Should the editors of the Globe & Mail be discharged for violating basic journalistic norms? You wont see this question in any instant newspaper or television poll, but it deserves to be asked. A single sentence, in the form of a “Globe Poll”, stripped away the façade of journalistic objectivity and revealed an astonishing level of ignorance and prejudice. In its question of the day, the Globe went beyond the world of celebrity lifestyles to ask “Should all financial and political aid to Israel be cut off until a just peace with the Palestinians is in place?” 21 words were deemed sufficient to encompass this complex and bitter ethno-national conflict. The history of Zionism, Arab rejectionism, decades of warfare and terrorism, thousands of murders and destroyed lives, Iranian missiles, and failed peace efforts were reduced to a few thoughtless words it simply boggles the mind. It would be a mistake to simply attribute the Globe Pollto an underling with no experience whose job was to sell more ads. According to internet site editor Angus Frame, this poll was crafteda term suggesting some thought. In responding to my protest at the use of the Globe Poll to demonize Israel, Frame explained: We are greatly saddened by the tragic and continuing loss of both Israeli and Palestinian life and would dearly love for a peaceful solution to be found. Countless opinions have been offered on possible solutions and some people suggest that the active involvement of outside governments such as that of the United States has slowed the path to peace. Like an adolescent, an editor of the elite Canadian newspaperunabashedly bases his work on emotional responses to tragic loss of life and on hopes for peace. And just as simplistically, Frame asks for a just solutionif only readers would know what that means. In fact, there are many definitions, which is precisely the problem. From the context of the poll question and defence, the Globes definition of a just solutionappears to be identical to that used by Palestinian and Arab rejectionists meaning that one way or another, Israel should disappear. For them, justicemeans that the millions of Arabs who claim Palestinian refugee status would march into Israel, putting an end to Jewish sovereignty. Echoing the attacks on Israels legitimacy in the UN and far beyond, Christian and Moslem sovereignty is perfectly acceptable, but a dominant Jewish culture is somehow unjust. But there are many other definitions of a just solution. Perhaps the editors of the Globe and Mail want Jordan to be declared an official Palestinian state, while Israel maintains control of the remaining territory pledged under the British mandate and the Balfour declaration. There is a great deal of justice in this approach as well Whatever they mean by just peace, the editors of the Globe Poll have discovered a particularly facile means stopping all financial and political aid to Israel. As Frame spelled out in his response, the real problem, (no surprise here) is American support for Israel. Like many Canadian nationalists (including many who report for the CBC), Frame expresses love for country through blind hostility to their southern neighbours. In this way, he gets two birds with one stone or carefully aimed grenade both Israel and the United States. Beyond the particular example at hand, this quintessential Canadian newspaper consistently fails to look inward for the sources of terror and brutality. If the Globe took an honest look at these issues, it would discover that the Canadian government’s often blind and naive political and financial support for Palestinian victimization and anti-Israel incitement (along with Europe and the UN) have encouraged the Palestinian leadership (Arafat and co.) in their chosen path So if the Globe and Mail wants to repair its damaged reputation, before undertaking another poll on the mysterious larger world, some Canadian content would be useful.