As the propaganda arm of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Press TV has a long history of promoting Holocaust denial, giving platforms to neo-Nazis, and perpetuating a radical anti-Israel and anti-western agenda.
In mid-May, Nakba (Arabic for ‘catastrophe’) Day was held in a number of cities across Canada and around the world. The day, coinciding with Israel’s independence, is meant to delegitimize Israel and deny its right to exist.
Unsurprisingly, Press TV, made sure to give fawning coverage of the anti-Israel rally, but what was indeed surprising was that on May 16, Press TV’s Latin America correspondent, Camila Escalante, was in Ontario where she broadcast a report on the Nakba Day rally held in downtown Toronto. Surprising because the Canadian government recently sanctioned Press TV due to its complicity with Iran’s gross and systematic human rights violations and its grave and ongoing breaches of international peace and security, an effort which rendered individuals tied to the Iranian regime inadmissible to Canada.
In response to this revelation, HonestReporting Canada’s (HRC) official Twitter account with nearly 18,000 followers, exposed how a Press TV “reporter” was operating on Canadian soil, much to the chagrin of the Iranian regime.
Alarming: Despite @CanadaFP’s sanctioning #Iran’s state-funded propaganda mouthpiece, @Presstv, 1 of their “journalists” (@camilapress) filed a report from Toronto about “Nakba day” rife with incitement & disinformation. https://t.co/tkBLoREXo0
— HonestReporting Canada (@HonestRepCanada) May 16, 2023
HonestReporting Canada has previously exposed the noxious impact of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s state-funded media apparatus, namely Press TV. The outlet is a key resource / weapon used by Tehran to spread its propaganda and disinformation around the world, including anti-Israel messaging and incitement.
Soon after we raised the alarm bell about Press TV’s reporting from Toronto, Press TV published an online article claiming the “Israel lobby intensifies smear campaign against Press TV for Palestine coverage.”
In the post, Press TV accused HonestReporting Canada of carrying out an unfounded smear campaign against the Islamic Republic’s “news” outlet claiming we are fearful of the Tehran-based outlet’s allegedly cutting-edge news reporting.
Defending its actions as “exposing Israel’s atrocities against Palestinians during its latest onslaught on the Gaza Strip,” Press TV claimed that HonestReporting Canada “was enraged by Press TV’s sheer reporting on Nakba, just as other pro-Israeli groups have for years made desperate attempts to silence independent media over their coverage of Israeli crimes against Palestinians.”
In contrast to Press TV’s inflated sense of self image, it was hardly the high calibre of their news reportage which HonestReporting Canada called out, but rather their being situated in Canada and their disseminating anti-Israel propaganda from the Nakba Day rally.
In her report, Escalante referred to Khader Adnan as a “political prisoner.” Adnan, who died on May 2 of a self-inflicted hunger strike, was arrested by Israeli police and was in prison in relation to his involvement in terrorism as a senior leader in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group, which has carried out scores of attacks on innocent Israeli civilians.
Escalante, who referred to Israel’s military as the “Zionist occupation forces,” interviewed several rally attendees who denied Israel’s right to exist. Clearly, her report was rife with disinformation and HonestReporting Canada was right to condemn it.
And while it is not typically the practice of HonestReporting Canada to respond to baseless criticism, in this case, coming from a “media outlet” reflecting the will of the Islamic Republic of Iran, we will wear it as a badge of pride.
This attack on HonestReporting Canada by Press TV, is proof positive that our work combatting anti-Israel propaganda and disinformation, both domestically and abroad, has caught the attention of some of the most dangerous anti-Israel voices and actors in the world, most notably the Iranian regime.
The Islamic Republic of Iran does more than just spew harmful falsehoods; it brutally oppresses its own citizens, and is an active state sponsor of terrorism across the Middle East, and around the world.
As such, when Press TV – an arm of Tehran’s tyrannical regime – attacks HonestReporting Canada, it is a testament not only to our impact, but it serves as a powerful reminder that HRC is a potent force in combatting anti-Israel propaganda not just in Canada, but around the world.
We want to thank Press TV for showcasing our work and demonstrating our impact.
We are not intimidated, we remain undeterred and we take note that Iran is threatened by our continued efforts.
Please consider donating to HonestReporting Canada today to show your solidarity and to display your stalwart support. Nothing would make Iran more upset!
