Category: CPA Statements

The Palestinian Committee of the Canada Palestine Association (CPA) extends its full support to the Voice of Palestine (VOP) Collective in its endeavors to pass a resolution at Coop Radio in support of the NCRA resolution that called for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel. We also support the VOP statements, including Coop Radio places itself on the wrong side of history and Support for Palestine is Support for BDS‏.

We call on Coop Radio members and programmers, and all progressive organizations in Canada and across the world, to endorse our call.

To endorse this position, please email us at info@cpavancouver.org

In Solidarity
Nadine Kallas
Chairperson, Palestinian Committee
CPA

The following is an open letter that was sent on Nov. 7, 2011 to John Baird, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister regarding the incident that resulted in the departure of Linda Sobeh Ali, the representative of the “Palestinian Authority” to Ottawa.

Mr. Baird:

We emailed you on Oct. 22, 2011 enquiring about the version of the Palestinian poem read in Arabic by a young Palestinian girl “Palestinian, my name is Palestinian”, that was tweeted by Linda Sobeh Ali representative of the “Palestinian Authority” and allegedly stated “destroy the Jews”. We informed you that if this was the case, we will “take a stand against anti-Jewish racism.” So far we have not received any response from you nor from your Parliamentary Secretary. Does your lack of response to us mean that you are interested only in people who support Israel, rather than those who take a stand against anti-Jewish racism?

We do acknowledge the prompt response of the Globe and Mail Associate Editor, the only media that responded to our enquiries and supplied us with the link to the version that the Palestinian envoy was supposed to have tweeted.

We would like to note that the original version of this poem with the correct translation (link included above) has both a Turkish and English translation under the video. This version was uploaded to YouTube on 11 Dec 2006 and was seen by 1,264,274 people so far. Both the Turkish and English subtitles correctly translate the Arabic word “Sahyoon” as Zionism and not Jews (Yahood). The one and only inaccurate version (with just 3,550 viewers) was posted and produced by Bokra Lena (Tomorrow Is Ours), and used the correct Turkish version with the Turkish subtitles but superimposed on it different English subtitles, substituting “To a war that will destroy oppression and kill the soul of Zionism” with the words “…& destroy the Jews”. We unequivocally denounce this forgery as well as the anti-Jewish hatred it promotes; we believe that equating Zionism with Judaism serves only the anti-Semites, the Zionist lobby and their stooges and objectively hurts the Palestinian people and their struggle. In our statement “Jason Kenney Is Promoting Racism” we noted that “Zionism and anti-Semitism are two faces of the same coin”, citing documentation to back up our argument.

It is ironic that you and the Canadian government target a representative of this “Palestinian Authority” which praised you (we don’t understand why), worked closely with the Zionist organizations here, and served your government and Israeli policies rather than the interests of the Palestinian people. It seems you do not tolerate even their pretence of serving their own people.

We also would like to express our profound disappointment at the so-called “Palestinian Authority” that no longer speaks for nor represents the vast majority of the Palestinian people and their legitimate aspirations. The Palestinians have thousands of capable, eloquent, knowledgeable and committed people all over the world who are daily defending Palestinian human and national rights and who can effectively challenge the Zionists and their narrative. But the PA makes its decisions without consultation with the Palestinian communities in diaspora, thereby hurting the struggle of the Palestinian people and betraying the tens of thousands of martyrs who fell over the past century, fighting first British colonialism and then Zionist settler colonialism. This PA envoy has moved on, as has her predecessor; however, it is the Palestinian Canadian community and its supporters that are left to deal with the misconceptions created and exploited with this incident.

Canada was the first country to sign the so-called “The Ottawa Protocol on Combating Antisemitism”. Both you and the Canadian Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney signed this document on September 19th of this year.

This protocol offers the following as one example of anti-Semitism: “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour.” And although the document does make token mention that criticism of Israel is not always anti-Semitic, it then immediately goes on to state…“But singling Israel out for selective condemnation and opprobrium – let alone denying its right to exist or seeking its destruction – is discriminatory and hateful, and not saying so is dishonest.”

The Globe and Mail reported, when noting that there was an incorrect English translation in the subtitles for the poem: “Shimon Fogel, chief executive officer of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), which first sent Ms. Sobeh Ali’s video tweet to Mr. Baird’s office, said both versions are unfit to be circulated by a Palestinian envoy. ‘You’re speaking to someone who doesn’t see a difference,’ Mr. Fogel said”.

It is clear to us that Mr. Fogel’s main concern and yours is not anti-Jewish hatred (anti-Semitism) but rather the defence of Israel. That is why you and your government do not differentiate between Zionism and Judaism; this is why Mr. Fogel insists that he is “someone who doesn’t see a difference”. This policy of equating Judaism with Zionism does in fact promote anti-Semitism and this is why we ask people of good will especially our Jewish brothers and sisters to challenge those who equate them.

Mr. Baird:

We know about your unconditional support for Israeli war crimes, ethnic cleansing and apartheid and we and hundreds of thinking Canadians have no doubt about your biased policies (see online petition). Frankly, we no longer expect you to treat the Palestinians as human beings. But we believe your policy is (hopefully not intentionally) promoting anti-Semitism in many ways, especially by putting on the shoulders of all Jews every crime Zionism, and its manifestation Israel, is committing against humanity.

For your information, Jews were the first to oppose and fight against Zionism. In 1897 on the occasion of the first Zionist Congress, the Executive Committee of the Association of Rabbis in Germany stated in its anti-Zionist manifesto: “Judaism obligates its adherents to serve with all devotion the Fatherland to which they belong, and to further its national interests with all their heart and strength.” (Unease in Zion, Ehud Ben Ezer, Page 22)

Equating all Jews with Zionism is a very dangerous policy and we are concerned that your government is creating an atmosphere of racism against both Jewish Canadians and Palestinians. We are concerned because we care for the dignity and humanity of the Jews and because we and our homeland, Palestine, ended up as the sacrificial lamb for the European Holocaust.

So please Mr. Baird:- don’t blame the Jews for the evils of Zionism.

Hanna Kawas, Chairperson, Canada Palestine Association

I sent the following brief response to an email message from “Liberal” Media.

Hanna

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From: hkawas@msn.com
To: media@liberal.ca
Subject: RE: STATEMENT: Gilad Shalit – DÉCLARATIO​N : Gilad Shalit
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:05:36 +0000

Hypocrites:

Where is your concern for the suffering and dignity of the six thousand Palestinian political prisoners?

Whoever supports war criminals is complicit in their war crimes and this includes the Liberal Party of Canada.

Hanna Kawas

Chairperson

Canada Palestine Association

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Subject: STATEMENT: Gilad Shalit – DÉCLARATIO​N : Gilad Shalit
From: media@liberal.ca
To: hkawas@msn.com
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:45:41 -0400

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[LE FRANÇAIS SUIT L’ANGLAIS] For Immediate Release October 12, 2011 Liberal Statement on the Agreement to Release Gilad Shalit TORONTO and MONTREAL and SHEDIAC, NB — Liberal Leader Bob Rae made the following statement on the agreement to release Gilad Shalit: “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Gilad Shalit and his family on the news of his imminent return to Israel after five years of imprisonment by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israeli efforts to bring this young man home to his family, with the support of the international community, reaffirm the tremendous value that we place on human life. This is a positive step on the path to peace and a negotiated settlement of the Israel-Palestinian conflict – and it must be accompanied by a renunciation of terror, a return to serious negotiations, and a firm commitment to peace and stability.” Liberal Foreign Affairs Critic Dominic LeBlanc stated: “After five painful years of negotiations, Gilad Shalit’s release from captivity is a hopeful sign for the road ahead. Our warmest thoughts go out to his family and friends, who can finally start planning for Gilad’s return home.” Liberal Critic for Justice and Human Rights Irwin Cotler added: “We are pleased that imprisoned Israeli Gilad Shalit will be returned to Israel and to his family after enduring 1935 days of incommunicado imprisonment without any humanitarian visits – in violation of the Geneva Convention. We understand that his release was secured in an agreement whereby Israel agrees to release a large number of persons convicted of terrorist crimes who we trust will not return to terrorist activity. This ends the five-plus year ordeal for Gilad and his family, which has engaged the entire Israeli people who have been appealing and praying for his release all these years.” -30- Contact: Press Office Office of the Liberal Leader 613-947-5100 Pour diffusion immédiate Le 12 octobre 2011 Déclaration des libéraux sur l’entente de libération de Gilad Shalit TORONTO et MONTRÉAL et SHEDIAC, NB— Le chef libéral Bob Rae a fait la déclaration suivante au sujet de l’entente de libération de Gilad Shalit : « Du fond du cœur je tiens à féliciter Gilad Shalit et sa famille à l’annonce de la nouvelle de son retour imminent en Israël après cinq ans d’emprisonnement par le Hamas dans la bande de Gaza. Les efforts d’Israël, avec l’appui de la communauté internationale, pour rapatrier ce jeune homme auprès de sa famille réaffirment la grande valeur que nous accordons à la vie humaine. C’est un bon pas dans la voie vers la paix et d’une entente négociée mettant fin au conflit israélo-palestinien – qui doit être accompagnée par un renoncement à la terreur, un retour à de sérieuses négociations et un engagement ferme envers la paix et la stabilité. » Le porte-parole libéral en matière d’affaires étrangères Dominic LeBlanc a déclaré : « Après cinq années difficiles de négociations, la libération de Gilad Shalit est un signe très encourageant pour l’avenir. Nos pensées les plus sincères accompagnent sa famille et ses amis qui peuvent enfin commencer à planifier son retour. » Le porte-parole libéral en matière de justice et de droits de la personne Irwin Cotler a ajouté : « Nous sommes heureux que Gilad Shalit, prisonnier israélien, soit rapatrié auprès de sa famille après avoir enduré 1 935 jours d’emprisonnement sans contact avec l’extérieur ni visite humanitaire – ce qui représente une violation de la Convention de Genève. Nous comprenons que sa mise en liberté a été conclue par une entente dans laquelle Israël accepte de remettre en liberté bon nombre de personnes reconnues coupables d’actes terroristes, qui nous l’espérons, ne reprendront pas leurs activités terroristes. Ceci met fin au supplice, de plus de cinq ans de Gilad et de sa famille, qui a rallié l’ensemble des Israéliens qui ont demandé et prié pour sa libération pendant toutes ces années. » -30- Renseignements : Service de presse Bureau du chef libéral 613-947-5100

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