An article appeared on the CBC website on March 16th using an Associated Press Article, entitled New Dead Sea scrolls found in desert cave in Israel. Father Robert Assaly contacted the CBC, to point out this was “fake news” as the find was in the West Bank of Palestine, not Israel. The CBC has corrected title and sub-header, although not fully addressed concerns and of course sticking to its language standard, the CBC has not used the word Palestine.
The Correction
The CBC listened, and added a proper headline and edited sub-header: New Dead Sea scrolls found in desert cave in West Bank, serveral hours later.
The following correction was provided:
- A previous version of this story said the new fragments had been found in Israel. In fact, they were found in a cave in the West Bank, a territory occupied by Israel.Mar 17, 2021 10:54 AM ET
Father Assaly’s letter follows. He awaits for a response to the other concerns he has raised about the white washing related to the plunder of the artifacts. Also, Father Assaly raises concerns in regard to the comments for the article being disabled.
March 27th Update: the CBC has responded that it did further research and in fact the find was in Israel, and the article has mistakenly indicated in the text it was the West Bank.
As Father Assaly says
I’m witness to the CBC’s ongoing pattern of denying the existence of Palestinians in their occupied homeland, and the oppression they face. The beat goes on.
We thank the CBC for making this correction and await responses to Father Assaly’s letter.
The letter
March 17, 2021, 8:09 AM ET
| Att: Mr. Nagler and Editors — Offensive Fake News |
Dear Sirs and Madams,
Please correct immediately the FAKE NEWS headline and story content: New Dead Sea scrolls found in desert cave in Israel. The find is in the West Bank, not in Israel, which illegally occupies the West Bank.
Moreover while your article acknowledges that plunder and removal of the artifacts from the West Bank is in violation of International Humanitarian Law, in the same paragraph you mention that the Israel Antiquities Authority is undertaking this operation to protect from such plunder. The headline blurs the fact that The Israel Antiquities Authority has no right in law to be there, and moreover is the single primary plunderer of West Bank and Gaza artifacts under the protection of the occupying Israeli military forces– check out the Israel Museum in West Jerusalem!
Furthermore, my comment to this effect in the section below the article was disabled! It’s almost as if the content is overseen by the Embassy of Israel.
I’ve been an eyewitness to this pattern on the ground for the years I served in the Occupied West Bank.
And I’m witness to the CBC’s ongoing pattern of denying the existence of Palestinians in their occupied homeland, and the oppression they face. The beat goes on.
I encourage you to fix this article immediately.
Sincerely
Father Robert Christopher Assaly
Verdun, Quebec
c.c. widely
