HonestReporting Canada

A new video game scheduled for release in December 2021 glorifies the killing of Israeli soldiers. The game, titled Fursan al-Aqsa: The Knights of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, depicts a recently released Palestinian prisoner attempting to "free Palestine" by attacking and killing Israeli soldiers, and who calls out "God is great" when a soldier is killed. At a time when Jews worldwide are the number one targets for hate crimes, and with social media and gaming platforms being powerful breeding grounds for antisemitism, this video game will only serve to glorify the killing, not just of Israeli soldiers, but of all Israelis, and by extension Jews. Will the media take notice?

Recently, a school administrator in Texas was caught on tape telling teachers that they should teach an "opposing" side of the Holocaust. While pushback was immediate and the school board quickly clarified the veracity of the Holocaust is not up for debate, but as we mark Holocaust Education Week, it's never been more important to draw the line between truth and fiction, and to protect the facts.

In mid-September, a demonstration took place in downtown Ottawa calling for the destruction of Israel. Equally appalling, protestors called for the release of all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails without distinguishing from those who have blood on their hands and are convicted terrorists. Canada is a vibrant democracy with freedom of expression and assembly, but at the very least, a demonstration replete with genocidal proclamations warrants a strong condemnation from politicians, journalists and opinion makers alike.

In September, more than 300 influential Iraqis gathered in the northern city of Erbil for a conference aimed at promoting peace between Iraq and Israel. It featured influential religious leaders and high level bureaucrats, in what was likely the first event of its kind. But within days, in the face of threats from the Iraqi government and an influential Shia Islamic cleric, many of the speakers recanted their pro-peace views. Despite this setback, if peace will ever spread throughout the Middle East, those who take a chance on peace must be acknowledged and promoted. Tragically, the silence of the Canadian news media in covering this story only serves to harm the cause of peace in the region.

In every conflict between Israel and Hamas, the world media tallies up death tolls and Israel is invariably accused of a "disproportionate response" by journalists, critics in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and by the United Nations. But when looking at the actual casualty figures, it becomes quickly apparent that, far from being a "disproportionate response," the number of Palestinians injured or killed is actually significantly less dramatic than the news coverage would suggest, especially in comparison to worldwide deaths due to conflict. Even more so, when you look at the breakdown of casualties, there's almost a 1:1 ratio of combatant to civilian casualties, which explains why Israel has an earned moniker for being the most moral army in the world. Learn how the media (mis)reports Palestinian casualty numbers to tarnish Israel's reputation.

Since the Taliban took over much of Afghanistan, the media have been mute on the alarming parallel between the Taliban and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Both regimes oppress women, persecute minorities, kill gays, jail journalists, sponsor terrorism, chant "death to the West" and call for the genocide of Jews, but the media have been mute on the disturbing similarities between these tyrannical regimes. Learn how Iran and the Taliban are two birds of the same feather who flock together.