WORLD NEWS DAY FULL REMARKS AT OTTAWA PRESS CONFERENCE

Quick Overview

Samira Mohyeddin, representing Canadian Journalists for Justice in Palestine, condemned the ongoing killing of 145 journalists in Gaza since October 7, 2023, criticizing the Canadian government for its failure to name Israel as the perpetrator and for continuing military trade, while simultaneously demanding immediate action for the protection and evacuation of Palestinian journalists and their families.

Key Points: Canadian Journalists for Justice in Palestine formed in March 2025 to advocate for Palestinian journalists. Israel has killed over 145 journalists in Gaza since October 7, 2023, which the speaker asserts is not an accident but a sustained campaign. The speaker called out the Canadian government for failing to name Israel as responsible and for continuing arms transfers, citing hypocrisy compared to their swift action in evacuating people from Ukraine. The organization demands the Canadian government immediately support an international investigation into the targeting of journalists and the wholesale collapse of journalistic standards in Canadian media regarding Palestine. Specific demands include compelling Israel to allow foreign reporters free entry into Gaza and to cease all arms transfers and military cooperation with the Israeli state. The speaker criticized other Western governments, like Norway, for being relatively silent on the issue, contrasting them with the explicit statements made regarding journalists killed in Ukraine.

Context: Samira Mohyeddin, speaking on behalf of Canadian Journalists for Justice in Palestine (CJJP), addressed a press conference, likely at the National Press Gallery in Ottawa, to highlight the extreme danger faced by journalists covering the conflict in Gaza. The CJJP was formed in March 2025 to advocate for Palestinian journalists and demand accountability from the Canadian government regarding its foreign policy and media coverage related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Detailed Analysis

Samira Mohyeddin, speaking for Canadian Journalists for Justice in Palestine (CJJP), forcefully criticized the Canadian government's perceived complicity in the ongoing crisis in Gaza, particularly regarding the deaths of journalists. She stated that since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed 145 journalists in Gaza, calling this a sustained and systematic campaign, not an accident. Mohyeddin accused Canadian newsrooms of a wholesale collapse in journalistic standards, resulting in public ignorance about the Israeli state's actions and the occupation. She demanded the Canadian government take immediate, decisive diplomatic action: cease all arms transfers and military cooperation with Israel, compel Israel to allow foreign journalists unrestricted entry to Gaza, and support international investigations into the targeting of media workers. Mohyeddin contrasted Canada's inaction on Palestinian journalists with its rapid evacuation of Ukrainian journalists and citizens, pointing out that other nations, like Norway, have been more vocal in naming the perpetrators. She concluded by asserting that the time for condemnation statements is over and that Canada must actively protect Palestinian civilians and journalists, as they are not invisible or voiceless.