The Israeli government released a list of 20 international NGO’s from eight different countries whose members will no longer be permitted to enter Israel because of their support for the boycott of Israel, known as BDS. Despite active support for BDS however, no Canadian organization made the list. Read more…
On January 7th, the Israeli government finally published its BDS blacklist, which would prevent entry to Israel – known for months to be in the works. It aims at 20 organizations that support the Palestinian-led, nonviolent Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resistance movement for Palestinian human rights.
The list included well known US organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace and the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. At the news that the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights was included on the blacklist, executive-director Yousef Munayyer wrote a defiant letter to supporters: “We wear this designation as a badge of honor.”
Despite an active campaign in favour of BDS by its President Tom Woodley, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) was not included in the recent Israeli blacklist.
Organizations from 6 other countries, including Sweden, Norway, Chile and France were included.
However, no Canadian organization dedicated to human rights for Palestinians made the grade, despite their active work.
“We are dismayed to learn that we have not been put on Israel’s list targeting organizations promoting BDS,” commented Sid Shniad, member of the national steering committee of Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV-Canada).
“Our organization has been advocating for an end to the Israeli occupation of Arab lands , recognition of Palestinian Israeli citizens to full equality, and promoting the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties for nearly ten years now. The conclusion we must draw is that we have to work harder”, continued Shniad.
“We are dismayed to learn that we have not been put on Israel’s list targeting organizations promoting BDS. (…) The conclusion we must draw, is that we have to work harder.”
– Sid Shniad, member of the national steering committee
Independent Jewish Voices Canada
In fact, dozens of Canadian organizations which support BDS did not make the list. In a couple of cases, the American branch of an organization was blacklisted but not the Canadian one. This appears to be the case of the American Friends Service Committee (Quakers) which made the blacklist for its support of a boycott of products from the Occupied Territories, while its Canadian equivalent, the Canadian Friends Service Committee which has the same position, was ignored.
Among the other Canadian organizations which did NOT make the list despite active support for BDS are:
- Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME)
- United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel (UNJPPI)
- Canadian BDS Coalition
- Canada-Palestine Support Network (canpalnet)
- Palestine Solidarity Network – Edmonton
- Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) Ontario
- BDS Québec
- Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU)
Unions
- Unifor
- Syndicat des travailleurs et travailleuses des postes (STTP)
- CSQ (Centrale des syndicats du Québec)
- FNEEQ (Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants-CSN)
- Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain-CSN
- Conseil régional FTQ du Montréal métropolitain
Quebec based community groups
- Ligue des Droits et Libertés
- Fédération des femmes du Québec (FFQ)
- Le Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain est un regroupement national pour le droit au logement (FRAPRU)
- ASSE (Association syndicale pour une solidarité étudiante)
- CUWU (College and University Workers United)
- Graduate Students Association of Concordia
- Entraide missionnaire
- Centre justice et foi/ Revue Relations
- Alternatives
- Comité de solidarité Trois-Rivières
- Réseau uni pour la justice et la paix en Palestine et en Israël
- Forum musulman canadien
- Présence musulmane
It is not known whether the Israeli government plans to update the list each year as the international movement to boycott Israel grows. It will be interesting to see whether any Canadian organizations make the expanded list next year.
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Canada Talks Israel/Palestine 
Let’s hope that no Canadian organization makes the list of NGOs banned from israel Palestine Israel.
Then of course the Israeli officers can ban anyone at Ben Gurion airport at the Allenby bridge or other border points into Palestine even before the plane takes takes off for Israel. Cases still abound of Canadians being denied entry by Israel into Israel Palestine or Jerusalem for any reason related to security including ethnicity, place of birth
The Canadian government should make it clear to Israel that it objects to any Canadian being banned from Israel Palestine or Jerusalem for supporting Palestinian rights or solutions to the current Israel Palestine conflict including supporting BDS. Independent Jewish Voices, Quakers, Mennonites would be great Canadian peace NGOS to support if they or members were banned from Israel Palestine.
The current unacceptable situation of Israel being able to control entry of anyone into Palestine including East Jerusalem whose territory it controls illegally under occupation argues strongly for a solution of: Israel with its capital in West Jerusalem; Palestine with its capital in East Jerusalem; and the internationalization of the holy sites of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. This would allow all those having business or other interests in Israel, Palestine and the holy sites in Jerusalem to have direct access to each area and could be banned only by each entity exercising its sovereign rights legally.
George Jacoby
We should have a red carpet celebration for “winners” and give them the medal of non-violent HR champion!
Resisting injustice is a human right; Israel’s blacklisting should be seen as violating that right.
Hey Sam, I understand that you don’t like Israel’s blacklist. But Israel is recognized as a sovereign state by the UN. Sovereign states have the right to allow/disallow entry to anybody (i.e. any non citizen – the refugees are a different issue) on any grounds. America and Canada have no-fly lists for example, and regularly refuse entry to people.
What does saying that “resisting injustice is a human right” mean? That it SHOULD BE a human right? Should it be inscribed in law? Where?
`Should it be inscribed in law“ What kind of a question is that. Law or no law; people have a right to breathe freely; if someone is trying to choke you; trying to control your movements; discriminating against you; telling you where you can go and not go; you have as a human being a human right to resist; as they did in South Africa. It is human nature to resist torture and racism; should that be inscribed in law