Avi Benlolo: Media fuels violence with false reporting on Gaza
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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed his concern: 'We don't take the word of Hamas with total truth… unlike the BBC,' she said. 'I suggest that journalists who actually care about the truth do the same.'
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Meanwhile, a coordinated effort has been underway to discredit the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — designed to provide food aid without Hamas's interference. Hamas and its apologists have tried to paint this effort as chaotic or violent. Let me be clear: the only reason the United Nations is no longer operating in Gaza is because of its complicity. It failed to condemn the October 7th massacre. And for nearly two decades, UNRWA turned a blind eye as Hamas built terror tunnels beneath its buildings and stashed rockets in its schools.
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British columnist Melanie Phillips calls this media onslaught a 'verbal pogrom against Israel and the Jews.' She's right. 'We've never seen anything like this before,' she wrote. 'Its unique construction from falsehoods… tells us something pathological is going on here.' In America, Jews are being assaulted and even murdered for supporting Israel. As I discussed last week, in Canada, mobs surround synagogues, block cultural events, and intimidate Jewish families. This isn't protest — it's persecution.
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My heart breaks for the innocent lives lost. But the responsibility lies squarely with Hamas. It started this war on October 7th. And it continues to prolong the suffering by refusing to release hostages, disarm, or accept peace. Civilian suffering in Gaza is the direct consequence of Hamas's war strategy — not Israel's.
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From day one, Hamas has waged a dual campaign of terror and disinformation. Incredibly, the Western press continues to cite Hamas-run ministries and outlets like Al Jazeera as if they were impartial. Responsible journalists in any other conflict would verify sources and question motives. Why is Hamas treated differently?
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Even our own leaders haven't escaped the fog of propaganda. Early in the war, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrongly blamed Israel for a hospital explosion. The reality? It was caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket. He took Hamas at its word — and the media echoed it.
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I've experienced this bias firsthand. When antisemitic mobs surround peaceful Jewish events in Toronto, Canadian media is largely silent. Apparently, defending Israel isn't fashionable, and G-d forbid one of our city's esteemed radio stations interview a Jew like me about what is happening around us.
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But this isn't just bias anymore. It's complicity. It's libel dressed as journalism. And in this climate of fear and rising antisemitism, it's dangerous.
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Global News
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CBC
2 hours ago
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U.S. immigration authorities extend raid activity in Los Angeles area amid protests
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CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Clashes resume in Los Angeles area as immigration enforcement draws new protests
Police detain a protester blocking the garage entrance of the Los Angeles Federal Building, following multiple detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. (Daniel Cole/Reuters via CNN Newsource) For a second consecutive day, tear gas and flash bangs have been used to disperse protests over immigration activity in the Los Angeles area. On Saturday, protesters gathered in Paramount, California. Assemblymember José Luis Solache said four people were arrested. The FBI is investigating alleged instances of demonstrators obstructing immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles Friday and Saturday, the bureau's deputy director, Dan Bongino, said on social media Saturday. Los Angeles portest Protesters push a garbage cart as they try to block the garage entrance of the Los Angeles Federal Building. 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CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for further information. One of the Friday raids was in the city's Fashion District, where agents served a search warrant after a judge determined a business was allegedly using fictitious documents for some of its workers, U.S. Attorney's office spokesperson Ciaran McEvoy told CNN. Union leader arrested David Huerta, the president of the Service Employees International Union California, was arrested by federal agents after allegedly attempting to obstruct their access at a worksite, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli said in a post on X. 'Let me be clear: I don't care who you are—if you impede federal agents, you will be arrested and prosecuted,' Essayli said. After being treated for injuries from his arrest, Huerta released a statement condemning the citywide raids. 'Hard-working people, and members of our family and our community, are being treated like criminals,' he said. 'We all collectively have to object to this madness because this is not justice. This is injustice. And we all have to stand on the right side of justice.' 'No one should ever be harmed for witnessing government action,' California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement responding to Huerta's arrest, describing the union president as a 'respected leader, a patriot and an advocate for working people.' Bass said Friday's immigration arrests were different from previous, more organized actions. 'I've been really worried about this from the beginning, and as far as I know, this is the first time this has happened in our city like this,' she told KABC. 'We know ICE has been here, but it's been for targeted arrests; this was just mass chaos.' 'It sows a sense of chaos in our city, and a sense of terror, and it's just unacceptable.' The American Civil Liberties Union called on 'elected officials to uphold their commitment to all Angelenos — immigrants and non-immigrants alike — by taking all action necessary to grind this oppressive and vile paramilitary operation to a halt and keep our city safe and whole' in a Friday statement. Protesters face off with police Protesters gathered outside the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles at roughly 4 p.m., CNN affiliate KABC reported. At one point, hundreds of activists began marching toward a detention facility on Temple Street. Los Angeles protest Protesters hold placards as they gather around the Los Angeles Federal Building. (Daniel Cole/Reuters via CNN Newsource) One video obtained by CNN shows protesters retreating from the building's entrance after coming face-to-face with the police guarding it. Several projectiles are thrown at officers equipped with body armor and protective shields. Other videos show the detention center sprayed with anti-ICE graffiti, with some protesters blocking LAPD vehicles close by. Families and friends who had loved ones taken by immigration authorities visited the detention center to learn more about their status, KABC reported. A young woman who spoke with the outlet said she went to the building in tears after her father was taken by federal agents. The LAPD declared an unlawful assembly around 7 p.m. and warned demonstrators were subject to arrest if they remained in the area. Aerial footage from KABC shows law enforcement throwing smoke bombs on a street to disperse people so they could make way for SUVs and military-style vehicles. 'While the LAPD will continue to have a visible presence in all our communities to ensure public safety, we will not assist or participate in any sort of mass deportations, nor will the LAPD try to determine an individual's immigration status,' Police Chief Jim McDonnell said in a statement about the immigration enforcement activities. 'I want everyone, including our immigrant community, to feel safe calling the police in their time of need and know that the LAPD will be there for you without regard to one's immigration status.' Newsom said in a Saturday statement, 'Continued chaotic federal sweeps, across California, to meet an arbitrary arrest quota are as reckless as they are cruel.' 'Donald Trump's chaos is eroding trust, tearing families apart, and undermining the workers and industries that power America's economy,' the governor said. Article by Karina Tsui and Zoe Sottile.
