In an August 12 episode of CBC’s radio program As It Happens, guest host Catherine Cullen interviewed Shai Parnes, a representative of the controversial group B’Tselem, and allowed him an uncritical mainstream platform to peddle unsubstantiated claims, as well as to reinforce anti-Israel stereotypes and conspiracy theories.

Listen to the full segment:

The discussion was ostensibly about the alleged mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners — particularly those under administrative detention who are suspected of terrorist involvement, but not yet formally charged with a specific crime — and the recent news that Israeli authorities were detaining and investigating several soldiers for alleged mistreatment of prisoners.

Parnes alleged that “all the Palestinian detainees are subjected to abuse, daily violence, starvation, humiliation, and sleep deprivation,” and suggested that Israelis “don’t even want justice.” Left untold by CBC As It Happens, but which was reported by CBC News elsewhere: “The IDF rejects outright allegations concerning systematic abuse of detainees in the Sde Teiman detention facility, including allegations of sexually abusing detainees, electrocuting detainees and stripping detainees of their clothes during interrogations,” the IDF statement said.”

Despite being an Israeli himself, Parnes repeatedly refers to Israel as a “regime,” suggesting that the alleged abuse is “system[ic],” and called for the prison where the allegations took place to be shut down completely. He also baselessly asserted multiple conspiracy theories, such as the claim that Israel only investigates “low ranking” officials as a “whitewashing mechanism” to fool the international community and “get excuses for the ICC” — as well as the claim that the true Israeli “policy…has always been to expel Palestinians and take the land.”

Finally, Parnes repeatedly alleged that Israel is “unwilling and unable to investigate itself.”

First and foremost, it goes without saying that abuses of detainees are categorically wrong and should always be condemned by everyone. Unlike its enemies, Israel is a nation of laws, and the rule of law and basic democratic values are cherished by those of us who support them in their just fight against the forces of terrorism and totalitarian extremism. When someone breaks the law and does something bad — even when that someone is a representative of the Israeli state or military — they should be rightfully tried and appropriately punished for their own actions, just as anyone else would be.

But therein lies the entire issue with this interview.

That is exactly what is happening. The whole reason this topic is being discussed in the first place is because Israel itself is enforcing the rule of law and prosecuting those accused of misconduct. The basic thesis of the guest is refuted by the basic premise and impetus of the segment itself.

Israel routinely holds soldiers, politicians, and others accountable for bad behavior, and the independence and human rights record of its court system has been respected the world over for decades — even at the cost of domestic popularity at times. The claim that it only prosecutes “low ranking” individuals as patsies is laughable, considering that multiple former Presidents and Prime Ministers have served prison time for wrongdoings — in one case, sentenced by an Arab judge — and even the current Prime Minister is facing ongoing legal investigations over his questionable personal and business activities. Israel’s Supreme Court has regularly sided with Palestinian property owners against ideological Israelis seeking to expand settlements into areas they rightfully hold.

It is outrageous to spend a segment entertaining the baseless idea that Israel is somehow a lawless safe haven for abuses in spite of this overwhelming track record, without so much as a meaningful pushback or reference to any of these obvious points by the CBC’s host. It is especially ridiculous that this happens in the context of a case that is actively being pursued by Israel’s justice system — and even more ridiculous still that it comes with a complete lack of any mention of Hamas’ active policy of purposeful sexual abuse against Israelis as a weapon of war, both on October 7 itself and against the hostages in the many months since.

This is unsurprising coming from a representative of B’Tselem — a far-left blatantly political and ideologically-motivated anti-Israel organization whose entire raison-d’etre is to fight for a particular vision of what a political solution to the conflict should look like geographically. At least some mention of who B’Tselem is and what its bias is — let alone acknowledgment of its credibility issues and history of extreme positions — would have been helpful to most listeners in contextualizing what they were hearing.

To focus a report on attacking Israel as inadequate, even in a story where they are actively trying to do the right thing, all the while giving the other relevant players a complete pass for far worse behavior, is a classic case of the “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” irrational, all-encompassing, constant hatred complex that Israel’s detractors have for the country at all times and regardless of the facts or circumstances. To call this a double standard at this point would be a massive understatement.

It’s about time that CBC stops legitimizing this deranged insanity by offering it a platform and mindlessly regurgitating its gibberish. Instead, they should do Canadians a service and start calling it out for what it clearly is.