Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) journalists have been warned against using the word “terrorists” when discussing Hamas’ attacks on Israeli military and civilians. The missive came from George Achi, the journalistic standards director.
Nonprofit StopAntisemitism intercepted the offensive directive and is now demanding Achi’s dismissal.
On Saturday, Palestinian terrorists stormed the Israeli border in the Gaza Strip, killing and kidnapping hundreds of innocent people—reports of babies being beheaded stunned and outraged the world. The CBC stooge, Achi, said that the idea of terrorism is still very political and is an ongoing development element of the story.
It was also requested that CBC reporters refrain from using the term “the end of Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip” when discussing Israel’s unilateral disengagement from the territory in 2005. With the termination of Israel’s regular military presence, Achi argued in writing that their portrayal should be grounded in reality.
Liora Rez, executive director of StopAntisemitism, has asked for the CBC to be shamed, arguing that calling Hamas’s acts anything other than terrorism sanitizes them and is horrifyingly dishonest.
A spokesman for the CBC acknowledged Achi’s email was genuine and claimed that the words “terrorist” and “terrorism” can be used when discussing Hamas’s massacre of Israeli people. The phrases “terrorist” and “terrorism” are not their own, according to the spokesperson; they belong to the government, legislators, and other officials who use them.
Nevertheless, like many other credible news organizations and agencies worldwide, CBC News refrains from labeling specific groups as terrorists.
MSNBC has been criticized in the United States for its reporters’ ambiguous terminology in covering Israel’s deadly attack. In an interview with the New York Times, Anti-Defamation League director Jonathan Greenblatt vented his frustration with the world for allowing the dehumanization of Israelis and whitewashing of Hamas. And, as Greenblatt said, the perpetrators are not combatants but terrorists.
