BDS Hub – Page 25 – Canada Palestine Association

BDS VANCOUVER Coast Salish Territories

BDS VANCOUVER
Coast Salish Territories
(Sub-Committee of Canada Palestine… Read more

BDS VANCOUVER
Coast Salish Territories
(Sub-Committee of Canada Palestine Association-Vancouver)

Basis of Unity

a. Endorsing the Palestinian Civil Society Call for BDS objectives:
“These non-violent punitive measures should be maintained until Israel meets its obligation to recognize the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and fully complies with the precepts of international law by:
1. Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall
2. Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and
3. Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194” – See more at: http://www.bdsmovement.net

b. Regardless of its national and/or geographic location, any company, organization or institution that is empowering Israeli war crimes, ethnic cleansing and Apartheid is complicit in them, and accordingly is subject to the economic and cultural boycott call.

c. We believe in the universality of human rights, and that the injustices that befell the Palestinian people should be rectified.

Organizational Structure

The committee will operate as a collective, with all decisions being made democratically, by majority vote.
• Membership is open to individuals who subscribe to, and actively work to promote, the committee basis of unity; and who pay CPA membership dues ($15 a year).
• Applications for new membership will be ratified by the committee collective, by majority vote.
• Members are entitled to attend CPA regular meetings if they choose to do so.

For more info, or to become involved with the committee, please email us at: cpavancouver@gmail.com

Don’t cross our global picket line against Apartheid Israel

Open Letter to Don Davies, NDP MP for Vancouver Kingsway

Mr. Davies:

We were… Read more

Open Letter to Don Davies, NDP MP for Vancouver Kingsway

Mr. Davies:

We were shocked and disappointed when we saw an ad for you in the regional Zionist paper “Jewish Independent” Dec. 7, 2012 (page 28) where you sent your “Best wishes to all members of the Jewish Community and Happy Chanukah”. You were the only NDP MP to do so, in the company of ads from the pro-Israeli advocacy organization “Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs” (CIJA), the racist “Jewish National Fund”, Liberal MP Joyce Murray, BC Premier Christy Clark, and finally, a full back-page colour ad from Stephen Harper and all his MP cronies in BC.

The so-called Jewish Independent is a right-wing Zionist paper. In the 2008 federal elections, it endorsed and supported the Conservative Party and your opponent Salomon Rayek. Ironically, we celebrated your win then as a victory for democracy over the meddling and influence of the pro-Israel lobby. However, it seems we were mistaken and the Zionist lobby in Canada succeeded in their new policy of not “putting all of one’s eggs in one basket” (to quote the Jewish Independent Editorial “Post Election”, Oct. 24, 2008). This paper has also supported the war on Iraq, supports Israeli ethnic cleansing and war crimes against the Palestinian people, and is a mouthpiece for successive Israeli governments and the Canadian Zionists in general.

Mr. Davies:

Paying for an ad in this Zionist paper is a blatant attempt to cross our global picket line against Israeli Apartheid and shows a callous disregard of the Palestinian call for “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions”.

We expect such a hostile act against the Palestinian people to come from right-wing businesses, corporations and parties, but we do NOT expect it from people who claim to be progressive and our allies, and especially not from someone who we know is well aware of the suffering and tragedy of the Palestinian people.

Also, Mr. Davies, you should know better than to imply or claim that Zionists and their papers represent the Jewish community; in fact, such posturing is a major contributor to modern day anti-Semitism. If you really want to reach out for your constituency, and to those progressive Jews who have backed you and your NDP party, then you should advertise in a paper like the Jewish Outlook, the Jewish-Canadian paper that supports progressive causes in Canada and all over the world, including peace and justice in Palestine/Israel.

HEU and BCNU Also Cross the Picket Line

We were also outraged that two trade unions advertised in the same issue of the Jewish Independent: the Hospital Employees’ Union (page 42), and the BC Nurses’ Union (page 60). In fact, this is not the first time the Hospital Employees’ Union has advertised with this Zionist paper, and it is also not the first time that other Canadian unions have advertised in this paper. Some of those unions stopped this practice after we brought it to their attention and we thank them for that. We also call on them now to come out publicly in support of the BDS movement and follow the lead of their sister union, CUPW.

As the Holocaust survivor and human rights advocate, the late Israel Shahak put it: the litmus test for any progressive is where he/she stands on the Palestinian issue.

We expect and demand that progressive unions, organizations and parties and their members support and join our global picket line against Apartheid Israel – and definitely not cross it.

Hanna Kawas

Chairperson, Canada Palestine Association
Host, Voice of Palestine

Joy Harjo: Cancel your show, don’t perform for Israeli Apartheid!

Change.org|Online Petition Template

Native American poet and musician Joy Harjo is scheduled to perform at Tel Aviv University on Monday, December 10. SIGN HERE TO ASK THAT SHE HONOR THE INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC AND CULTURAL BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL.

It’s time to take a principled stance in support of Palestinian human rights being violated by the Israeli state’s colonial occupation and apartheid regime. Palestinian civil society has called for the international academic and cultural boycott of Israel. This is an institutional boycott responding to the call to join the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
To:
Joy Harjo
USACBI
We write today to urge prominent poet, musician, author and playwright Joy Harjo to cancel her scheduled performance at Tel Aviv University on Monday, December 10. Joy Harjo’s work has been nationally and internationally acclaimed; her feminist writings and her commitment to social justice and decolonization have inspired many. We are writing to say – Joy Harjo, it is not too late to cancel!

Because of your noted commitment to social justice and decolonization, we urge you to heed the Palestinian call for global academic and cultural boycott of Israel. The Palestinian Campaign for Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel has laid out clear arguments and guidelines (http://www.pacbi.org/etemplate.php?id=1047) for the cultural and academic boycott of Israel.

Israel today is a manifestation of settler colonialism, much akin to the settler colonialism of the United States, Canada, and other settler colonial countries, built on the disposession and genocide of indigenous peoples. Standing for decolonization today must mean also listening to the Palestinian call and heeding the global picket line for BDS of Israel.

When asked about the boycott, you said:

“I didn’t know about the boycott until it was too late. My trip was posted here for a month. A person made it their campaign to question my integrity and notify others without speaking with me. I am a Mvskoke person living on occupied lands. I am in support of human rights. My music and poetry take me into the world to speak and sing a compassion that is still beyond me. I am learning yet. Mvto cehacares.”

It is not too late. The performance has not yet happened. With your actions, you have the opportunity to have your voice against occupation, for human rights, and for compassion be heard ever more strongly and clearly – by cancelling your performance at Tel Aviv University.

We urge you to join the global picket line of Israel – and not cross it.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Voice of Palestine Exits Coop Radio after 25 Years

Voice of Palestine Exits Coop Radio after 25 Years
Plans for Internet-only Show
August 15, 2012

Dear Friends:

On September 4, 2012, Voice of Palestine VOP radio show in Vancouver, Canada will mark a quarter century of broadcasting at Vancouver Coop Radio, 102.7 FM. We are extremely proud of the show’s history and our long contribution in bringing the Palestinian narrative to a broader audience. However, after difficult deliberations, the VOP collective has decided that this is the correct historical moment for the show to wrap up its 25 years at the station. Our decision was not taken lightly and is based mainly on two factors.

1) 25 years is well … 25 years and over 1290 shows since September 1987. We feel it is time for a change both in our focus and format. Technologies have evolved, the support movement for Palestine has developed and we want to adapt accordingly. Already, through our website http://www.voiceofpalestine.ca/, our internet listenership has steadily increased and has surpassed our “real-time” listenership on Tuesday nights. Therefore, after a brief hiatus to regroup, we hope to be relaunching VOP in October, 2012 as a strictly web-based show with mainly in-depth feature interviews, and a focus on advancing the Palestinian liberation movement. There have been so many times over the last few years that we have felt our 20 minute interviews have only scratched the surface of what can and should be covered with our guests and hopefully our new format will resolve that. Although we regret that we will no longer be able to reach those listeners who are not yet internet-capable, we feel it is the right time to take on this new challenge and offer a different kind of programming.

2) Over the last year and a half, our collective has had serious political differences with the station, mainly over the new frequency swap/sell-out with The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group and the station’s refusal to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions BDS movement against the state of Israel. All of this has been well-documented on our website’s homepage and we encourage anyone not yet familiar with these issues to check out our two position papers written after the last AGM. We tried our best to reach out and convince station members that not only was the frequency swap/sell-out bad for the station but also that the non-disclosure agreement/secrecy with which it was conducted (which meant no membership vote on the issue took place) was undemocratic and against all of our cooperative principles. However, our efforts were not successful and in fact, the new frequency goes into effect on September 10, 2012. Likewise, our attempts so far to have station members realize that they are on the wrong side of history by not endorsing the BDS movement were also to no avail. Accordingly, it is with a heavy heart that we felt this was not the Coop Radio we knew and supported over the years; this was no longer the type of cooperative that we could be part of and felt our political energies and passions were better utilized in other ways.

Accordingly we are asking our dedicated listeners to help us financially as we adjust to our web-based format, as we will need updated equipment for this new phase to be successful. If you value the programming VOP has offered for the last 25 years, please consider making a donation directly to the show (unfortunately not tax-deductible). Cheques should be made out to our partner organization Canada Palestine Association, with VOP clearly indicated in the memo note and mailed to 930-12th St., New Westminster, BC V3M 4K6.

So tune in on September 4, 2012, where we will be doing not only our 25th anniversary show but also our last show at Coop Radio. And stay tuned to our website for the details of when we will be launching our new internet-only Voice of Palestine. The future belongs to the people of Palestine and all the oppressed people of the world!!

The struggle continues!!
Voice of Palestine Collective

Boycott The Jim Pattison Group‏

The following is a statement issued by the Canada Palestine Association,… Read more

The following is a statement issued by the Canada Palestine Association, Vancouver.
We hope you support this campaign and will consider endorsing it.
All endorsements should be sent to info@cpavancouver.org and will be noted on our website.
Thank you.

Jim Pattison Supports Israeli Apartheid and Ethnic Cleansing of Palestinians

March 9, 2012 – Canada Palestine Association calls on all supporters of the Palestinian peoples struggle to boycott Jim Pattison and his business empire. Jim Pattison, sole owner and CEO of the Jim Pattison Group, is worth $US 5.8 billion (as of March 2011), and was ranked by Forbes as the 3rd wealthiest person in Canada and 173rd in the world. Pattison is a true representative of the 1% Canadian rich who are monopolizing wealth for their personal interests. He is also a reactionary Evangelical Christian Zionist (or as the Israeli media called him, an “Evangelical billionaire”) who has financially supported many right-wing projects, including last year a donation of NIS 10.6 million ($2.9 million) to “Israeli Roots Journey”. This project is run by the group Mibereshit(1), is co-funded by the Israeli state, and has been referred to by some teachers in Israel as “incessant indoctrination”.

Marc Belzberg, who serves as the Chairman of Mibereshit, stated in an article he wrote:

“Our flagship project, Masa Yisraeli – An Israeli Roots Journey, has offered what can aptly be described as a 6-day Birthright-like experience to 60,000 grade 11 students (since 2006).

The project has made such a profound impact on the country that the Israel Defense Forces asked for a parallel program for its officers and commanders in training several years ago and now thousands participate annually.

The Government of Israel – through its Ministries of Education and Defense – is our partner in this undertaking. But it is a huge undertaking – because for every dollar it contributes – we need to raise two more. We are deeply indebted to the Jim Pattison Foundation, United Israel Appeal of Canada(2) (our emphasis), The Genesis Philanthropy Group, The Claims Conference and Friends of the IDF, whose support has seeded and helped keep this initiative afloat.”

We urge all our supporters locally and overseas to expose Jim Pattison’s complicity in Israeli apartheid, ethnic cleansing and war crimes against the indigenous Palestinian people. Boycott all divisions and outlets(3) of the enormous and global Jim Pattison group, which boasts 455 locations world wide. Join us by endorsing this campaign and sending the message that oppression of the Palestinian people will not be tolerated!!

Footnotes:

1. Mibereshit was originally set up by Rabbi Moti Elon who no longer holds a position with the group and was charged in Oct. 2011with sex crimes.
2. Federation CJA is responsible for “allocations through United Israel Appeal Federations Canada (UIAFC) to Israel”, and all donations to Federation CJA are tax-deductible in full.
3. Car dealerships; Food companies including Canfisco, Buy-Low Foods, SunRype and Overwaitea Food Group (Save-On-Foods and PriceSmart Foods); Entertainment companies; Export and Financial companies including Westshore Terminals, Real Estate Group and Great Pacific Capital; Pattison Outdoor Advertising including billboard advertising; and the Broadcast Group which includes 29 FM stations and three “independent” television stations in western Canada.
——————-
Group Endorsers:

Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians, Montreal
American Muslims of Puget Sound, Washington, USA
Barnard-Boecker Centre Foundation, Victoria, BC
BDS South Africa
Boycott Israeli Apartheid Campaign (BIAC), Vancouver
Boycott! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within, Israel
Canada Palestine Association, Halifax
Canadian Boat to Gaza
Canadian Palestinian Foundation of Quebec (CPFQ), Montreal
Code Pink Women for Peace, Lower Mainland, BC
One Democratic State Group (ODSG), Gaza, Palestine
Palestine House, Toronto
Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU), Montreal
Palestinian Association of Hamilton
Palestinian Students’ Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel
(PSCABI), Gaza, Palestine
Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, West Bank, Palestine
Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA), Carleton University, Ottawa
US Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI)
Voice of Palestine, Canada

Individual Endorsers (groups listed for identification only):

Amir M. Maasoumi, Montreal
Andrew Phillips
Annette Wegiel, Vancouver
Betty Beeching
Donald Patterson, Montreal
Edwin Daniel, Victoria.
Genevieve delmas Patterson, Montreal
Ingmar Lee, Denny Island, BC
Jeff Siddiqui, Puget Sound, Washington
Joanna Zilsel, Gibsons, BC
John Beeching
Judith Deutsch, Member of Science for Peace and Independent Jewish Voices, Toronto
Kevin Neish
Lisa Barrett, Vancouver
Marwan Marwan, Port Moody, BC
Mazin Qumsiyeh, Professor, Bethlehem, Al-Quds, and Birzeit Universities, Palestine
Randa Farah, Associate Professor, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
Nicolas Sayegh, Montreal
Richard Bevis, Vancouver
Robert McInnes, Victoria, BC.
Roger Lagassé
Smadar Carmon, Toronto
Stefa Shaler,Vancouver
Wael Ghuneim