Category: Featured

Ontario Gov’t Cements Ties with Apartheid Israel

Doing the complete apartheid tour!

Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities Jill Dunlop visited Israel because its a “powerhouse when it comes to innovation”. Along with her visits to tech companies and universities, she had a “lovely chat” with Irwin Cotler and claims to have tasted “authentic Israeli falafel”. Israeli officials noted there should be “concrete steps…to strengthen our tech…collaboration”, further enhancing the Ontario-Israel Memorandum of Understanding MOU launched back in 2005.… Read more

Motion withdrawn to adopt IHRA at Richmond City Council

UPDATE: Richmond City Council has listened to the many community voices saying #NoIHRA; the motion to adopt the IHRA was withdrawn prior to their Dec. 19 meeting.
This is a victory for Palestinian rights and free speech. Great effort by all those who worked to achieve this outcome.

Following is the text of a letter sent by CPA Chair on December 16, 2022.… Read more

Debunking the IHRA Definition: A Palestinian Perspective

We will not be silenced! Yes, Israel is a racist endeavour!

On November 16, the new Vancouver City Council adopted the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, despite a massive community pushback that has pledged to keep support of Palestine visible and vocal going forward. The main objective of the IHRA definition is to legitimize Israel and to slander all those who expose its illegal and inhumane activities, putting a chill on the Palestinian solidarity work and covering up for Israeli war crimes.… Read more

Vancouver and #NoIHRA, Again!

Action Alert:
Here is the text of the motion introduced to Vancouver City Council. We encourage all supporters to sign up to speak against the motion either in-person or by phone through this link. #NoIHRA

Update: The BC Civil Liberties Association put out a letter on Nov. 7 reaffirming that they “are strongly opposed to the IHRA definition because of its threat to freedom of expression”.
… Read more

June 28 Picket: No to Israeli Apartheid Wines!

June 28, 2 pm
BC Liquor Store, 1520 Commercial Dr., Vancouver

Join local Palestinian solidarity groups to hand out leaflets, get signatures on our action network letter, and promote the “Tell BC Govt to Pull Israeli Apartheid Wines” campaign.

Major international and Israeli human right groups, including Amnesty International, have determined that Israel is committing the crime of apartheid. Yet the BC government insists to carry Israeli wines in publicly owned BC liquor stores, even though most are linked to the illegal Israeli settlement enterprise.… Read more

Photo Gallery from #Nakba74 Actions in Vancouver, Victoria

On May 15, activists in BC came out to commemorate #Nakba74 and demand justice for Palestine. In Vancouver, several hundred people attended a rally at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Presentations included Solidarity Notes Choir; Columpa Bobb reading poetry for her late mom, indigenous poet Lee Maracle; and several speakers, including Palestinian-Canadian writer and journalist Khaled Barakat. The crowd then marched to the U.S.… Read more

Stop the smear campaigns against Palestinian Advocacy!

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.… Read more

Friends of the Campaign to “Tell BC Govt to Pull Israeli Apartheid Wines!”

Our “Friends of the Campaign” initiative highlights notable friends and allies who have endorsed our letter campaign to “Tell BC Govt to Pull Israeli Apartheid Wines!”. We appreciate the support of Roger Waters, Libby Davies, former and current Vancouver city councillors, IJV members, local artists, lawyer Dimitri Lascaris and professor Sunera Thobani amongst others. (The list of endorsers to date follows the text of the letter.)… Read more

Vancouver, Victoria hold new actions to highlight #BoycottIsraeliWines

Send your letter now to support the campaign.

The campaign in British Columbia to Tell the BC Govt to Pull Israeli Apartheid Wines is gaining momentum. On March 26, activists were out on the streets in both Victoria and Vancouver to once again highlight the complicity of the BC government in Israeli war crimes. Both cities carried banners and signs calling on consumers to not support Israeli apartheid, and hundreds of flyers were handed out.… Read more

CPA 2021 Year in Review

2021 was a busy year for both Canada Palestine Association and BDS Vancouver, as the solidarity movement with Palestine grew in both depth and reach. The diverse base of support and unity for Palestinian rights was evidenced by the thousands of people who took to the streets in Vancouver in May/June to demand accountability from Israel and an end to Canadian complicity in Israeli war crimes.… Read more