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Truth, first casualty of war: no more so than in Gaza

Truth, first casualty of war: no more so than in Gaza

Canada News.Net5 days ago
We are living in truly extraordinary times.
We recently witnessed the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, being sanctioned by the United States for doing her job – that is, documenting Israel's abuses against Palestinians during its ongoing military assault on Gaza.
Of course, silencing and censorship have been the modus operandi of the pro-Israel camp since October 2023.
In the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel, they came for all those who insisted that the history of Palestine and Israel did not begin on October 7, 2023, and for pointing to the longer history of occupation, settler colonialism, or the siege of Gaza since 2007 – they were silenced, censored, and punished.
Those were the days of the now‑discredited reports of "beheaded babies".
Across the US and Europe, some faced death threats and social media attacks, while others were reprimanded by employers and line managers for criticising Israeli policies or publicly expressing pro-Palestinian views.
In schools across Maryland, Minnesota, Florida and Arizona, teachers were suspended and student clubs shut down for pro-Palestine activism. University professors in the US and the United Kingdom were reported to the police for "liking" or sharing pro-Palestinian social media posts.
In May 2024, Maura Finkelstein became the first tenured academic to be dismissed for anti-Zionist speech. She was fired from Muhlenberg College after posting a Palestinian poet's work.
Between October 2023 and now, there have been scores of such cases around the world. Only a few days ago, four adjunct professors at the City University of New York were dismissed for their Palestine solidarity activism.
While the foreign press has been banned from entering Gaza, Palestinian journalists there have been treated as legitimate military targets by Israel. On average, 13 journalists have been killed per month – a toll higher than that of "both World Wars, the Vietnam War, the wars in Yugoslavia and the United States war in Afghanistan combined". It is the deadliest conflict for media workers ever recorded.
Elsewhere, journalistic voices – especially those of Middle Eastern or North African descent – have been systematically silenced for supporting the Palestinian cause or criticising the Israeli government.
This includes Australian radio host Antoinette Lattouf, who was dismissed in December 2023 after posting a Human Rights Watch report alleging that "Israel was using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza". Palestinian-Canadian journalists Yara Jamal (CTV) and Zahraa al-Akhrass (Global News, during maternity leave) were both sacked in October 2023, following pressure from Honest Reporting Canada.
Briahna Joy Gray and Katie Halper were also fired from Hill News for statements critical of Israel. Gray announced on X: "The Hill has fired me … there should be no doubt that … suppressing speech – particularly when it's critical of the state of Israel."
Beyond dismissals, Western media executives have shaped the narrative, repeating Israeli propaganda, mischaracterising Palestinian activism as pro-Hamas or anti-Semitic, portraying Israelis as victims far more often than Palestinians, and whitewashing Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
The BBC, in particular, has faced repeated criticism for its pro-Israel bias. From the language used in headlines to the disproportionate airtime given to Israeli officials, its reporting has consistently been accused of downplaying Palestinian suffering and mirroring Israeli government talking points. Staff resignations, open letters, and public protests have all challenged the broadcaster's editorial stance on Gaza.
At Upday, Europe's largest news aggregator owned by Axel Springer, employees were instructed to "colour the company's coverage of the war in Gaza with pro‑Israel sentiment". Internal documents obtained by The Intercept revealed staff were told not to "push anything involving Palestinian casualty tolls" unless "information about Israel" was given "higher up in the story".
After October 7, students at Harvard were subjected to terrifying doxxing campaigns labelling them anti-Semitic or terrorist sympathisers, their photos and personal data shared publicly.
As Israel's scholasticide continued in Gaza, the silencing spread on campuses across the US and Europe. Palestine solidarity encampments saw students demanding their institutions cut ties with Israeli universities and the military‑industrial complex. They faced brutal police crackdowns, suspensions, and some were denied graduation. Universities swiftly imposed new restrictions on gatherings and protests to curb student Palestine solidarity.
Now, under a Trump administration, such suppression is public policy, extending to threats of arrest, denaturalisation and deportation for pro‑Palestinian voices, including lawmakers like NYC mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani. Trump falsely labelled him "illegal", branded him a "communist", and threatened arrest if he obstructed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) "operations" – echoing GOP Representative Andy Ogles's call for denaturalisation and deportation, citing alleged misrepresentations in Mamdani's naturalisation without any evidence. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the Justice Department had received related requests.
We have also seen Palestinian flags banned at sporting and music events. Individuals have been refused entry into public venues and businesses for wearing a keffiyeh.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, was warned that he and the ICC would be "destroyed" if they did not drop the case against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Four ICC judges were sanctioned by the US government.
Academy Award‑winner Susan Sarandon was dropped by her talent agency, UTA, for remarks at a Palestine solidarity rally.
Melissa Barrera was dismissed from the cast of Scream VII for social media posts describing Israeli actions as genocide and ethnic cleansing. Spyglass Media Group stated it has "zero tolerance for antisemitism … including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion".
Recently, performers like Bob Vylan and Irish group Kneecap used their platforms at music festivals to show solidarity with Palestine. The group now faces terror charges. Vylan's shows in Europe were cancelled, and his US visa revoked, putting an upcoming tour of the country in doubt.
The pro-Israel camp also launched a campaign against the Glastonbury Festival after both artists performed there in June. They targeted the BBC for airing the performances live and pressured organisers to distance themselves from the musicians. The backlash made clear that even major cultural institutions are not safe from censorship efforts.
Adding to this troubling trend, widely respected Israeli‑American historian and genocide scholar Omer Bartov has become a focal point of a fierce backlash. In an op‑ed for The New York Times, titled "I'm a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It", Bartov declared that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, pointing to the systematic infrastructure destruction, forced population shifts and rhetoric by Israeli leaders, arguing it matches both UN and legal definitions of genocide.
Since then, he has been slammed by pro‑Israel factions, accused of misapplying the term, and urged to be "cancelled", a campaign he rebuts by highlighting that many genocide studies experts share his conclusion. The reputational assault currently faced by Bartov demonstrates how even the world's leading genocide experts are now being targeted for naming Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide.
This may already appear to be an extensive campaign of suppression. But consider: what does it say about Israel's position if it relies so heavily on censorship?
Nonetheless, it remains insufficient. For Israel's sake, every student, academic, activist, musician, artist or lawmaker who criticises its policies must now be branded a terror supporter. Every civil society organisation, human rights group or international body documenting Israeli abuses must be labelled anti-Semitic.
Only then can we claim we saw nothing. Only then can we say we heard nothing. And only then can we justify why we did nothing when the genocide was ongoing in Gaza.
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Side Events at the 2025 UN High-Level Political Forum Spotlight Inclusive Pathways for Emerging Economies and Youth-Driven Scientific Solutions for Sustainable Development
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Globe and Mail

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  • Globe and Mail

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Why is France recognizing Palestinian statehood and who else has?
Why is France recognizing Palestinian statehood and who else has?

Globe and Mail

time3 hours ago

  • Globe and Mail

Why is France recognizing Palestinian statehood and who else has?

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced he will recognize Palestinian statehood, drawing angry rebukes from Israel and the United States and opening the door for other major nations to potentially like Britain and Canada to perhaps follow suit. Below are some details about Macron's announcement, driven by a rising global outcry over starvation and devastation in Gaza amid Israel's war against Hamas militants, as well as other nations' push to have Palestinian statehood recognized. Macron published a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France's intention to press ahead with recognition and work to convince other partners to do the same. He said he would make a formal announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next month. France is now the first major Western country to shift its diplomatic stance on a Palestinian state, after Spain, Ireland and Norway officially recognized one last year. The decision to recognize Palestinian statehood is mostly symbolic, with Israel occupying the territories where the Palestinians have long aimed to establish that state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital. But it makes Israel appear more isolated on the international stage over the war in Gaza, which is suffering from a wave of hunger that the World Health Organization's chief said this week amounts to man-made mass starvation. Israel says it is committed to allowing aid into Gaza but must control it to prevent it being diverted by militants. It says it has let enough food into Gaza during the war and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza's 2.2 million people. Carney calls for Israel to relinquish control of aid delivery to Gaza Macron had been leaning towards the move for months as part of a bid to keep the idea of a two-state solution alive, despite the pressure not to do so. He decided to do it ahead of a U.N. conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia on the matter next week to try to sway other countries considering that step, or those that are wavering. Ahead of Macron's announcement, Israeli officials had spent months lobbying to prevent what some had called 'a nuclear bomb' for bilateral relations. Sources familiar with the matter say Israel's warnings to France had ranged from scaling back intelligence-sharing to complicating Paris' regional initiatives – even hinting at possible annexation of parts of the West Bank. The decision by France, which is home to Europe's largest Jewish and Muslim communities alike, could fuel a movement so far dominated by smaller nations generally more critical of Israel. It will put pressure on major countries like Canada, Britain, Germany, Australia and Japan to follow suit. In the immediate term, Malta and Belgium could be the next countries within the European Union to do so. A British cabinet minister said on Friday that Britain supports eventual recognition of a Palestinian state, but the immediate priority should be alleviating the suffering in Gaza and securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. U.K., Germany not ready to follow France's lead in recognizing a Palestinian state Brazil to join Gaza genocide case against Israel, led by South Africa, at ICJ Last year, Ireland, Norway and Spain recognized a Palestinian state with its borders to be demarcated as they were prior to the 1967 Middle East war, when Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. However, they also recognized that those borders may change in any eventual talks to reach a final settlement, and that their decisions did not diminish their belief in Israel's fundamental right to exist in peace and security. About 144 of the 193 member states of the United Nations recognize Palestine as a state, including most of the global south as well as Russia, China and India. But only a handful of the 27 European Union members do so, mostly former Communist countries as well as Sweden and Cyprus. The U.N. General Assembly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in November 2012 by upgrading its observer status at the world body to 'non-member state' from 'entity.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision by France, one of Israel's closest allies and a G7 member, saying such a move 'rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy.' Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described it as 'a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism.' He added that Israel would not allow the establishment of a 'Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence.' U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States 'strongly rejects (Macron's) plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly.' 'This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace,' Rubio posted on X. 'It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th' – a reference to Hamas' 2023 cross-border attack on Israel that set off the Gaza war. Thanking France, the Palestinian Authority's Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh said Macron's decision reflected 'France's commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people's rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state.'

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