Against a backdrop of radio hosts (predominantly CBC) who turn their programs into regular opportunities for one-sided demonization, it is a notable change when a prominent radio host provided a full-throated burst of moral clarity.
On May 16, Rob Snow, the host of CityNews’ national talk radio program Now You Know With Rob Snow, broadcast a segment on the Hamas-Israel war, which featured calls into the show from his listening audience. While a diverse collection of callers made their opinions clear on the Middle East, Snow articulated both a factual and moral clarity that is rarely heard on many radio programs.
Listen to the full segment below:
After one caller accused Israel of perpetrating a genocide, citing as evidence UNRWA, the disgraced United Nations agency with ties to Hamas and whose staff took part in the October 7 massacres, Snow wasted no time in pushing back, incredulously saying: “UNRWA, really? You’re going to cite UNRWA as a legitimate source?” and calling it a “completely illegitimate organization.”
This position comes in stark contrast to a campaign of rehabilitation for UNRWA on the part of many news media outlets, which have portrayed the group as not only legitimate, but as a critical and much-needed organization in Gaza, when in reality it helps to perpetuate the Palestinian war on Israel.
One of the most remarkable elements in Snow’s comments were that they reflected a common sense that has become a rarity in many corners of the news media. When one caller made unfounded and baseless death toll claims about Israel’s counter-terrorism operations in Gaza, Snow retorted by asking a simple and yet largely unasked question: “And what’s your source on that?” When another caller attempted to use the same argument, he dismissed it, saying “who knows what the number is if Hamas is the only source that is giving you the number?”
In fact, despite Hamas being the singular source of all casualty claims from Gaza, including deaths, injuries, the proportion of men, women and children, there is no independent verification of these allegations. These death toll claims are more than simply unverified; they are wholly unreliable, having been found to be statistically unreliable and manipulated.
When another caller attempted to blame Israel’s existence for the current Hamas-Israel war, saying that Jerusalem was simply attempting to seize territory in Gaza (despite being less than 4/10th the size of the City of Calgary), Snow exhibited no patience for such historical revisionism. He reminded the caller – and listeners – that until the Palestinian invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel was not present in Gaza, emphatically stating that “Israel left Gaza in 2005…20 years ago!”
While Snow made his points clearly, he also left time for those with diverging opinions a chance to share their views. This is in contrast to hosts of many other radio programs, including the CBC’s Stephen Quinn, Nadia Kidwai, Jayme Poisson and others, who repeatedly offer a platform to anti-Israel activists to spew their disinformation while overwhelmingly failing – or refusing – to provide any semblance of balance by speaking to anyone who doesn’t share their particular viewpoint.
Rob Snow, host of the CityNews national talk radio show Now You Know With Rob Snow, should be commended, not just for his factual knowledge of the Hamas-Israel war and its context, but for refusing to kowtow to the anti-Israel mob and expressing moral and factual clarity without apologies.
Say thanks to Rob Snow by sending an email to him by clicking here.
