Jewish Group launches Canada-wide education campaign on Israeli apartheid

On Sunday, March 20th, Independent Jewish Voices Canada launched a campaign to raise awareness of, and urge Canadian action against, Israeli apartheid against Palestinians. CTIP interviewed IJV’s Corey Balsam about the objectives of the campaign and the main activities proposed. Read more and watch the interview….

In the last six months no fewer than four major reports by human rights organizations have declared that Israel practices a regime of “apartheid” against the Palestinian people. Two of them (B’tselem, Lynk) focussed specifically on Israeli practices in the West Bank and Gaza, while the others (Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International) also applied the terms “Jewish supremacy” and “apartheid” to Israeli practices inside Israel itself.

There is an emerging international consensus among human rights organizations around the world on how to describe Israel’s system of domination over the Palestinians. But there is still unfortunately little recognition among mainstream Canadians of the reality of Israel’s apartheid regime.

Independent Jewish Voices Canada is trying to correct that situation by launching “Together against Apartheid/Ensemble contre l’apartheid” a nation-wide education campaign. The campaign kick off event was an online “rally” gathering together several hundred people on March 20th.

Campaign activities include:

  • the creation of so-called “apartheid free zones” , in which businesses, neighbourhoods or communities can declare them opposed to Israeli apartheid
  • a “pledge” inviting signers to not shy away from using what some have called the “A” word when talking about Israel’s policies
  • an online educational event on April 12th featuring Professor Michael Lynk, Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories. (In his latest report to the UN, Lynk accused Israel of “pitiless apartheid”.)

OFIP Chair Peter Larson spoke to IJV director Corey Balsam about the campaign.

AND DONT MISS THIS SPECIAL OFIP WEBINAR

Is the Jewish State of Israel itself a “liberal democracy”, an “apartheid state” or something else?

Thursday, April 21, 2022
3:00 PM Ottawa time
 Featuring: Jonathan Cook, British/Israeli author and journalist

To register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_glZIqep_SAmPHk8KQe2asA
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Canada Talks Israel Palestine (CTIP) is the weekly newsletter of Peter Larson, Chair of the Ottawa Forum on Israel/Palestine (OFIP). It aims to promote a serious discussion in Canada about Canada’s response to the complicated and emotional Israel/Palestine issue with a focus on the truth, clear analysis and human rights for all. Readers with different points of view are invited to make comment.

Want to learn more about us? Go to http://www.ottawaforumip.org

If you find this article valuable please feel free to share it with anyone who might be interested