Month: November 2020

What is the significance of Canada’s UN vote in favour of Palestinian self-determination?

On November 19, Canada voted along with 163 countries in favour of a draft UN resolution affirming the Palestinian right to self determination. The vote was immediately denounced by prominent Jewish Canadian organizations including CIJA and the Simon Wiesenthal Centre. But it was praised by several Canadian human rights groups What was its real significance? What does it mean in practice? Read more…

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“The colonial nature of Israel has been invisible to most North Americans” – Dr. Rashid Khalidi – Join OFIP’s virtual book launch November 23.

On Monday, November 23, OFIP will host Dr. Rashid Khalidi in a “virtual Canadian book launch” for his controversial new book re-examining the history of the Israel/Palestine conflict over the last 100 years. Khalidi argues that Israel’s basic “colonial” character has been mostly invisible to North Americans. He also thinks the Palestinian leadership has made some strategic mistakes based on their own myths about Israeli society. Read more…

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OFIP’s open letter to Foreign Minister Champagne: Will Canada ever actually implement its “official policy” opposing Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories?

EU countries protested Israeli demolition of Palestinian homes in Khirbet Humsah, (above) on 3 Nov. 2020. But the Trudeau Government looked the other way. Our official policy opposes the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. But our real policy appears to be something else. Read OFIP’s open Letter to Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne inviting him to clarify what Canada’s real policy is. Read more…

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