The Media Accountability Project  

On May 14, CJPME learned that the Toronto Star had edited a small error in their article following our complaint. In this article, Ben Cohen wrote that encampments are the latest events since Israel's war on Gaza "in which thousands have been killed." CJPME informed Ben Cohen that 35,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since Oct. 7, not "thousands." Given the fact that the obfuscating term "thousands" undermines the damage and casualties incurred since the beginning of Israel's military offensive on Gaza, Toronto Star has edited the problematic phrase to "tens of thousands." While CJPME will continue to insist that exact death tolls are reported, we nonetheless appreciate Ben Cohen's responsiveness and his willingness to amend the article. 

"Nothing wrong with the data, the overall data (more than 35,000) are still the same," said WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier at a Geneva press briefing in response to questions about the toll. "The fact we now have 25,000 identified people is a step forward," he added.

"Any disagreement with an employer, current or previous, is noted in their file and can make it difficult to obtain the security certificate required to work elsewhere inside a colony. Consequently, the Palestinians hesitate to demand that their rights in colony workplaces be respected."

As he also rightly mentions, instead of repressing and restraining university demonstrations, they should be engaged with constructively, as the way they are dealt with by authorities truly exposes the nature of governance whether they are democratic or authoritarian.

"Over 35,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since Oct. 7, not “thousands.” Further, attributing the death toll to an ambiguous “seven-month war” muddles reality and leaves the perpetrator of these war crimes unnamed. Please specify that Israel has killed over 35,000 Palestinians since the start of its military offensive on Gaza."

"The suffocating, racist fog created by Western reporting of international conflicts is difficult to escape. Physical remoteness, paired with the imperious noise generated by major media outlets, repeatedly sheds doubt on our intuition that a grave injustice is being enabled and committed. Encampments that have spread like wildfire all over the world, however, have increased everyone’s proximity to the war machine’s wrath."

I stress that rejecting Israeli policies and war crimes against Palestinians should not be conflated with questioning Israel's existence, particularly amidst ongoing allegations of genocide. The timing of these protests against genocide underscores the urgency of addressing injustices rather than dismissing legitimate criticisms.

"Such language violates basic journalistic standards but also stands in direct opposition to the recommendations made by leading journalistic organizations specializing in coverage of the Middle East."

"It is critical that CBC not use sweeping generalizations to describe Israel’s view of the Nakba and provide at least some acknowledgment of the diverse views within Israeli society."

"The protests are indeed targeting the actions and ongoing occupation of the Palestinian people by the Israeli government. However, they are not targeting Jewish Canadians. It would be similar to saying that the protests against the apartheid regime of the South Africa governments were targeting the citizens of South Africa and not the National Party government."