Nov. 30: Yara Jamal, a Palestinian-Canadian journalist, has been terminated from her position at CTVNewsAtlantic, a prominent Canadian network recognized for its top-rated local news programs and primetime lineup, due to her pro-Palestine stance.
Yara Jamal is proficient in both Arabic and English and served as a web writer and production assistant at CTV Atlantic in Kjipuktuk/Halifax. She is originally from Palestine, and she has transformed her passion for storytelling into a successful career, including internships with the SaltWire Network as a video journalist and multimedia editor.
Jamal was a participant in the “Reporting in Mi’kma’ki” class at the University of King’s College, where she covered stories related to the Eskasoni Fish and Wildlife Commission in Unama’ki/Cape Breton, earning her a gold award in the Multicultural category at the Canadian Online Publishing Awards.
In a viral video, Jamal expressed her dismay at being fired shortly after voicing support for Palestine. Despite her disappointment, she stated, “CTV News fired me after speaking up for Palestine. And, as disappointed as I am, I’m not shocked.”
Jamal highlighted her unique position within the organization, being the only Palestinian individual and the sole Middle Eastern woman in CTVNewsAtlantic’s newsroom. She stated, “I was the only Palestinian person in the media in the Atlantic region and the only Middle Eastern woman in their newsroom.”
Furthermore, Jamal revealed that the reason for her termination was a comment she made during an interview, stating, “Here is a rundown of what happened: I made a comment during an interview where I was asked if ‘Jews can exist in a free Palestine,’ to which I replied, ‘Jews can exist; the Zionist ideology cannot, the state of Israel cannot.’”
Expressing her disappointment over the ensuing Twitter backlash, where she was labeled as “anti-Semitic,” Jamal remarked, “Freedom of speech does not exist for people like me or people of color. Logically, a free Palestine cannot exist with an occupation or with a state labeled an ‘apartheid state’ by human rights organizations. My firing occurred less than 24 hours after a Twitter thread started labeling me as anti-Semitic. Palestinians continue to be silenced, and I will not stand for it anymore. CTV has dismissed me as a Palestinian employee and continues to fail the Palestinian community as a whole.”
