The letters to the editor page is one of the most widely read features in a daily newspaper. It provides a unique forum for the views of the average reader and gives the general public an active platform to express their personal opinions on matters of interest.
With proper editorial practices put in place, these discussion boards provide an opportunity to explore and cultivate an important marketplace of ideas. However, when rudimentary fact-checks and balances are not observed, the letters page can become a conduit for the misinformation of ideas.
Case in point, on March 30, the Toronto Star published a letter replete with errors and false statements submitted by members of the fringe anti-Israel group, Independent Jewish Voices (IJV). The letter was entitled "Iran obsession a dangerous charade."
While IJV members are entitled to their own opinions, they are not allowed to invent their own facts. Contrary to their claims that the Canadian Inter-Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism dictated that "criticism of Israel is anti-Semitism," in actuality, the Coalition pointedly stated that "... criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic." The Ottawa Protocol clearly states that "Criticism of Israel is not antisemitic, and saying so is wrong. But singling Israel out for selective condemnation and opprobrium -- let alone denying its right to exist or seeking its destruction -- is discriminatory and hateful, and not saying so is dishonest."
In their letter, IJV seemed less concerned with Iran's quest for nuclear weapons and calls for Israel's annihilation as it "rolls out the drums of war." Instead, IJV appeared more disturbed that AIPAC, a lobby group that advances the legitimate interests of Israel and the Jewish people, are "frighteningingly powerful" as even President Obama is alleged to be towing "the usual pro-Israel party line." Were the good doctors ascribing conspiratorial overtones in their own obsessive and "dangerous charade?"
Israel has valid existential concerns that Iran may carry out a second Holocaust if it were to use weapons of mass destruction against the Jewish State's close to 8 million people, with over 20 per cent of the population being Arab citizens. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statements in no way "cheapens" the tragedy of the Holocaust, he simply reinforced the message that the world should stand up and declare: "Never Again."
As to the current impasse brought on by the Palestinian leadership, Netanyahu has consistently said that he is "... willing to immediately start direct negotiations with him (PA leader Mahmoud Abbas) without preconditions. I am willing to invite him to my house in Jerusalem and I am willing to go to Ramallah."
IJV also incorrectly claimed in their letter that: "...each and every American President in the past 20 years has declared that the continuing expansion of the settlement population is the single greatest impediment to peace..." There is no basis for this assertion which was presented as a statement of fact. While American presidents have in the past said that Israeli settlements are obstacles to peace, there has never been a declaration claiming they are the "single greatest impediment to peace."
If Canada is, as IJV argues, the most pro-Israel western nation in the world, then we should be very proud that our political leadership commendably recognizes the shared interests and values between both countries, along with the genuine concerns, aspirations, and security threats that Israel faces every day.
On the same day that IJV's letter was published, HonestReporting Canada submitted a counter letter to the editor to Toronto Star editors to rebut IJV's false claims. However, our letter was declined and the Star's Bureau of Accuracy informed us they would not follow-up on our request to set the record straight.
That the Toronto Star elected to publish a letter full of erroneous statements, as well as to not review this matter is revelatory of an unfortunate lack of commitment to accuracy and fairness to set the record straight about false statements made against the State of Israel by IJV.
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We erred in omitting a word. We spoke of "American Presidents" rather than "American Presidents/Administrations", although invariably they speak with one voice. There is no room for ambiguity in these statements spread over 5 Presidencies.
-"Settlements have to be stopped in order for us to move forward" Obama 2009
-"Israel must stop settlement expansion" George W.Bush 2005
-"Settlement activity....cripples chances for real peace" US State Dept 2002
-"Expansion of settlements could halt progress made by the peace process over the last two decades" J.Baker (Sec of State) 1996
-"We do not believe there should be more settlements" George H.W.Bush 1991
-"I don't think there is any greater obstacle to peace than settlement activity" J.Baker (Sec of State) 1991 (this is the quote used in our original letter).
-US policy towards ..the settlements is unequivocal. We consider it to be contrary to International Law and an impediment to....the peace process" C.Vance (Sec of State) 1980
Adrian Fine
"Criticism of Israel is not antisemitic, and saying so is wrong. But singling Israel out for selective condemnation and opprobrium – let alone denying its right to exist or seeking its destruction – is discriminatory and hateful, and not saying so is dishonest."
The above states nothing along the lines of those groups, organizations, etc that have a limited scope, ie B'tselem and HRW, in where they operate, to be automatically thought of singling out Israel. So rubbish on that claim.
As for the other topic, there was no erring to speak of, merely a frantic amount of backpeddling from the original statement:
"Although each and every American President in the past 20 years has declared that the continuing expansion of the settlement population is the single greatest impediment to peace..."
Yet to be proven.
Israel, however, possesses 200-300 nuclear warheads with missiles capable of delivering them throughout the region and far beyond. Furthermore, it will not sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty or allow international inspections of its nuclear facilities. Iran has agreed with Saudi Arabia and declared the entire ME should be nuclear weapons free. This is in accordance with the Pentagon which has declared that the best way to deal with the issue is for Israel to abandon nuclear weapons. Israel refuses to cooperate because it wants to remain the invincible bully of the ME and hence, able to maintain its belligerent, illegal and brutal occupations of Palestinian and other Arab lands, continue stealing their water resources and construct illegal Jewish only settlement/colonies.
ange our G-d given mission in this world. You may be hateful, but we will always be hopeful and loving. G-d is with us...and to hell with you!!!
Hezbollah has launched thousands of missiles into Northern Israel and into the North West bank/Judea/Samaria, which has the highest density of Israeli Arabs and Palestinian Arabs, killing a number, why would Iran or any Shiite terrorist group care about Arabs?
The Pentagon declared no such thing. Even if it did, it would be hypocritical to assume the US would do the same if the Soviets were confirmed to be in possession of nuclear fissile material and the knowledge to build nuclear bombs, in this hypothetical. Especially following threats from Khomeini to Ahmadinejad to 'wipe Israel off the map'.
Israel has never threatened to use nuclear weapons, not even in the first week of the 1973 war where its Arab neighbors attacked, yet again, almost losing. Nuclear ambiguity has been the position of Israel from the get-go and will continue to be.
Israel took over the Jordanian occupied West Bank following the Arabs belligerency in the 1967 war. Hence defensive and voiding this 1949 armistice line between Israel and Jordan right then and there, what Palestinians are claiming as their 'borders'. And neither is this territory occupied, but disputed.
IJV sin is their ignorance in presenting information as factual when it really isn't. Yet their sin pales in comparison to The Toronto Star who would prefer that misinformation be the final word rather than the clarity provided by the author of this piece.
Of the two I'd say The Toronto Star is the more dangerous in this case.
So you're delegitimizing them already. Do go on...
"Criticism of Israel is not antisemitic, and saying so is wrong. But singling Israel out for selective condemnation and opprobrium -- let alone denying its right to exist or seeking its destruction -- is discriminatory and hateful, and not saying so is dishonest."
Since IJV is a Jewish group focused on Israeli policy, and they don't write about the government of Myanmar, are they discriminatory and hateful by this definition? Sounds like it is, and sounds like their broad point - about charges of anti-semitism being frequently levelled to silence criticism of Israel - is a fact, not an opinion.
AIPAC is one of (if not the) most powerful lobby group in the US. That is a fact, not an opinion.
That they appear more disturbed by AIPAC than a nuclear Iran is your interpretation of their opinion, both of which are legitimate fodder for a letters page and neither of which is factually inaccurate.
Also, if the best you can do is stating that US Presidents believe the settlements are an obstacle to peace, but not necessarily the biggest obstacle, you have to try harder. I'm not sure this claim by IJV is so erroneous as to deserve space for a rebuttal.
But I think truth can still thrive if there are enough venues to spread it. I commend the HuffPost for publishing this piece. And I cannot understand why the ToStar lets its reputation get tarnished in another media. It is, perhaps, because they know that their subscribers will not read the HuffPost because they do not read anything else.
Netanyau has also bragged publically that he scuttled the Oslo Peace Process. The video of him saying so is on You Tube no less.