February 2022 – Canada Palestine Association

Masterclass in Hypocrisy from Canadian politicians

Send your letter here: Tell BC Government to pull Israeli Apartheid Wines Now! – Action Network

We have been campaigning for years to have illegal Israeli settlement wines pulled off the shelves of publicly owned liquor stores in British Columbia. Successive governments, including the current NDP one, have either ignored or rebuffed our demands to even investigate this situation. We have been told it’s a matter of “consumer choice” or under “federal jurisdiction”. The previous NDP minister responsible for this portfolio, David Eby, flat out refused to meet with us in 2018.

So imagine our shock when in just 2 days, the BC NDP government joined other provinces in putting a “…halt to the importing and sale of Russian liquor products from our BC Liquor Stores and provincial liquor distribution centres”. So it can be done and done quickly, it seems. It just depends on who you are and what political agenda is being served. And clearly, the “consumer choice” argument was nothing but a big lie.

This is just one small concrete example of the stunning hypocrisy displayed by Canadian and Western officials this week. This double standard has not gone unnoticed; social media has been abuzz with multiple comments, pointing out that what is framed as legitimate resistance in one country is labelled terrorism in another. That what determines the response of Western governments, as Palestinian writer Ali Abunimah put it, is a matter of “who we are, not what we do”. That Israeli occupation, oppression and apartheid that has lasted for over 70 years stands unchecked. And that the mass killing and forced starvation of civilians in Yemen goes unnoticed for 7 years, and is continuing in real time, as politicians here show they are capable of swift action within 2 days when it suits their purposes.

This action by the BC (and other provincial governments) is a slap in the face to not only Palestinian-Canadians, but to anyone who cares about the trajectory of political discourse in Canada. Because the message here is clear. International law and the much-touted “rules based order” are not neutral policies that will help the Palestinians and other oppressed peoples achieve their liberation. Activists need to rethink the approach of appealing to politicians’ moral compass, as clearly they don’t have one; their support of Israeli war crimes and apartheid is a conscious choice and we must acknowledge it as such.

Masterclass in Hypocrisy: Yes to pulling Russian liquor, NO to deshelving Israeli apartheid wines – Mondoweiss

Background Info:
Boycott Israeli Wines: New Article and Video
NDP: Your Credibility is on the Line

Is B’nai Brith the new Media Rep for Global Affairs Canada?

On Feb. 11, B’nai Brith Canada issued a statement declaring that Canada had rejected the new Amnesty Int’l report. The statement noted the following: “We are aware of the recent Amnesty Report. Canada rejects the view that Israel’s actions constitute apartheid,” said a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada.

Canadian Jewish News CJN also carried the story and elaborated: “James Wanki, spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, dismissed the report’s claim in a brief statement Feb. 10.

“Canada is a steadfast ally of Israel and a friend of the Palestinian people,” he wrote. “Canada rejects the view that Israel’s actions constitute apartheid.”

Curiously, an online search for any confirmation of this statement turned up empty; no mention of it on Global Affairs Canada website, FB or twitter account. Perhaps it was in a TikTok video?

A closer reading of the B’nai Brith release seemed to indicate that this new Canadian position was relayed verbally (“said a spokesperson”), without detailing when or under what circumstances, while CJN said it came in written form (“he wrote”). So how was this information communicated? Was it in a closed meeting? Is there any written official statement?

The only other reference to this was from Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, who reposted the B’nai Brith statement on FB, claiming that “Canada rejects the Amnesty report and we emphatically reject the ridiculous claim that Israeli is an apartheid state”. (MP Housefather is the chair of the Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group). B’nai Brith then rushed to retweet Housefather’s repost of their orginial statement.

Canadian Government rejects Amnesty International’s shameful report.#BnaiBrithCanada pic.twitter.com/MQa7ARWl0a
— B'nai Brith Canada (@bnaibrithcanada) February 11, 2022

Canada Palestine Association has contacted Global Affairs for clarification. It would not be surprising if Canada has taken such a position; Marc Garneau was very clear on June 11, 2021, when he responded in the House of Commons to Human Rights Watch report on Israeli Apartheid:
“… the position of the Liberal Government is extremely clear on the question of the Apartheid label, we reject it categorically. It is not part of our approach with respect to Israel or the Jewish community…”

However, it is bizarre that a Global Affairs Canada position statement would be released in such a dubious manner. Are we to conclude that B’nai Brith Canada has a new job as Media Relations for Global Affairs Canada, in addition to their media advocacy for apartheid Israel?

Write letter HERE to Canadian government: You can’t keep the lid on Israeli war crimes forever!

Vancouver, Victoria take to the streets for #BoycottIsraeliWines Day of Action

The Day of Action to Boycott Israeli Wines, Don’t Drink with Apartheid on Feb. 5 featured pickets in two major BC cities as well as solidarity selfies from other parts of Canada. This was just the latest round of protests in a campaign that has been ongoing since 2008, and has been “punching above its weight” since its inception.

Since Israeli wines first came on the shelves in BC’s publicly-owned liquor stores, dedicated local activists have carried the Boycott Israeli Wines, Don’t Drink with Apartheid theme forward. A theme that reflects an organic link with the struggle against South African apartheid, as their supporters stood outside some of the exact same stores many years ago calling for a boycott of S. African wines.

The campaign has faced relentless attacks from the Zionist lobby since 2008, with smear attacks and trolling on social media to the tawdry Buycott calls, and even outright intimidation and threats especially in 2016. Through all of this, the campaign has never wavered, and re-emerges with new determination to keep protesting until the BC (and Canadian) government stop profiteering off Israeli war crimes and apartheid.