Mark Int’l Day of Solidarity/Boycott Israeli Wines Picket Nov. 26

Great photos from our picket/instore flash action: #BoycottIsraeliWines #NoIHRA

Join local groups in Vancouver to mark the annual International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People with a picket to “Tell the BC NDP Govt to Pull Israeli Apartheid Wines”.
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.
The wines in question are either from the Golan Heights Winery and its joint venture the Galil Winery; or from the Israeli Teperberg Winery, which proudly displays a map on its website showing vineyards in occupied Palestinian territory.
More info: https://cpavancouver.org/boycottisraeliwines-campaign/
Cosponsors for this event include BDS Vancouver-Coast Salish, Canada Palestine Association, ILPS Canada, Independent Jewish Voices Vancouver, Samidoun Vancouver 

This event is taking place on the unceded and occupied territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) peoples. The organizers stand in full solidarity and support of Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination and with the ongoing movements to defend land, water and Indigenous peoples from plunder and settler colonialism.

FB Event Page: Boycott Israeli Wines/Mark Int’l Day of Solidarity with Palestinians | Facebook

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”. And in a welcome move, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs also penned a letter to Vancouver City Council in which they expressed “grave concerns” and urged them to “not proceed” with adoption of the IHRA. They stated: “We do not condone protecting Israel from criticism in relation to its settler colonial policies and mistreatment of Palestinians.”

Vancouver city council on the brink of institutionalizing anti-Palestinian racism – Mondoweiss

CPA Statement:
Three and a half years ago, Vancouver city councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung introduced a motion to adopt the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. That motion in July 2019 was not passed; however, the same councillor recently gave notice to reintroduce a similar motion this month to the new Vancouver city council. She is now representing the ABC “A Better City” party that even included adoption of the IHRA definition in their platform. And since they won a majority in the recent civic elections, they seem to be rushing to vindicate themselves this time around.

Back in 2019, Vancouver was one of the first city councils where the pro-Israel lobby attempted to have the IHRA definition formally accepted. Many segments of the progressive and anti-racist community in Vancouver responded quickly and as already noted, the result was that the motion was not adopted. And all the reasons that were valid in 2019 are still valid in 2022, as evidence increases of how the IHRA definition is being used to silence Palestinian voices and criticism of Israel.

The IHRA definition was wrong then and it is wrong now. Passing it now at Vancouver city council will not change that nor will it change our determination as Palestinian Canadians to raise our voices against our oppression, and against anti-Palestinian racism and all those who maintain it. We will continue to speak out forcefully and reject the concept that our narrative must be constricted and restrained. If other communities are granted the right during discussions of discrimination to say: “Nothing about us without us”, then so are Palestinian Canadians. Or are we to be treated differently, like lesser beings?

Passing this anti-Palestinian definition will not deter us, but it will tarnish the reputation of the city of Vancouver. No longer can Vancouver promote itself as diverse and tolerant. Rather, it will be presented internationally as a city that callously engages in racism against vulnerable minorities (in this case the Palestinian, Arab and Moslem communities), a policy that could have negative implications on tourism and investment.

We join hands with many allies, from progressive Jews to anti-racist and human rights groups to church and union organizations, to say #NoIHRA. Adopting this dangerous and vague definition of anti-Semitism will only serve to harm the reputation of Vancouver as a welcoming city for all people.

Open Letter to Algerian President and the Arab Summit

(English translation below)

الرئيس السيد عبد المجيد تبون

.نشكركم على تسميتكم القمة العربية بقمة فلسطين

.يمر العالم بمنعطف تاريخي والعالم العربي يغفوا في غيبوبة عميقة
بينما تستقبلون رؤساء دول أوروبية مسؤولة عن الابادة الجماعية في الجزائر، فلسطين وأماكن أخرى في العالم، يقوم الإتحاد الأوروبي بمنع مناضلين فلسطينيين من دخول أوروبا وسجن ولعقود طويلة مناضلين يدعمون القضية الفلسطينية

.الغرب يفرض العقوبات على أي دولة تهدد مصالحه، اما أنظمتنا العربية فلا تكترث لمصالح أمتنا وشعوبها

.إذا كنتم تريدون حقا نصرة فلسطين فهذه هي فرصتكم التاريخية لفرض حضر بترولي وغازي على أوروبا وأمريكا

.عدا ذلك فإن تسمية القمة بقمة فلسطين هي هراء ونفاق

حنا قواس
رئيس
الجمعية الفلسطينية الكندية

——————————————
President Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune:

Thank you for naming the upcoming Arab Summit, the Palestine Summit.
The world is going through a historical turning point, and the Arab world is in a deep coma.

While you receive European leaders responsible for the genocide in Algeria, Palestine and elsewhere in the world, the European Union prevents Palestinian compatriots from entering Europe and incarcerates pro-Palestinian fighters for decades.

The West imposes sanctions on any country that threatens its interests, while our Arab regimes do not care about our nation and its people’s interests.
If you really want to support Palestine, this is your historic opportunity to impose an oil and gas embargo on Europe and America.

Other than that, calling this summit the summit of Palestine is nonsense and hypocrisy.

Hanna Kawas, Chairperson
Canada Palestine Association

March for Palestine, Oct. 29

Update: Photo Gallery from the Event

Message at opening rally on Canadian complicity by CPA chair
March on Commercial Drive, Vancouver

Oct. 29, 12 noon Commercial Skytrain Station: Join us as we march in solidarity on this International day of action for the Right of Return and Liberation! We’ll be meeting at the Commercial Skytrain Station to Grandview Park.

The march is an internationally coordinated action by the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement and coincides with their march on the European Parliament in Brussels.

The Palestinian liberation movement is a Palestinian, Arab and international movement, with a history of a century of struggle fighting back against imperialism, Zionism and reactionary forces. Today, as the Palestinian people and their resistance continue to struggle for return and liberation, the colonial occupation is continuing its extrajudicial killings and massacres, siege on Gaza, mass imprisonment, home demolition, settlement construction and overall assaults on Palestine. 
Facebook Event: The March for Return and Liberation! | Facebook

Final Report #IVotePalestine Vancouver

Canada Palestine Association sent out a questionnaire to the candidates and parties running in the upcoming Vancouver city election, asking them about anti-Palestinian racism, #NoIHRA, JNF, police exchanges with Israeli units and making Vancouver an apartheid-free city. Here are the responses to date:
1. Response from Christine Boyle, OneCity Vancouver
2. Response from Sean Orr, Vote Socialist: YES to all five questions. Inclusion of points raised in our questionnaire in their platform.
3. Response from Jean Swanson & COPE
4. Response from Imtiaz Popat, Mayoral Candidate Independent

We urge the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities, our allies in progressive Jewish groups, our friends in other immigrant communities as well as anti-racist, human rights, church, trade union and social justice activists to familiarize themselves where these parties and candidates stand. We were encouraged by the positive responses we received; check out our findings and learn which candidates stand up for human rights and liberation for all and who supports apartheid and war crimes. #IVotePalestine

History of Voting on IHRA from July 2019 Vancouver City Council

As noted in our questionnaire, a motion was submitted by current Councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung on July 23, 2019 to adopt the anti-Palestinian definition of the “International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism”, which aims to silence criticism of Israel.

The motion, which at the time would have made Vancouver the first municipality in Canada to officially adopt the IHRA, did not pass. Following are the voting details on that motion, and other documentation, for some of the candidates standing in the 2022 election.

Mayoral Candidates:

Kennedy Stewart (Forward Together) did not respond to our questionnaire, but as current mayor, he voted against adopting the IHRA motion in July 2019 at Vancouver City Council
Colleen Hardwick, former NPA councillor now running for mayor under TEAM, did not respond to our questionnaire, but she voted in support of the IHRA motion.
Ken Sim (ABC Vancouver) did not respond to our questionnaire nor was he on council in 2019, but he is on the record as publicly supporting the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism.

Councillor Candidates:

Christine Boyle, running again for OneCity, voted against adopting the IHRA motion in July 2019.  “It is my view that criticism of Israeli policies should not be equated with anti-Semitism, and therefore I disagree with the IRHA definition.”
Jean Swanson, running again for COPE, voted against the 2019 IHRA motion and COPE itself mobilized against adopting the motion, joining with others to emphasize the need to fight against all forms of racism.

(The Green Party of Vancouver did not respond to our questionnaire, but their Councillors did vote against adopting the IHRA motion in July 2019)
Adriane Carr, running again for Green, voted against adopting the motion
Pete Fry, running again for Green, voted against adopting IHRA motion
Michael Wiebe, running again in this election for Green, voted against adopting the IHRA motion.

(NPA did not respond to our questionnaire, but they introduced the 2019 IHRA motion and all of their councillors at the time supported it.)
Sarah Kirby-Yung, NPA councillor running in this election for ABC Vancouver, introduced and voted in favor of the IHRA motion in July 2019
Lisa Dominato, NPA councillor running for ABC Vancouver, voted in favour.
Rebecca Bligh, NPA councillor running for ABC Vancouver, voted in favour.
Melissa De Genova, NPA councillor running again for NPA, voted in favor of the IHRA motion in July 2019