On March 6, 2023, the CBC published an analysis by Asia Correspondent Saša Petricic about a pogrom by Israeli settlers against the Palestinian town of Huwara in the occupied West Bank, and the link between Israeli settlers and Israel’s far-right government.
CJPME notified CBC about a factual error, in which the article claimed that a Palestinian man was “killed by rioting Israeli settlers.” However, as CJPME wrote, investigations from journalists have not been able to determine whether 37-year-old Sameh Aqtesh was killed by settlers or if he was actually killed by Israeli soldiers, who were present at the scene. CJPME requested a correction to the article “to accurately reflect that Sameh Aqtesh was killed by Israeli fire, although it is uncertain whether the shot came from settlers or soldiers.” This is significant because Israel has been trying to minimize its role in the violence. Further, CJPME insisted that the article “should also make clear that Israeli forces were present in the area when he was killed, and that there are credible allegations that they were responsible for his death.”
The CBC partially corrected its error on March 7, 2023, noting that a Palestinian man was “killed amid rioting by Israeli settlers,” which is technically correct but less precise, and omits key details which point to the possibility that Israeli soldiers may have been directly responsible for the killing of Sameh Aqtesh. CJPME has asked for the article to be updated further to reflect this information.