Community News
When you know better, you do better; Honest Reporting Canada accuses the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper of Anti-Semitic Conspiracies
BY SIMONE J. SMITH
“It has been said that Jews are the canary in the mine. Hatred against them will eventually be transferred to other minorities. Your responsibility to the Caribbean people demands that you stand for fairness and equality for all minorities.”
“I am appalled at your anti-Semitic article that appeared in your paper. Please issue an immediate apology. I trust this odious article was due to your ignorance, not any anti-Semitism on your part.”
“Ya Mon,
Why would you print a nasty anti-Semitic article by this person, Steven Kaszab.
He gets all his facts wrong!”
One by one, the emails rolled in. The three of us, Grant Browning, Trish Browning, and myself sat together and read each and every emotionally driven email. We heard and felt the anger through the email, and we accepted that somehow, an article that had appeared in our publication had offended members of a community.
As a team, we asked ourselves some questions; was there more about this topic that we needed to know? Yes! Did the representing community know something that we didn’t? Absolutely.
What we do know is that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict dates back to the end of the nineteenth century. In 1947, the United Nations adopted Resolution 181 (https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-208958/) known as the Partition Plan, which sought to divide the British Mandate of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states.
It was on May 14th, 1948, the State of Israel was created, sparking the first Arab-Israeli War. The war ended in 1949 with Israel’s victory, but 750,000 Palestinians were displaced, and the territory was divided into three parts: the State of Israel, the West Bank (of the Jordan River), and the Gaza Strip.
Over the following years, tensions rose in the region, particularly between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. (https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/israeli-palestinian-conflict) Tensions remain between these two groups, and there has been worry that renewed tensions will escalate into large-scale violence. According to the Global Conflict Tracker, the United States has an interest in protecting the security of its long-term ally Israel and achieving a lasting deal between Israel and the Palestinian territories, which would improve regional security.
I say all of that to say this; I understand why Mike Fegelman, the Executive Director of Honest Reporting Canada, approached us. In his words, he feels that we have “Published an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that has the potential to fan the flames of hatred against Canada’s Jewish community.”
The article that he is referring to is one written by our Journalist Steven Kaszab, a person who I know is the furthest thing from anything anti. He joined our paper as a concerned citizen, and his volume of work has been nothing less than encouraging, engaging, and empowering to all readers of our paper. There is a line in his article “Israel, a nation that applies a system of oppression, manipulation and racial prejudice towards the Palestinians,” that can be found at (https://torontocaribbean.com/israel-a-nation-that-applies-a-system-of-oppression-manipulation-and-racial-prejudice-towards-the-palestinians/) that states, ““Canadian, American and British politicians continue to kowtow to their populations Jewish Lobbyists,” was mentioned in several of the emails. This is the line that really seems to have sparked the anger that is currently being felt by some members of the Jewish community.
What this had me realize is that the tension that was mentioned earlier between the Jewish community and Palestinians is real, and alive as ever, and as watchdogs for their people, it is in their right to speak out against anyone who comes at their community, and they do this with a unity that is commendable.
On Monday, January 31st, 2022, another article was published by Honest Reporting Canada, written by Robert Walker. In this article “Toronto Caribbean Newspaper Publishes Column Whitewashing Hamas Terrorism,” Robert states, “Honest Reporting Canada and its subscribers sent scores of complaints to the publication and its editors, but Toronto Caribbean has yet to respond to complaints, nor take any corrective action.
A deeper look into Toronto Caribbean finds that its proclivity to publish anti-Israel misinformation is not new. In a column published on June 9th, 2021 on TorontoCaribbean.com, Omniya Ali used the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to peddle some of the most egregious and baseless, but nevertheless widely attempted slurs against Israel.”
Once again, I must speak in defense of our past writer Omniya Ali. Her volume of articles written against human rights issues found around the world. She has never slandered or slurred, and it is unfortunate that members of the organization see her work in that light. Really, it is a shame. To say that we have a proclivity meaning; a natural propensity or inclination; a predisposition, to publish anti-Israel misinformation is erroneous, and I am unsure as to why such an assertion has been made. Two articles out of 1000’s of articles do not show proclivity to anything, but I digress.
Honest Reporting Canada is an independent grassroots organization promoting fairness and accuracy in Canadian media coverage of Israel and the Middle East. What they do is monitor the media, recognize excellence and expose inaccuracy and bias in Canadian reporting in the region. Several news outlets have described them as a “Pro-Israel media watchdog group.”
They have called out any publication that they feel reports news that speaks against the Jewish community in any way, and I have provided some examples below:
Exposed: The Dark Anti-Israel Side of Desmond Tutu The Media Never Reported
By Robert Walker January 27th, 2022
“While the media is justified in recognizing the positive aspects of Tutu’s work, his anti-Israel agenda severely tarnished his legacy, and as uncomfortable as it may be, the media should not shy away from telling the full story of Desmond Tutu.”
CBC Spreads Misinformation About Eviction of Palestinian Family In Sheikh Jarrah
By Mike Fegelman January 20th, 2022
“On the evening of January 19th, CBC Radio reported on the eviction of the Salihiyas, a Palestinian family from Sheikh Jarrah (Shimon Hatzadik in Hebrew) in east Jerusalem, but instead of providing adequate context about this controversial issue, CBC gave a platform to unfounded claims that Israel was trying to expropriate the land to give to Jewish residents.”
Time Magazine Gives Cover to Anti-Israel Propaganda Photo In Its Top 100 Photos of 2021 Issue
By Robert Walker January 3rd, 2022
“In a year of so many important news stories, it was shameful that Time Magazine, a publication with a large Canadian and U.S. readership, chose to single Israel out for exclusive censure and condemnation.”
SIGN OUR PETITION! Toronto Star Gives Hamas A Free Pass In Reporting On Gaza Environmental Crisis
By Robert Walker December 28th, 2021
Canada’s Media Should Hold NDP To Account For Toxic Anti-Israel Resolutions
By Robert Walker April 14th, 2021
I appreciate and commend Honest Reporting for what they do for their community. It lies very similarly to the goals and mission of the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper. They show unity is such a powerful way, and I wish in many ways that we as a community were able to do this with such tenacity.
During this time of division, it is sad to know that the words of our writers have been taken the way they have. What would have been appreciated is that instead of blasting us on your website and Social Medias, and throwing words like anti-Semitic at us, is to professionally contact us and discuss with us the issues that you had with the original article. We could have shared perspectives, and desires for change together, found common ground between us, or even better, new ground.
We can admit, there are aspects of this conflict that no one knows except the two groups involved, and we could have worked together to highlight the discrepancies that you felt were in the article and find a way to harmonize instead of using threats, and name-calling.
As news outlets from communities that have been disenfranchised for years, we must find better ways to deal with conflict that does arise. People are not always going to say the right things, and we may never line up the same way, but there are ways that we can gain a deeper understanding of our alternate points of view.
What this did teach us, as a publication, is to be mindful of opinions that our writers do make in their articles. EVERYTHING that is written must be backed up with proof, so that if there is a need to defend a position, we can do so intelligently, and with confidence.
Thank you, Honest Reporting and the Jewish community, for shedding light on the many sides of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. With this knowledge, we can report in a more balanced way, especially when it comes to sensitive topics such as this one. Learning is growing, and when you know better, you do better!
BY KHADIJA KARIM
Have you ever forgotten someone’s name, or where you left your phone and thought, “Why can’t I remember anything?” Forgetting might feel frustrating, but it turns out that forgetting things can actually be good for you. Experts believe forgetting might be an important part of human survival and could even have benefits.
You probably think that remembering everything would be better, right? If you remembered every tiny detail, like what you had for breakfast three weeks ago, or the colour of every car you saw today, you would be overwhelmed. Our brains are constantly receiving information, and if we didn’t forget some of it, we wouldn’t be able to focus on what really matters at that time.
Forgetting helps you clear out information you don’t need, and it helps your brain remember the most useful memories. Think about how hard it would be to focus on important things if your mind was filled with random thoughts. Forgetting helps you stay focused and keeps your mind from getting lost.
So, why would evolution make us forget things? Early humans had to deal with dangerous environments that changed quickly. They needed to remember things that helped them survive, like where to find food, or how to avoid predators. They didn’t need to remember every small detail, like what happened last week. Forgetting information, they didn’t need allowed them to make quick decisions based on what was most important at that moment in time.
For example, if you remember a recent storm, you might make sure to stay inside or find shelter. If you remembered every storm you’d ever seen, it would be harder to make decisions about the present. Forgetting irrelevant details helps you stay on your feet and helps you react faster to new situations. This ability to forget likely helped early humans survive and make better decisions in their everyday lives.
Next time you forget something, don’t be too hard on yourself! Forgetting is a natural part of how our brains work and can actually help you stay focused on the important things. It might seem annoying at times, but it’s helping you make better decisions. Forgetting isn’t just something to be annoyed about, it’s a smart way to survive in a world that’s always changing!
Community News
Blink equity dives deep into the gap between people of colour and decision-making roles in Canadian law firms
BY ADRIAN REECE
Representation in the workforce has been a topic of conversation for years, particularly in positions of influence, where people can shift laws and create fair policies for all races. Representation in the legal system is an even more talked about subject, with many Black men being subjected to racism in courts and not being given fair sentencing by judges.
The fear of Black men entering the system is something that plagues mothers and fathers as they watch their children grow up.
Blink Equity, a company led by Pako Tshiamala, has created an audit called the Blink Score. This audit targets law firms and seeks to identify specific practices reflecting racial diversity among them in Toronto. A score is given based on a few key performance indicators. These KPIs include hiring practices, retention of diverse talent, and racial representation at every level.
The Blink Score project aims to analyze law firms in Ontario with more than 50 lawyers. The Blink Score is a measurement tool that holds law firms accountable for their representation. Firms will be ranked, and the information will be made public for anyone to access.
This process is ambitious and seeks to give Canadian citizens a glimpse into how many people are represented across the legal field. While more and more people have access to higher education, there is still a gap between obtaining that higher education and working in a setting where change can be made. The corporate world, at its highest points, is almost always one race across the board, and very rarely do people of colour get into their ranks. They are made out to be an example of how anyone from a particular race can achieve success. However, this is the exception, not the rule. Nepotism plays a role in societal success; connections are a factor, and loyalty to race, even if people are acquainted.
People of colour comprise 16% of the total lawyers across the province. Positions at all levels range from 6% to 27%. These numbers display the racial disparity among law practitioners in positions of influence. Becoming a lawyer is undoubtedly a huge accomplishment. Still, when entering the workforce with other seasoned professionals, your academic accolades become second to your professional achievements and your position in the company.
What do these rankings ultimately mean? A potential for DEI-inclusive practices, perhaps? That isn’t something that someone would want in this kind of profession. This kind of audit also opens law firms up to intense criticism from people who put merit above all other aspects of professional advancement. On the other hand, there is a potential for firms to receive clientele based on their blink score, with higher ones having the chance to bring in more race-based clients who can help that law firm grow.
It is only the beginning, and changes will undoubtedly be made in the legal field as Blink Equity continues to dive deep into the gap between people of colour and decision-making roles in these law firms. This audit has the power to shift the power scale, and place people of colour in higher positions. There are hierarchies in any profession, and while every Lawyer is qualified to do what they are trained to do, it is no shock that some are considerably better than others at their jobs. The ones who know how to use this audit to their advantage will rise above the others and create a representative image for themselves among their population.
BY SIMONE J. SMITH
We are living in a world where promises of health and safety came packaged in a tiny vial, one injection was promoted by powerful governments, supported by respected institutions, and championed by legacy media worldwide. Sadly, beneath the surface, a darker truth emerged.
Reports from around the globe began to tell a different story—one that was not covered in the news cycles or press conferences. Families torn apart by unexpected losses, communities impacted in ways that few could have foreseen, and millions questioning what they had been told to believe.
Those who dared to question were silenced or dismissed (the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper being one of those sources). “Trust the science,” we were told. “It’s for the greater good.” As time went on, the truth became impossible to ignore.
Now, I bring more news to light—information that demands your attention and scrutiny. The time to passively listen has passed; this is the moment to understand what’s really at stake.
I reviewed an interview with Naomi Wolf, journalist and CEO of Daily Clout, which detailed the serious vaccine-related injuries that Pfizer and the FDA knew of by early 2021, but tried to hide from the public. I was introduced to “The Pfizer Papers: Pfizer’s Crimes Against Humanity.” What I learned is that Pfizer knew about the inadequacies of its COVID-19 vaccine trials and the vaccine’s many serious adverse effects, and so did the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA promoted the vaccines anyway — and later tried to hide the data from the public.
To produce “The Pfizer Papers,” Naomi, and Daily Clout Chief Operations Officer Amy Kelly convened thousands of volunteer scientists and doctors to analyze Pfizer data and supplementary data from other public reporting systems to capture the full scope of the vaccines’ effects. They obtained the data from the Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency, a group of more than 30 medical professionals and scientists who sued the FDA in 2021 and forced the agency to release the data, after the FDA refused to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request.
It was then that the federal court ordered the agency to release 450,000 internal documents pertaining to the licensing of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The data release was significantly and the documents so highly technical and scientific that according to Naomi, “No journalist could have the bandwidth to go through them all.”
The “Pfizer Papers” analysts found over 42,000 case reports detailing 158,893 adverse events reported to Pfizer in the first three months The centerpiece of “The Pfizer Papers” is the effect that the vaccine had on human reproduction. The papers reveal that Pfizer knew early on that the shots were causing menstrual issues. The company reported to the FDA that 72% of the recorded adverse events were in women. Of those, about 16% involved reproductive disorders and functions. In the clinical trials, thousands of women experienced: daily bleeding, hemorrhaging, and passing of tissue, and many other women reported that their menstrual cycle stopped completely.
Pfizer was aware that lipid nanoparticles from the shots accumulated in the ovaries and crossed the placental barrier, compromising the placenta and keeping nutrients from the baby in utero. According to the data, babies had to be delivered early, and women were hemorrhaging in childbirth.
Let us take us to another part of the world, where research has been done on other pharmaceutical companies. A group of Argentine scientists identified 55 chemical elements — not listed on package inserts — in the: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, CanSino, Sinopharm and Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines (according to a study published last week in the International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research).
The samples also contained 11 of the 15 rare earth elements (they are heavier, silvery metals often used in manufacturing). These chemical elements, which include lanthanum, cerium and gadolinium, are lesser known to the general public than heavy metals, but have been shown to be highly toxic. By the end of 2023, global researchers had identified 24 undeclared chemical elements in the COVID-19 vaccine formulas.
Vaccines often include excipients — additives used as preservatives, adjuvants, stabilizers, or for other purposes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), substances used in the manufacture of a vaccine, but not listed in the contents of the final product should be listed somewhere in the package insert. Why is this important? Well, researchers argue it is because excipients can include allergens and other “hidden dangers” for vaccine recipients.
In one lot of the AstraZeneca vaccine, researchers identified 15 chemical elements, of which 14 were undeclared. In the other lot, they detected 21 elements of which 20 were undeclared. In the CanSino vial, they identified 22 elements, of which 20 were undeclared.
The three Pfizer vials contained 19, 16 and 21-23 undeclared elements respectively. The Moderna vials contained 21 and between 16-29 undeclared elements. The Sinopharm vials contained between 17-23 undeclared elements and the Sputnik V contained between 19-25 undetected elements.
“All of the heavy metals detected are linked to toxic effects on human health,” the researchers wrote. Although the metals occurred in different frequencies, many were present across multiple samples.
I am not going to go any further with this; I think you get the picture. We have been sold wolf cookies, very dangerous ones. These pharmaceutical companies must be held accountable. I am proud of anyone who has gone after them for retribution, and have received it. Regardless, in many ways, there is no repayment for a healthy life.
REFERENCES:
https://ijvtpr.com/index.php/IJVTPR/article/view/111
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender_category/toxic-exposures/
Pfizer’s ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ — and Legacy Media’s Failure to Report on Them
55 Undeclared Chemical Elements — Including Heavy Metals — Found in COVID Vaccines
FDA Should Need Only ‘12 Weeks’ to Release Pfizer Data, Not 75 Years, Plaintiff Calculates
Judge Gives FDA 8 Months, Not 75 Years, to Produce Pfizer Safety Data
Most Studies Show COVID Vaccine Affects Menstrual Cycles, BMJ Review Finds
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Rabbi David Mivasair
January 31, 2022 at 6:21 pm
Please do not cave in to pressure from the Zionist thought police here in Canada. And please don’t refer to your critics as “the Jewish community”. They represent one narrow band in the very wide spectrum of opinion among us Jews in Canada. They pose as “the Jewish community” and attempt to silence anyone who promotes views critical of Israel, including silencing their fellow Jews. Many of us know from first hand experience that Israel’s brutal abuse of Palestinians must be exposed and opposed.
Dr Robert Yufe
January 31, 2022 at 7:34 pm
I was born in Trinidad and Tobago and I am Jewish. The articles published in your newspaper are factually incorrect. If you would spend the time studying this complicated issue, you would have realized that. You have an obligation to correct falsehoods. A direct attack against the only Jewish state in the world and the only democratic state in the Middle East while ignoring other well known human rights violations in the rest of the world can only be interpreted as an anti-semitism. You should familiarize yourself with what most Western countries in the world have adopted and known as the international definition of anti-Semitism.
Sherry Abdul
February 1, 2022 at 12:15 pm
They aren’t attacking you. Lawd you are blowing this out of proportion. Publications make errors, thats normal. You contact them, politely help them. You are pure drama boi
Mrs Graham
February 2, 2022 at 5:16 pm
Well said.
David Garber
January 31, 2022 at 6:36 pm
That organization does not represent the Jewish Community. I’m sorry you had to endure this.
Paul Oziel
January 31, 2022 at 7:40 pm
I’m of Jewish decent, and proud. I’m so disappointed to see this type of organization that claims to represent our views and culture take pride in attacking other organizations. Reading that they did not contact you first to try and come to a peaceful resolution before publicly attacking you is very dishonourable.
MIRIAM T
January 31, 2022 at 8:53 pm
I CALL ON HONEST REPORTING TO ISSUE A FULL RETRACTION AND APOLOGY TO THIS PUBLICATION. IF YOU DID NOT CONTACT THEM BEFORE BRINGING THIS PUBLIC, YOU HAVE ZERO MERIT. YOU CLAIM TO REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITY, A WATCHDOG ORGANIZATION IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK OUT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND KEEP PEACE, NOT INSTIL ANGER. YOU SHOULD NEVER HAVE ATTACKED THIS COMMUNITY WITHOUT TRYING TO COME TO A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION.
YOU DO NOT REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITY HONEST REPORTING, YOU ARE A HIT JOB FOCUSED ON CREATING DIVISION AND ANGER.
Sherry Abdul
February 1, 2022 at 12:12 am
These guys want to point fingers?
Read some of their content on their site, nothing but hate, anger and division and these guys are watchdogs? They probably cause more problems than they fix!
Jennifer Stewart
February 1, 2022 at 1:20 am
Wow! These guys use serious bully tactics! So unprofessional
Eric
February 1, 2022 at 4:54 am
“Honest Reporting Canada” is a misnomer. The organization
is an extremely one-sided defender of Israel’s war crimes.
Nonetheless, this line rings false and falls into the trap (as HRV does
in a differenct way) of lumping all Jews together as having one view:
“Canadian, American and British politicians continue to kowtow
to their populations Jewish Lobbyists”
In facct, many, if not most Zionists in North America are not Jewish.
Many are right-wing evangelicals or just political opportunists.
For a progressive perspective by a growing number of Canadian Jews,
see https://www.ijvcanada.org/
Jake Sherman
February 1, 2022 at 11:59 am
They’re attacks look targeted probably funded by George Soros.
Benjamin Cuss
February 1, 2022 at 1:43 pm
The description in the “Executive Directors” bio kills me: “Mike’s focus is on delivering efficiency and professionalism” – I’m just wondering where the professionalism part is in attacking organizations without first coming to some sort of resolution?
I sent this to a few of my Jewish friends and they quickly pointed out that the organization is anti-Isreal
Two of them were lawyers and mentioned that you guys actually have grounds for defamation and a bunch of other fancy legal words, especially being the case that they did not contact you first before they attacked you publicly – might be something to look in to.
Keep doing your thing guys
Benjamin Cuss
February 1, 2022 at 1:47 pm
Sorry, I meant
The description in the “Executive Directors” bio kills me: “Mike’s focus is on delivering efficiency and professionalism” – I’m just wondering where the professionalism part is in attacking organizations without first attempting to come to some sort of resolution?
Robert Yufe
February 2, 2022 at 10:22 am
Did Toronto Caribbean newspaper contact anyone in the israeli government before writing their factually incorrect oped?
You are giving the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper very bad advice to start a defamation lawsuit that would result in a loss and then having to pay legal fees to Honest Reporting.
I suspect that the editors of the Toronto Caribbean newspaper as smarter than you give them credit for.
Any verbal advice given by a lawyer for free is not worth anything.