of the keffiyeh. I am also especially happy that you include Palestinian voices such as Masa Qzaih and Sam Agha. Palestinian arts, culture, and voices are frequently excluded from Canadian public discourse and media."

"However, you mention that the Al-Aqsa mosque sits on a “contested hilltop” revered as the third-holiest site in Islam and the holiest site in Judaism. This characterization fails to note that Al-Aqsa mosque is located in East Jerusalem which is an occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) under international law. This is not an opinion but a matter of a settled consensus at the international level, as confirmed by the United Nations General Assembly, the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention." 

Your headline “Israeli police absolved in killing of Palestinians at Al-Aqsa” is inconsistent with the content in your article. Your article provides Palestinian as well as Israeli accounts of the killing of Alasibi. In fact, your article states that there is no evidence to corroborate the Israeli police’s account asserting that Alasibi attacked an Israeli police officer.

"By omitting the fact that East Jerusalem is in Israeli-occupied territory, you exclude important context about the dynamic between Palestinians and Israeli forces, evidenced by the most recent incident in which Israeli forces restricted and assaulted Christian Palestinian worshippers and clerics wishing to visit the Holy Sepulchre for Easter prayer. As an occupying power, Israel does not have the right to interfere with the religious practices of the civilian population."

The term “separation barrier” is used by Israel to defend its construction. However, many Palestinians view this “barrier” as a restriction to their freedom of movement due to its annexation of Palestinian land. Therefore, Palestinians suggest the terms “annexation wall,” “segregation wall” or even “apartheid wall.” As such, I urge you to adopt one of these terms to describe this abhorrent structure violating the utmost basic human rights of Palestinians.