New Article in Mondoweiss: Fearmongering and intimidation by Canada’s pro-Israel lobby – Mondoweiss
(Over 85 Canadian and international organizations have endorsed this statement, as well as numerous individuals including Roger Waters. Join with them and send your own letter to Canadian officials here.)
Today, we are witnessing an intensified campaign by the pro-Israel lobby in Canada to smear Palestinian activists and their supporters. Last week, the National Post (NP) ran an online article about Palestinian-Canadian writer Khaled Barakat and the advocacy organization Samidoun. On April 30, the same article was splashed across their front page of their paper and has since been referenced in the Canadian Senate and the Jerusalem Post.
A year ago, Canada Palestine Association and 35 other concerned organizations issued a statement detailing their rejection of attempts to criminalize Samidoun, a Palestinian advocacy group for prisoners, by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Advocacy (CIJA). At that time, we said: Should Canada’s policies on these important issues be decided by what the Israeli government dictates?
We repeat the question now. All of this recent hysteria can be traced back to the one article written by Terry Glavin. However, Mr. Glavin admitted in his own blog on April 29 that B’nai Brith first approached him with their “files” on the subject. He also thanked CIJA in the same blog entry for their assistance.
There seems to be nothing new in the recent defamation campaign, which relies heavily on already known social media posts and Israeli official and intelligence sources (which are mentioned at least 13 times in the NP article). So what pushed the Zionist lobby groups to resurrect this campaign at this specific time? Is it an attempt to deflect attention from the student union resolutions in support of Palestine at major Canadian universities? Or an effort to distract from the growing number of organizations that have expressly condemned Israeli practices as apartheid?
The French government recently tried to ban a Palestinian support group, “Collectif Palestine Vaincra”, but have already been forced by their own courts to suspend that decision.
We tell the Canadian government that the old smear tactics of “trial by fire” are not acceptable. As our statement last year concluded: “This criminalization of Palestinian advocacy is unacceptable and unfounded; Palestinian-Canadians and their supporters have no intention of allowing biased officials to suppress their democratic rights and their voices.”
Signed:
Canada Palestine Association-Vancouver
BDS Vancouver-Coast Salish
Endorsed by:
Academics for Palestine – Concordia
Actions4Palestine A4P, Toronto
Anti Imperialist Alliance, Ottawa
Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians (APAC), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Bayan Canada
BDS Caucus UTGSU
Barnard-Boecker Centre Foundation, Victoria BC
Canada Palestine Support Network (CanPalNet)
Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights
Canadian BDS Coalition
Canadian Foreign Policy Institute
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid-Victoria
Communist Party Canada
East Indian Defense Committee (EIDC)
Edmonton Small Press Association
Friends of the Filipino People in Struggle – Coast Salish Territories
Free Palestine Halifax
Free Palestine YEG, Edmonton
Global Peace Alliance BC
GTA Palestine Movement
GT4BDS (Greater Toronto 4 BDS)
Hamilton Coalition to Stop The War
HR4A Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK
Independent Jewish Voices Canada
Independent Jewish Voices Vancouver
In Our Right Minds, Toronto
International League of Peoples’ Struggle Canada
Just Peace Advocates
Just Peace Committee-BC
Justice For All Canada, Toronto
Justice for Palestinians, Calgary
Labour for Palestine – Canada
Niagara Movement for Justice in Palestine-Israel (NMJPI)
Oakville Palestinian Rights Association (OPRA), Oakville, Ontario
OPIRG Carleton
Palestinian and Jewish Unity PAJU
Palestinian Student Society Association (PSSA), Guelph
Palestinian Youth Movement PYM
Palestine Solidarity Network – Edmonton
Peace Alliance Winnipeg
Secours Rouge Montréal, Montréal, QC
Simon Fraser University Students for Justice in Palestine, BC
Socialist Action
Socialist Project, Toronto
Students Against Israeli Apartheid U of T
Sulong UBC
Toronto Raging Grannies
Vancouver Peace Council
Venezuela Peace and Solidarity Committee, BC
Al Naqab Center for Youth (مركز النقب للأنشطة الشبابية), Burj el Barjneh camp, Lebanon
Alkarama (Palestinian Womens Movement), Spain
Arab Palestinian Cultural Club (APCC) Tripoli-Lebanon
Association for Investment in Popular Action Committees, California
Communist Youth of Sweden, SKU, Sweden
Free Palestine Movement, USA
Free Speech on Israel, UK
Friends of Sabeel North America
Indonesian Palestine Alliance IDPAL, Indonesia
International Solidarity Movement, Northern California
Jericho Boston , Boston
Jewish Network for Palestine (UK)
Jews for Palestinian Right of Return, USA
Labor for Palestine, US
Nakba Tour, California and Lebanon
Nevadans for Palestinian Human rights, Las Vegas
NYU Law Students for Justice in Palestine, NYC
One State Assembly, Palestine
PAAF PEOPLE AGAINST APARTHEID AND FASCISM, Cape Town
Palbox, Oregon
Palestine Children’s Welfare Fund, California
Palestine Solidarity Alliance, South Africa
Palestine Solidarity Campaign – Cape Town|
Palestinian Cultural Club – Beirut (PCC), Lebanon-Beirut
Palestinian Union in Latin America|
Party for Socialism and Liberation, United States
Peace, Justice, Sustainability NOW, Florida
Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, Lebanon
(لبنان – المؤتمر الشعبي لفلسطينني الخارج)
Resumen Latinoamericano, California
Revolutionaire Eenheid, The Netherlands
Serena Shim Award, California
Shurok, Spain
Students for justice in Palestine – Rutgers, New Brunswick, NJ
Students for Justice in Palestine at Butler University
Students for Justice in Palestine at UC Davis, California
Students for Justice in Palestine, Chicago
Students for Justice in Palestine, Wayne NJ
Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights – University of Washington
Syria Support Movement, International
Veterans for Peace, CA, USA
Individual Endorsers:
- Ali Mallah, Justice Activist, Toronto
- Allan Hansen, Industrial Pipefitter, Edmonton, Alberta
- Andrew Brook, Retired academic, Ottawa
- Angie Mindel, Retired, Nottingham U.K.
- Anna Willats, College Faculty and Coordinator, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Barry Heselwood, Academic, Keighley, UK
- Beyaz Almas, Worker, BC
- Bill Skidmore, Retired professor, Ottawa, ON
- Cathy Cronin, Regular Canadian, Napanee Ontario
- Cathy Gulkin, Documentary filmmaker, Toronto, Canada
- Christine McMillan, Retired teacher and tax officer, England UK
- Ciara Taylor, NYU law student, New York
- Claude Brasseur, Activist, St-Albert, ON
- Daphne Stapleton, Peace Activist, Toronto, Canada
- Dave Diewert, Retired teacher, Surrey, BC
- David Fairn, Journalist, N.S.
- David Low, Clergy, St. Catharines, Ontario
- Davidi Hadley Finke, Quaker leader, Peace Advocate, Oberlin, Ohio — Land of the Erie
- Dorothy Field, artist/writer, Victoria BC
- Dr. David Maxwell, Physician, Nova Scotia
- Dr. Dwyer Sullivan, Retired high school teacher of Social Justice and World Religions. Kitchener, Ontario
- Dr. Jodi Braine, Concerned global citizen, Fredericton, NB
- Egbert Harmsen, Activist for human rights, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Elie Halabi, Administrator, Repentigny
- Ellen Franzen, retired, Berkeley, CA
- Emad Hammoud, Self-Employed , London
- Enver Domingo, Retired, Oakville Canada
- Fahad Chowdhury, Professional Engineer, Elkford
- Faris Ziyad, Academic, Chicago
- Frances Combs, clergy, Toronto
- Frank Holden, Actor/folksinger/writer/human rights activist, St. John’s
- Genie Silver, Academic, Pennsylvania, US
- Giorgio Ramadhan, Lawyer, Indonesia
- Gord Doctorow, Ed.D, Retired educator. Toronto, Canada
- Greg Albo, academic and author, Toronto
- Haim Bresheeth-Zabner, Academic, author and filmmaker London, UK
- Henry Zaccak, CEO, Toronto
- Himani Bannerji, Professor, Toronto
- Issam Alyamani, Writer, Mississauga, Canada
- Jake Javanshir, Activist, Toronto
- Jalal Kawash, Academic, Calgary
- James Dickins, Academic, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Jan Corderman, Peace Activist, Pleasant Hill, Iowa
- Jan Steven, mother, grandmother, wife St. Catharines
- Jane Collier, Academic, United Kingdom
- Jane Story, former journalist, Toronto
- Jeff Winkelaar, Retired, Edmonton
- Jennifer Whitfield, Activist, Newfoundland, Canada
- Jim Mitchell, m.d., Toronto
- John Darling, Retired NDP activist, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- John Grant, Retired, UK
- John Liss, lawyer, Toronto
- John Mark Robertson, Social Service Worker, Belleville, Ontario
- Jonathan Kuttab, Executive Director, Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA)
- Judith Goldschmidt, Jewish Human Rights Activist, Courtenay, BC
- Karen Platt, Jew with a conscience, Albany CA
- Karen Rodman, Ordained clergy, human rights advocate, Kawartha Lakes
- Kate Chung, Grandmother, Toronto
- Katerina Nikas, Writer, Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Kathleen Von Riesen, Reg, Nurse, Newfoundland & Labrador
- Kevin Gould, Associate Professor, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
- Khaled Husseini, Business Owner, Ottawa
- Khaled Mouammar, Former Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Richmond HIll, Ontario
- Khan Jooneed, Journalist, Writer, Human Rights Activist, Montreal, CANADA
- Laila Atallah, Lawyer,United States
- Laura June Rose, Food industry worker, Vancouver
- Lawrence Sutherland, Activist, Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Lesley McGorrigan, University worker, UK
- Lorraine Michael, Retired Politician, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Louise Seidel, Artistic Producer of Theatre, Saskatchewan,
- Lynette Bondarchuk, Artist; NPO Administrator; Tenants Advocate, Edmonton
- Manhal Alfalasteny, Artist, singer, Tunisia
- María Alejandra Torres, Law student, NYC
- Mariam Furre, Geographer, Ottawa
- Mark Hagar, Retiree, Hamilton
- Mark James, Academic, Ontario
- Marlena Santoyo, Jewish activist, Philadelphia, USA
- Martin Fontaine, agent de pastorale, Montréal
- Michael Hajjar, Student, Chicago
- Michael Kuttner, Teacher (retired), Toronto
- Michal Sapir, Writer and musician, Tel Aviv
- Mike Cushman from Free Speech on Israel (UK)
- Monica Harhay, Concerned citizen, Toronto, Ontario
- Nancy Withington, academic; wife of Palestinian refugee, Santa Barbara, Ca.
- Nora Lester Murad, writer, educator, social justice activist, Massachusetts, USA
- Norma Rantisi, Academic, Montreal
- Pete Firmin, Activist, London
- Peter Eglin, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Kitchener
- Peter Purich, Technical Writer (retired), Ottawa
- Phyllis Creighton, author; retired editor, scholarly publication, Toronto
- Rachel Marandett, NYU Law Student, NYC
- Rashmi Luther, Academic (Retired), School of Social Work, Carleton University
- Rebecca Hagey, Retired professor, Lion’s Head Ontario
- Rehab Nazzal, Visual artist, Toronto
- Rev. F. Mark Mealing, Ph.D., Anglican Priest & retired Academic, Meadow Creek, B.C.
- Rev. Lilian Patey, Clergy, Windsor, Ontario
- Richard Kuper, Researcher and campaigner, London, GB
- Richard Thoreau, Retired, Victoria
- Robert Assaly, Priest, Montreal
- Robert Fantina, Author and activist, Kitchener, Ontario
- Robert Kent, Emeritus Professor, Computer Science, Elkford, B.C.
- Roger Waters, Musician /Activist, NY
- Roland Verrier, Retired, Coquitlam, BC
- Roswitha Shaw, retired, Ottawa
- Salim Assi, Artist, Art of resistance, Copenhagen Denmark
- Samuel Miriello, Human Resources Professional, Montreal
- Sara Traub, educator, Thornbury
- Sean Phipps, Teacher, Vancouver
- Sheila Dunnachie, Retired union activist, Mayne Island
- Sherry Ann Chapman, Engaged citizen, Edmonton
- Sid Shniad, Founding member, Independent Jewish Voices Canada, Surrey, B.C.
- Simaan Khoury, President, Palestinian Union of Latin America, El Salvador
- Sue Lyon, Advocate, Kingston
- Susan Stout, union activist, North Vancouver
- Teresa Diewert, Teacher, Surrey, British Columbia
- Terri Ginsberg, film scholar, Montreal, Quebec
- Terry Gallogly, Retired, York
- Thomas Brown, Academic (mathematician), Vancouver BC
- Tony Greenstein, Writer and blogger, Brighton UK
- Vera Szoke, Retired Highschool Teacher, Toronto, Canada
- W. T. Beckett, Human Rights Activist, St. John’s, NL
- Walid Alawar, Businessman and social activist, Ontario
- Walid Eletry, supporter, Ajax,Ontario
- William Ruhm, Social worker, Boston, MA
- Wolfe Erlichman, Member, Independent Jewish Voices, Godfrey, ON