Dr. Yipeng Ge was suspended from his role as a medical resident at the University of Ottawa after a fellow doctor claimed some of his pro-Palestinian messages on social media amounted to “antisemitism” and “genocide”. An important struggle over the fundamental right to express pro-Palestinian views is engaged across Canada against a new McCarthyism. Read more…
An online petition has garnered more than 85,000 signatures expressing “solidarity with Dr. Yipeng Ge for advocating for the human rights of Palestinians” and calling for the University of Ottawa to reverse his wrongful suspension for alleged expressions of antisemitism. It also calls for an apology and a thorough investigation of the university’s action.
The suspension came about after Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, an associate professor of family medicine at the University of Ottawa, drew attention to a number of Ge’s posts and called them antisemitic. Freedhoff posted on social media a photo of a sign stating “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free,” which Freedhoff called a “genocidal” chant that implies the elimination of the State of Israel.
In fact, says American Jewish academic Peter Beinart, the slogan “from the river to the sea…” means different things to different people. “You have to look at the context of what that person believes about what they want this free Palestine to be.” Beinart’s thoughtful reflections on the meaning of “from the river to the sea” is worth listening to. He also notes in passing that the same “from the river to the sea” slogan is used by the Israeli Likud party – declaring that Israel should exert its uncontested control over Palestinians. There is no indication that Dr. Freedhoff felt that the Likud slogan implied genocide.
A new “McCarthyism“?
In the 1950s, U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy spearheaded a campaign banning many authors, actors and professors on the simple (and often unfounded) accusation that they had sympathies for socialism or communism. Today, and in particular since the events of October 7th, a comparable campaign against expressions of support for Palestine has rolled out across Canada.
Davide Mastrache, opinion editor of “The Maple” has already compiled a list of 19 Canadians who have faced sanctions including suspension (like Dr. Ge) or actual termination, by their employer or university for posting about Palestine. The compilation includes what they said and the sanctions they faced.
One example Mastrache did not include was the case of Samantha Pearson, director of the University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre who was fired, after she signed an open letter calling Israeli reports of sexual violence during Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack an “unverified accusation.”
An open letter signed by many Canadian legal organizations and individual lawyers claim that some pro-Israel lawyers are employing McCarthy-type tactics including:
- openly advocating on social media to blacklist law students and lawyers who have voiced support for Palestine;
- contacting the employers of lawyers and encouraging they be fired for their pro-Palestinian advocacy. Law firms (many of which have issued unprecedented, political statements in support of Israel) are rescinding interview offers to students who sign open letters condemning Israel.
- threatening students with expulsion from Law schools, and
- bullying and defaming others who have attended demonstrations in support of Palestine, calling them terrorists, antisemites, and other pejoratives.
Tolerance and multiculturalism are key Canadian values as is freedom of speech. Threats made against individuals or groups because of what they believe is not only illegal, but morally unacceptable.
The Ottawa Forum on Israel/Palestine supports the right of those who stand up for justice for Palestinians to use legal means to convince Canadians that the Palestinian demand for equality and freedom is justified.
This includes the the right of Palestinian Canadians and their supporters to show Palestinian flags, wear Palestinian headdress, express their opposition to the occupation of Palestinian territory, promote a boycott of Israeli products, denounce Israel’s system of “Jewish supremacy” as reported by the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem; argue that Israel practices apartheid “from the river to the sea” as reported by Amnesty International; or use slogans like “free free Palestine”, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, “End the occupation”,“End Israeli apartheid”, or “stop the genocide in Gaza”.
Actions aimed at criticizing the State of Israel for its treatment of Palestinians, or criticizing the Canadian government for its lack of action are entirely legitimate if they remain within the boundaries of the law.
We will continue to urge the Canadian government to apply in practice its claimed adherence to and support for, human rights and international law.
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 Ottawa Forum on Israel/Palestine.ca
Canada Talks Israel/Palestine 
So standing for human rights and opposing colonization and apartheid is antisemitic?
What an insult to the many Jews who have long been leaders in the global struggle for human rights, including for Palestinians.
One might even say that that mistake could be considered antisemitic itself.
I do not agree with a word that you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. -Voltaire. Freedom of speech is the best weapon against bad government and bad governance. That includes university administrations, corporations, and others using intimidation to meddle in people’s personal beliefs.
What a perverse world. The victimizers became the victims and the victims together with its supporters, became the victimisers. Of course our present and past governments, have a lot to account for.
It’s a sick atmosphere in Canada at present.
Just came across this blog now. It’s called Canada talks Israel Palestine but nil about the elephant in the room: Hamas, or what it did in October. Hmmm
Hello Don,
Thanks for pointing this out. Some of the things that happened on October 7th were warcrimes, including the killing of unarmed civilians.
According to Israeli media, 33 Israeli children were killed on October 7th. Nothing can excuse that and I condemn it without reservation.
Since October 7th, according to Defence for Children International 4237 Palestinian children have been killed in Gaza . Would you join me in condemning that?
Peter,
There is nothing we can do that will bring back either the 33 or the 4237 but we can try to prevent number 34 and number 4238. Shouldn’t we do that? Shouldn’t Dr. Ge try to prevent those deaths? Should anyone object to his doing that?
Peter, I think you missed his question.
He asked you why you never talk about the elephant in the room, Hamas.
The heartbreaking figure of 4237 dead Palestinian children is every much a result of Hamas’ decision to start a war as the 38 dead Israeli children they killed
If Hamas would hand out the hostages, stop shooting rockets and surrender the carnage would stop, tonight
Everything that happened since October 7th happened because of Hamas, and yet you never write about them
Hello A,
Actually, I think you missed the point. Hamas did not start this war. The war started a long time ago. This is just one battle.
Hamas happened because of all the things that happened before October 7th. You know the list of transgressions just as well as i do. Probably the two most flagrant are the “setting aside” of the results of a free and fair election that Hamas won in 2006, and the murderous Israeli response to the peaceful civil disobedience of the Great March of Return.
What happened on October 7th was terrible and not excuseable. But I won’t condemn young people who have been held in an outdoor prison for 15 years for their actions when they get an opportunity to escape.
A: You wrote “If Hamas would hand out the hostages, stop shooting rockets and surrender the carnage would stop, tonight”. Aren’t you ignoring Mr. Netanyahu’s stated intent to continue the war until Hamas is destroyed? Unless he backs down on that, the carnage in the Israel-Gaza war would continue.