Across many Canadian campuses, and indeed around the world, March is the month for “Israeli Apartheid Week” activities. The international movement appears to be growing. Israel’s defenders are fighting back claiming that they are “anti-Semitic”. Is it true? Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) is an international series of events that seeks to raise awareness about Israel’s apartheid policies towards the Palestinians and to build support for the growing Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
Here is the 2015 IAW schedule by country
- UK: February 23-28
- US: Feb 26-March 12
- Europe: March 2-9
- Palestine: March 1-8
- South Africa: March 2-8
- Ireland: March 7-14
- Canada: March 9-14
- South America: March
IAW events are routinely decried by Israel’s supporters as “antisemitic”. Last week in the Canadian Parliament, Hamilton area MP David Sweet told Parliamentarians that he had been shocked by “anti-Semitic’ IAW events on McMaster Campus, though he did not specify what he found “antisemitic” about them.
This accusation may influence people who haven’t attended any IAW events, or who haven’t been on a campus for several years. However, in my personal experience, having attended IAW events in Ottawa over several years at both Carleton University and the University of Ottawa, there was absolutely nothing antisemitic about them. (Unless, of course, you define criticism of Israel as inherently “antisemitic”. In that case…..)
In fact, people of my generation would easily compare IAW events to the anti-Vietnam War “teach-ins” that were organized on campuses across the US and Canada during the ‘60’s. At the time, they were similarly criticized by supporters of the US intervention in that country.
Israeli Apartheid Week events in Ottawa take place at Carleton University all next week. They include sessions comparing the Palestinian experience to that of Canadian aboriginals, a film about how the University of Berkley decided to divest from Israeli firms, and a session on Palestinian women prisoners held in Israeli detention. IAW events are also taking place in many other Canadian cities. To find out whether there are events in your city, check the IAW website.
See for yourself if they are really antisemitic!!
If MP David Sweet would like to take another look, information about IAW McMaster’s 2015 program can be found here.
Canada Talks Israel/Palestine 
Reblogged this on Le blog d'un libre penseur révolutionnaire and commented:
Across many Canadian campuses, and indeed around the world, March is the month for “Israeli Apartheid Week” activities. The international movement appears to be growing. Israel’s defenders are fighting back claiming that they are “anti-Semitic”. Is it true?
Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) is an international series of events that seeks to raise awareness about Israel’s apartheid policies towards the Palestinians and to build support for the growing Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
Here is the 2015 IAW schedule by country
UK: February 23-28 US: Feb 26-March 12 Europe: March 2-9 Palestine: March 1-8 South Africa: March 2-8 Ireland: March 7-14 Canada: March 9-14 South America: March
IAW events are routinely decried by israel’s supporters as “anti-Semitic”. Last week in the Canadian Parliament, Hamilton area MP David Sweet told Parliamentarians that he had been shocked by “anti-Semitic’ IAW events on McMaster Campus, though he did not specify what he found “anti-Semitic” about them.
This accusation may influence people who haven’t attended any IAW events, or who haven’t been on a campus for several years. However, in my personal experience, having attended IAW events in Ottawa over several years at both Carleton University and the University of Ottawa, there was absolutely nothing anti-Semitic about them. (Unless, of course, you define criticism of Israel as inherently “anti-Semitic”. In that case…..)
In fact, people of my generation would easily compare IAW events to the anti-Vietnam War “teach-ins” that were organized on campuses across the US and Canada during the ‘60’s. At the time, they were similarly criticized by supporters of the US intervention in that country.
Israeli Apartheid Week events in Ottawa take place at Carleton University all next week. They include sessions comparing the Palestinian experience to that of Canadian aboriginals, a film about how the University of Berkley decided to divest from Israeli firms, and a session on Palestinian women prisoners held in Israeli detention.
IAW events are also taking place in many other Canadian cities. To find out whether there are events in your city, check the IAW website.
See for yourself if they are really anti-Semitic!!
merci Michel, un jour j’aurai le plaisir d’avoir un collaborateur francophone. 🙂
I was reading your new post on Canada Talks- Israel -Palestine, about the Israeli Apartheid week activities, really anti-Semitic?
What is our roll as Palestinians in such activities? We can’t watch the world defending the Israeli alleged and we do nothing !
Is there any thing that the Palestinian Delegation or APAC doing or have to do at this week?
What do you think?
If nothing is done yet from our side, how can we participate in such activities to show the world that we do care about our cause, and to thank those who are participating by their speech and attendance?
On Tue, Mar 3, 2015 at 10:33 AM, Canada Talks Israel-Palestine wrote:
> Peter Larson posted: ” Across many Canadian campuses, and indeed > around the world, March is the month for “Israeli Apartheid Week” > activities. The international movement appears to be growing. Israel’s > defenders are fighting back claiming that they are “anti-Semitic”. Is it > tr”
As I see it, APAC and the Palestinian Delegation are very different organizations and have different roles to play.
APAC is a Canadian organization. Palestinian Canadians (whether in APAC or in other organizations) can play a tremendous role in changing Canadian public opinion on this issue – mostly by engaging with Canadian organizations – churches, social service clubs, mosques, students, even synagogues. Palestinian Canadians can be most effective when they act as Canadians talking to other Canadians (as opposed to acting as Palestinians talking to Canadians.)
The Palestinian Delegation, like the embassies of many countries, is the legal and official representative of a foreign government which is “semi-recognized” by Canada. I have no advice to offer them on how to carry out their mandate on behalf of the Government of Palestine. They will get their instructions from their government.
Most members of the Jew-hatred movement are “generic fascists”, persons who are by nature fascist, and given the opportunity would engage in fascism against anyone, on behalf of any cause.