Month: November 2017

70 years later – should Israel give this Palestinian Canadian his property back?

fuad on beach

April 2017. Palestinian Canadian Fuad Abboud, now a retired lawyer living in Calgary, walks along the “Corniche” in Beirut, Lebanon. In 1948 his family escaped to Lebanon to avoid growing Zionist violence in Haifa. The new State of Israel never allowed any of the family to return to live in Haifa, and then confiscated all their family property, as it did to all Palestinian refugees who were declared to be ‘Absentees’ under Israel’s Absentee Property Act. Should he get his family property back? Read more and decide….

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Letter from a Palestinian in Gaza to those Israeli drones flying overhead

drone

Canada is the world’s third largest exporter of drones, after Israel and the USA. Israeli drones, including some with Canadian technology, now regularly fly over Gaza day and night. Their constant buzzing is a reminder to everyone that the Israeli military is watching. Armed drones have the ability to assassinate at will. Nobody knows when or where they will attack. Read this letter to Canadians from our Gaza correspondent….

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“Too late for two states?” – US scholar shares his hopes of saving a two state solution, but some remain unconvinced…

gershon Shamir

American/Israeli academic Gershon Shafir spoke on November 14th to a large crowd at the Jewish Community Centre in Ottawa. He was very critical of Israel’s seemingly unstoppable slide towards intolerance and right wing politics, but still held out hope for a 2 state solution. Many in the audience were relieved, but not everyone was convinced. See this report by guest columnist Diana Ralph, of Independent Jewish Voices Ottawa. (more…)

One hundred years later, Ottawa Unitarians discuss the Balfour Declaration – was it a good idea, or not?

One hundred years ago this month, after decades of anti-Jewish pogroms in Russia and Eastern Europe, British Foreign Secretary Lord Arthur Balfour promised Jews that Britain would help them create a homeland in Palestine.

That set in motion events which have caused trouble in the Middle East ever since.

Was Balfour’s idea a good one, or not? The First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa is organizing a film and discussion to mark the 100th anniversary.

First Unitarian Congregation

30 Cleary Avenue

Wednesday, November 22 @ 7:00 p.m. Everyone welcome.

For more information click on:  Balfour Declaration event

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Canada Talks Israel Palestine (CTIP) aims to promote a serious discussion in Canada about the complicated and emotional Israel/Palestine issue. We invite comments from readers. Both Zionists and non-Zionist opinion is welcome as long as it is expressed in a respectful way. If you support our educational mission, why not join? Or make a donation? Or learn more about what we do?  Contact us at membership.ctip@gmail.com.