The Media Accountability Project  

The Toronto Star has a responsibility to provide rigorous, contextual, and impartial journalism. This article falls short of that standard. I therefore urge you to amend the title of the piece to reflect a more balanced and evidence-based account of the killing of the Palestinian teenager, specifically attributing Israel in the headline

I take issue with the paragraph that quotes the Israeli forces using the term “terrorist” to inform readers about the alleged motivation behind why they opened fire on a car carrying the Bani Odeh family in the town of Tammun in the northern occupied West Bank, killing Ali Khaled Bani Odeh, 37, his wife Waad, 35, and two of their sons, Mohammad (5) and Othman (7). The Star should have provided context about Israel’s documented history of weaponizing the term “terrorism” as a pretext to justify the killing and illegal detention of Palestinians.

"We question your quoting of COGAT’s statistic that “less than 1% of the total aid” going into the Gaza strip is contributed by the 37 aid groups whose licenses are to be revoked. Where was the 1% statistic derived from? What was included in the 1%? Tents? Food? Baby formula? Water? Medical supplies? What about medical, public health and sanitation services? As you indicated later in the article, Palestinians in Gaza rely on aid groups for food, water, health care, shelter and other essentials."

The Israeli government’s approval of a land registration process that permits Israel to designate territory in the occupied West Bank as “state property” if Palestinians cannot prove ownership is not “contentious,” as stated in the headline. It is an illegal decision that amounts to de facto annexation under occupation.

"While I appreciate that the segment includes references to international criticism on Israel’s annexation policies, the overall framing and language of the report are heavily reliant on Israel's administrative decisions. The real story is that Israel is ramping up its attempts at ethnically cleansing the West Bank of Palestinians."

Adding to the long history of condemnation by the international community of Israel’s illegal settlements, the July 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice reaffirmed “that the continued presence of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is illegal” and states that “Israel must immediately cease all new settlement activity”. 

Despite the clarity of the footage, the article repeatedly states that the men only “appeared” to surrender, manufacturing doubt for no reason other than to plant uncertainty in the reader’s mind about what is a self-evident illegal public execution.

My main concern is with the article’s framing. By emphasizing symbolic statements of condemnation, particularly from the Israeli President, the article whitewashes the material reality, especially given the well-documented role of the Israeli army in directly participating in, enabling, and protecting these attacks.

Footage at 4:46:10 exposing settler violence against Palestinians and military complicity, along with the segment where the CBC crew is followed by ultranationalist Jewish settlers from an illegal outpost, are effective in helping Canadians understand the severity and tactics of intimidation first-hand.

"This is also a major double standard on the part of your newsroom. Imagine describing Russia's actions in Ukraine using Kremlin terminology such as using the term “special military operation” instead of “war.” It would rightly be condemned as irresponsible. The same standard should be applied to Palestinians in the West Bank."