Category: Uncategorized

CPA 2019, Year in Review

Canada Palestine Association, since its founding over forty years ago, has always relied on its members and supporters to carry out all aspects of the Palestinian solidarity work. 2019 was a busy year for CPA activism, we are grateful to all those who supported our work concretely and made this year a success on the road to the liberation of Palestine. 
Following are highlights of our work:

Events and Campaigns:

  1. Boycott HP, Mark Int’l Day of Solidarity with Palestinians
    (December 7, 2019)
    YouTube video of the event
    Facebook video
  2. #RaptorsDontGo Campaign Declares Victory
    (October 23, 2019)
  3. Resisting Attacks on Palestinian Rights (Oct. 2, 2019)
    Video of the event
  4. I Vote Palestine #IVotePalestine campaign
    On September 19, 2019, CPA along with 20 other organizations launched #IVotePalestine campaign for the Canadian federal election and asked the main parties nine questions; only the NDP answered and we documented the Liberal party stands through their answers to the B’nai Brith.
  5. Nakba71 – The Palestinian Narrative (May 18, 2019)
    Video of highlights from the meeting.
  6. Boycott Israeli Wines Picket, Mark Nakba71 (May 18, 2019)
    Facebook event.
  7. Picket the Vancouver JNF Gala – April 14, 2019
    Facebook Event
  8. Book launch: “Culture and Resistance” by Edward Said and David Barsamian (February 23, 2019)
    Videos of the event.
    Video of CPA Chairperson’s presentation
  9. 20 Years of Vancouver Protests Demanding #StoptheJNF
    (January 15, 2019)
    Check out our new video documenting 20 years of Vancouver activists coming out to protest the Jewish National Fund and its pivotal role in dispossessing the Palestinian people.

CPA Statements:

  1. Canada Wants to Be an ‘Asset of Israel’ at the UNSC
    December 30, 2019
  2. Canada’s Vote at UN 2019
    December 28, 2019
  3. What is behind Canada’s “orphan vote” at the UN?
    By: Marion Kawas, Dec. 18, 2019
  4. Anti-Palestinian Racism is rampant in aftermath of York Student Protest!
    December 15, 2019
  5. Media Complicity in Demonizing Palestinians
    November 28, 2019
  6. Jerusalem Post admits to printing false info about York University protest
    By: Marion Kawas, November 27, 2019
  7. Tell PM Justin Trudeau: Stop slandering Palestinian students!
    November 24, 2019
  8. Canada’s Anti-Palestinian Racism Evident at the UN
    October 9, 2019
  9. Canada’s Betrayal of the Palestinian Refugees
    By Canada Palestine Association chairperson, Hanna Kawas
    September 22, 2019
  10. Canada’s Shameful Record on Palestinian Refugees
    September 20, 2019
  11. Is Cuba normalizing settler colonialism in Palestine?
    After the visit of the Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) delegation to Cuba in early July, CPA was forced to release a letter sent to Cuban officials on Jan. 3, 2018 regarding our concerns about the “Expanding Cuba-Israel Relations” July 15, 2019
  12. IHRA Definition is an Assault on the Palestinian Community
    A letter to Vancouver Mayor and city Councillors by Canada Palestine Association chairperson, Hanna Kawas July 18, 2019
  13. Open Letter to Toronto Raptors
    By Coordinator, BDS Vancouver-Coast Salish Territories, Aiyanas Ormond, June 15, 2019
  14. Anti-Zionism: Cornerstone of Palestine Solidarity
    February 13, 2019
  15. Hey Justin Trudeau, Canadians Do Support BDS!
    By Marion Kawas, 27 January 2019

Interviews:

SpiceRadioVan
Interview with Hanna Kawas Dec. 24, 2019: Christmas for Palestinian Christians under occupation.
SpiceRadioVan
Interview with Hanna Kawas Nov 26, 2019 about Canada’s support to a UN resolution criticizing Israel.

CKUT 90.3FM Under the Olive Tree (ckut.ca)
Interview with Hanna Kawas Dec. 19, 2019: Does Canada defend human rights at the UN?
CKUT 90.3FM Under the Olive Tree (ckut.ca)
Interview with Hanna Kawas: How to bring Palestine-solidarity into Canadian federal elections? Oct. 10, 2019

Articles:

CPA Facebook pages:
BDS Vancouver – Coast Salish Territories
Stop G4S in Canada – Boycott and Divest from G4S
Boycott Israeli Wines – Don’t Drink with Apartheid
Boycott TEVA – Apartheid is BAD Medicine
https://www.facebook.com/cpavancouver.org/

CPA Facebook groups:
Voice of Palestine صوت فلسطين
Canada Palestine Association
Air Canada: We are not On-Board with Human Rights Violations

Follow us on Twitter:
BDS Vancouver
Hanna Kawas

Canada Wants to Be ‘Asset for Israel’ at the UNSC

By Hanna Kawas

Canada Palestine Association has compiled a study of Canada’s 2019 voting record at the United Nations on resolutions that document and censure Israeli violations of international law.

There was much fanfare made about Canada’s orphan “yes” vote at the UN General Assembly this year on “The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination” resolution. But in the broader context of the other 17 resolutions calling out Israel’s war crimes, that Canada either voted against (15) or abstained on (2), this lone vote can only be seen as deceptive and hypocritical.

Justin Trudeau, explaining his government’s vote to Canadian Zionists, stated:

“The government felt that it was important to reiterate its commitment to a two-states-for-two-peoples solution at a time when its prospects appear increasingly under threat”.

However, if the Trudeau government was really committed to a “two-states-for-two-peoples solution”, it is inconceivable that at the same time they also voted against:

  1. A resolution to support the work of the “Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People” that affirms the UN “has a permanent responsibility towards the question of Palestine until the question is resolved in all its aspects”;
  2. The “Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine” resolution that calls “on Member States not to recognize any changes to the pre-1967 borders, including with regards to Jerusalem”;
  3. “The Syrian Golan” resolution that “Demands once more that Israel withdraw from all the occupied Syrian Golan to the line of 4 June 1967 in implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions”;
  4. “Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources” resolution;
  5. The resolution that condemns the “Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan” and reaffirms the “inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force”; and
  6. The resolution concerning “Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem” that expresses “grave concern about the continuing systematic violation of the human rights of the Palestinian people by Israel”.

And finally, why would Canada vote against a resolution to uphold the rights of “Persons displaced as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities”, unless it supports Israel’s ethnic cleansing of the West Bank and the “Greater Israel Project”?!

Some observers have speculated that Canada’s lone vote was motivated by Trudeau’s desire to obtain a seat on the UN Security Council. Over a year ago, then Foreign and now Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland was quoted as follows during a visit to Israel:

“She also mentioned Canada’s current bid for one of 10 non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council for 2021-2022, which she hoped would allow Canada to serve as an ‘asset for Israel and… strengthen our collaboration’.”

So, this is what Canada plans to do if it gets sufficient votes for a seat, be an “asset for Israel”?

Canada is relying on the votes, and possible lobbying, of some Arab reactionary regimes to get the backing required for the Security Council seat; one example is Jordan.

Just last month during a visit, “Jordan’s King Abdullah II told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the Middle Eastern kingdom supports Canada’s bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council”. This was according to Jordan’s ambassador to Canada, Majed Alqatarneh, who also said Jordan “believes it is important that Canada have a seat on the Security Council”.

Canada also seems to be counting on the support of certain diplomatic circles from the US; former U.S. ambassador to Ottawa, Bruce Heyman stated:

“For me, today, when the U.N. General Assembly is all together, a Canadian seat on the U.N. Security Council is more important than ever”.

We tell Mr. Trudeau that instead of your objective of getting a seat at the UN Security Council, you may end up with a seat in front of the ICC. If the “two-states-for-two-peoples solution…prospects appear increasingly under threat”, it is because of Canada’s (and others) unconditional support for Israeli occupation, war crimes, and apartheid.

Published by The Palestine Chronicle

Canada’s Vote at UN 2019

In addition to Canada’s orphan “yes” vote at the UN General Assembly this year on “The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination” resolution, Canada voted against (15) or abstained on (2) resolutions calling out Israel’s occupation, war crimes and human rights violations.
The lone vote can only be seen as deceptive and hypocritical.

(The UN resolutions database is not fully updated; if needed, please click on the link on “Canada” under any resolution and go to “committee report” for further info.)

  1. A/RES/74/10 Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People 92 in favour to 13 against including Canada, with 61 abstentions.
  2. A/RES/74/11 Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine 147 in favour to 7 against including Canada, with 13 abstentions.
  3. A/RES/74/12 Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat 87 in favour to 23 against including Canada, with 54 abstentions
  4. A/RES/74/13 Special information programme on the question of Palestine of the Department of Global Communications of the Secretariat 144 in favour to 8 against including Canada, with 14 abstentions.
  5. A/RES/74/14 The Syrian Golan 91 in favour to 9 against including Canada, with 65 abstentions.
  6. A/RES/74/75 The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East 152 in favour to 6 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, United States), with 24 abstentions.
  7. A/RES/74/83 Assistance to Palestine refugees 169 in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 9 abstentions (Cameroon, Canada, Guatemala, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Vanuatu).
  8. A/RES/74/84 Persons displaced as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities 162 votes in favour to 7 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, United States), with 11 abstentions.
  9. A/RES/74/85 Operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East  167 votes in favour to 6 against (Canada, Israel, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, United States), with 7 abstentions (Australia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Guatemala, Nauru, Rwanda, Vanuatu).
  10. A/RES/74/86 Palestine refugees’ properties and their revenues 163 in favour to 6 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, United States), with 12 abstentions.
  11. A/RES/74/87 Work of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories 81 in favour to 13 against including Canada, with 80 abstentions.
  12. A/RES/74/88 Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan 157 in favour to 7 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, United States), with 15 abstentions.
  13. A/RES/74/89 Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem 157 in favour to 9 against (Australia, Canada, Guatemala, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, United States), with 13 abstentions.
  14. A/RES/74/90 The occupied Syrian Golan 157 in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 20 abstentions including Canada. GA/12228
  15. A/RES/74/137  “A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action” 135 in favour to 9 against (Czech Republic, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Marshall Islands, Nauru, United Kingdom, United States), with 43 abstentions
  16. A/RES/74/139 The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination 167 in favour including Canada to 5 against (Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru and the US) with 11 abstentions.
  17. A/RES/74/208 Oil slick on Lebanese shores 162 in favour to 7 against including Canada, with 7 abstentions.
  18. A/RES/74/243 Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources 160 in favour to 6 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, United States), with 15 abstentions.

What is behind Canada’s “orphan vote” at the UN?

by Marion Kawas

Last month, the Canadian government changed its vote at the United Nations Third Committee on a resolution entitled “The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination”, from a “no” vote to a “yes”. That vote was maintained today at the UN General Assembly when it came up for final ratification. However, this single yes vote, or “orphan vote”, is just one of the 20 votes that Canada casts on resolutions regarding Israeli violations of human rights and international law, and support for Palestinians. On all other votes, Canada so far has stuck to its decade-old tradition of steadfast support for Israel at the UN by either voting against or abstaining on these resolutions.

If the Trudeau government really believed in the resolution they just voted “yes” on, why has this not translated into a change on at least some of their other votes as well? Why have they insisted on altering only this vote and going out of their way to assure the Zionist lobby that nothing else will change? Is it political opportunism, and if so, what are the motives?

There has been a lot of speculation that Canada is doing this to try and gain a seat on the UN Security Council in 2020. That analysis does fit with the hype that accompanied the initial vote change, that presented it as something significant and worthy of extended media coverage. Even though it was just a single vote and it was also made abundantly clear from the beginning that no other votes would change. But if it is a Security Council seat that is in play here, who are the advisers or other international players that have assured the Trudeau government that changing just this one vote will suffice? That this will be enough to garner support of sufficient members of the UN when the time comes? That the stink of hypocrisy that floats over changing only this one vote and absolutely no others will be brushed aside?

Along with the Security Council seat, other analysts have suggested the influence of being in a minority government as a factor. And the highlighting of the hypocrisy of the Liberals during the recent election on this issue of their UN voting record by the #IVotePalestine campaign may also have struck a nerve.

It may well be a combination of all of the above and even more that has not yet come to light.

All we can say for sure is that Canada changed one vote, and nothing else. Not only has the overall voting record at the UN remained identical, but Trudeau’s statements on other issues, like the recent protest at York University, have been the predictable regurgitation of the Zionist narrative.

It is important, however, to recognize that the Canadian government can stand up to the Israel lobby when it so wishes and when it suits its interests. It’s just that this behaviour, on the rare occasions that it occurs, is not and has never been predicated on any concern for Palestinian human rights or aspirations, but rather on purely imperial and self-centred motives.

We are left with only one conclusion – that Canada has not changed its policy on Palestine. Period. Although all of us in the solidarity movement are desperate for, and would be uplifted by, a genuine and serious change in Canada’s relentless anti-Palestinian tirade, this is not it.

It is flawed to claim that something is a good step in the right direction, unless it actually is followed by other similar steps on the same path. Otherwise it is simply a one-off exception, and activists need to understand why it is happening and what is the agenda. Liberal politicians in Canada are well-known for playing with the rights and demands of the Palestinian people, and this would not be the first time that such crass opportunism has happened.

Whether Trudeau is desperate for the legacy of the Security Council seat, or is using the tragedy of what the Palestinians suffer on a daily basis to prove he can stand up to Trump, or is trying to cement his standing in the midst of a shaky minority government, it is unconscionable to use the Palestinian people and their over 70 years of dispossession as pawns in his personal chess game. And that is not something for which he deserves any praise.

Article on Mondoweiss

Jerusalem Post admits to printing false info about York University protest

Anatomy of a Zionist Smear Campaign

By Marion Kawas

On November 20, 2019, Israel advocacy club Herut Canada held a public meeting entitled “Reservists on Duty” at York University in Toronto. The meeting billed itself as a chance to hear from “real Israeli soldiers” about the “Arab-Israeli conflict, BDS and much more”.

Pro-Palestinian groups on campus and their supporters were concerned and outraged that the university administration was even allowing the meeting to go forward and called for a public rally to protest such an event. The Jewish Defense League JDL in Canada quickly announced that they would be on campus to “counter” the rally; despite an official warning from the university administration, the JDL were present, were provocative and violent, and sent one protestor to hospital.

The JDL head even posted a video of himself during their counter-demo saying “We’re getting the job done here at York University, the JDL is here in force, we’ll do what we have to do…”; screenshots of FB posts from JDL supporters or members bragged about how “one of my boys knocked one of their guys out”. Never Again Canada, a leading pro-Israel group, posted a video on their FB of this injured person with the Islamophobic intro: “Dirty screeching Islamist banseeshes unconscious on the floor…”

However, despite all of this open admission of violence and shocking racism, Canadian politicians including PM Justin Trudeau have leapt to the defense of the JDL provocateurs, not the students and their right to protest.

The Zionist lobby went into overdrive as soon as the event finished and tried to take hold of the narrative. The first reports tried to emphasize how “violent” the students and their supporters were (even though it was one of their numbers who suffered a concussion) and repeatedly misrepresented the chant of “Viva, viva, intifada”, claiming it was somehow a slogan calling for the destruction of Israel.

However, the campaign to rewrite what happened at York really took off after a Jerusalem Post story was posted on November 21, 2019 (then dated Nov. 23 and revised Nov. 26), that opened with the following in the original version:

“’Intifada, Intifada, go back to the ovens,’ 600 violent, pro-Palestinian protesters chanted at Jewish students on Wednesday during a pro-Israel event at York University.”

And note the parameters here: 600 violent protestors (a coordinated action by the whole rally) chanting at “Jewish students”.

Almost every story written by pro-Israel commentators after that referenced this Jerusalem Post report, flaunting it as evidence of the nasty type of “anti-Semitism” inherent in Palestinian events. And it is a serious and dangerous accusation, one that you would think would require fact-checking and proof before printing.

I double-checked with the Jerusalem Post regarding any verification for the claim in their story. The author of the article replied in an email: “One of the speakers who was there – Shar Leyb – told me that this was chanted by the group while they were setting up for their event. I have a recording of him telling me this from when we spoke on Thursday afternoon.”

So there you have it. No hard proof, nothing but anecdotal and second-hand evidence from one extremely biased source with a very specific agenda.

And then, mysteriously, a few hours after my first email to Jerusalem Post, there appeared an updated version of the article with an editors note at the bottom saying: “A mistake in editing accidentally attributed the chant “Intifada, Intifada, go back to the ovens” to all of the protestors at the event. This was not the case. The comment was made by a handful of protestors to some of the organizers.”

A mistake in editing!! So clearly the first claim was bogus, false and could not be verified. Are we to believe the new version, which again will be solely based on the word of the same speaker from the event? The damage has been done, the smear was repeated and repeated, and a half-hearted revision five days after the first story will not undue the harm that has been caused. This is journalism at its worst; it is dangerous and shows no regard for the consequences of such a smear campaign. It also cheapens and distracts from the real acts of anti-Semitism.

It is incumbent on the Jerusalem Post to release this audio recording they claim to have, because we need to clarify how this dangerous fabrication came about. Was it from the speaker, Shar Leyb, or was it from the newspaper staff itself?

Multiple groups and individuals from diverse backgrounds who were at the event, including the Palestinian students, a member of Independent Jewish Voices Canada, folks from Christian Peacemakers Team and CUPE 3903 to mention just a few, had already strongly disagreed with these reports of what took place. Furthermore no video evidence had been produced to back up the claim; lawyer Dimitri Lascaris wrote a comprehensive blog piece that carefully documented and refuted the accusations of the Israel lobby.

He said in a follow up email: “I was not there but I have spoken to numerous participants and have viewed over 50 distinct video clips of the event, including videos posted on Never Again Canada and by other promoters of Israel. I heard no such language in any of the videos. Moreover, if in fact the group chanted this and a pro-Israel person in the crowd heard it, it is inconceivable that there would not be a recording of it. Surely someone would have shot a video of this and shared it widely on social media and with the Jerusalem Post.”

The events at York University have already taken on an international dimension with coverage from media in Lebanon; there was also a joint statement of support issued by the South African Union of Students and BDS South Africa in which they condemned “the recent violence against human rights defenders at York University in Canada.”

Many activist and community groups in Canada are calling for PM Justin Trudeau to stop slandering the student protest as “anti-Semitic” and “violent”, and are also calling on the York university administration to better protect students. This behaviour from politicians and officials is dangerous and inflammatory; it can and most likely will lead to further anti-Palestinian racism and targeting of student activists. How sad that once again, as in Gaza, the Israel lobby succeeds in convincing others to blame the victim for the violence inflicted on them.

As noted by Canada Palestine Association in their statement to the Canadian PM:

“It is not racist to protest against the occupation army that daily humiliates and subjugates our people. It is not racist to protest against the Israeli military that earlier this month murdered 9 members of the same family in Gaza, and then claimed it was a “mistake”.

It is legitimate for Palestinians and their supporters to ask the Israeli military, press, and government: how many mistakes will Palestinians be forced to endure, how many mistakes will be allowed for the pro-Israel hasbara?

What happened at York University, both during and after the Nov. 20 meeting, is a microcosm of developments in the Palestinian solidarity movement: support is building, people are pushing back and challenging the Zionist lobby narrative, and pro-Israel groups and the Israeli government themselves are becoming increasingly desperate in their efforts to stop the cracks in their crumbling hegemony over public opinion.

This article was carried in Palestine Chronicle.