Israel is pounding Gaza again. Why don’t the Palestinians in Gaza just give up? G&M columnist Eric Reguly was there in May. His column gives a hint.

Neither Hamas nor Islamic Jihad can match the strength of the Israeli military. In the last 2 days, Israel has killed over 40 Palestinian civilians and injured scores more. There are no reports of any Israeli casualties. So why do those movements keep on fighting and why do they still have any support in Gaza? Globe and Mail columnist Eric Reguly visited Gaza recently and reported on a generation that sees little hope for the future. Until they are allowed out they see little option but to resist. Read more.

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OFIP open letter to hon. Jim Carr: “How does criticism of Israel pose a threat to public safety and national security in Canada? See his answer.

On June 8th, the Federal Government Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security issued a report on violent extremism in Canada. One of its 30 recommendations called for the government to “condemn” strong criticism of Israel on Canadian campuses. How criticism of Israel might be related to violent extremism was not clear. OFIP wrote an open letter to Mr. Carr asking for an explanation. His answer was less than satisfactory. Read more…

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Is “anti-Palestinian racism” a real thing? A report by the Arab Canadian Lawyers’ Association explores the issue

High school students in Ottawa protested last May against a school board policy which officially “supports multiculturalism”, but won’t allow expressions of Palestinian identity in schools as “too political”. The Arab Canadian Lawyers’ Association calls this anti-Palestinian racism,“a form of anti-Arab racism that silences, excludes, erases, stereotypes, defames or dehumanizes Palestinians or their narratives“. Watch my interview with ACLA Chair Dania Majid….

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“Stuck under the Nakba tree”: barred from Palestine but unable to find comfort in Canada

Dr. Mowafa Said Househ was born in Edmonton to a family of Palestinian refugees. In an intimate and sometimes painful autobiography, Househ paints a portrait of an unhappy Muslim family finding it difficult to fit into a sometimes indifferent, sometimes racist Canadian society. Today, he has a Ph.D. and a part-time position at the University of Victoria. But despite what most people would call “success”, he has returned to live in the gulf region. Why can’t he find happiness in Canada? Read his book and find out…

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A Canadian first: University of Waterloo launches a “Foundation for Palestinian Studies”

Flags of Canada, Palestine and the University of Waterloo grace the stage on the May 24 launch of the university’s new “Foundation for Palestinian Studies” at a gala event attended by over a hundred academics, university administrators, former diplomats and others. The foundation is the brainchild of Shawky Fahel, a Palestinian Canadian businessman with the support of private donors and the University itself. In a short video interview, Fahel explains the origin of his idea. Read more…

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