Will anybody try to claim this is antisemitic?

Over a hundred Jews and allies briefly occupied the Confederation building in Ottawa in a peaceful sit-in on Parliament Hill on Tuesday, December 3rd calling for a full and immediate arms embargo against Israel. In song, prayer, and speeches, they called for our politicians to end Canada’s arming of Israeli genocide in Gaza. Learn more.

The Israel lobby frequently uses the “antisemitism” charge to try to shut down critics of Israel. It’s the tactic used by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs when it lobbied to prevent parliamentarians hearing directly from Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. But it will have a tough time claiming that the brief and peaceful occupation of Parliament Hill building on Tuesday was the work of antisemites, terrorists or anti social elements.

That’s because the protest was the work of over a hundred Canadian Jews calling for a ceasefire and for Canada to stop providing military equipment to Israel.

Rabbi David Mivasair was one of those detained by Parliament Hill police

Iso Setel, communications coordinator for Independent Jewish Voices, a group that advocates for an end to Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, says the protesters occupied the building starting around 8:30 a.m., and sang songs, led prayers and called for Canada to cancel all active military export permits to Israel.

Ottawa Police said no charges were laid, while parliamentary police said 14 people were “intercepted” and given trespass notices.

New Democratic Party Parliament members Matthew Green and Heather McPherson joined the protesters during the sit-in.  Green posted a video of himself filming the protest and being briefly accosted by the police.

Unable to charge the demonstrators with “antisemitism,” the Israel lobby argued instead that they did not represent the broader Jewish community.  CIJA called them a “fringe group” that had tried to “invade” MPs’ offices.  Hampstead MP Jeremy Levi criticized “left-leaning liberal media outlets” for attempting to “distort the voice of the Jewish community,” and asserted that: “We stand united, unwavering, and resolute in our support of Israel.” He did not mention if that means he supports Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza.

For more information check out the short IJV video HERE

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

10 comments

  2. When I mentioned to Anthony Housefather that there are many Jews who don’t support what is happening he told me that it was such a small number, similar to the number of English who voted for the P.Q! A.

    >

    1. Hi Anne, thanks for your comment. My observation is that Canadian Jews fall into 3 categories with respect to the current situation.

      I think Housefather is right, that only a small number of Jews (e.g. IJV types) have the courage and the conviction to do what these brave people did.

      There is also a small number of Jews on his side, tied to the Israel lobby who are so tied to Zionism and the idea of a Jewish State that they will defend whatever it does.

      And then there are a large number of Jews in the middle – liberal zionists – who still feel an attachment for Israel, but are appalled by what it is doing.

      Their liberalism is in contradiction with their Zionism. I think the liberalism is gradually winning and the Zionism is weakening. I hope the liberalism wins out.

  3. York University did a study and found that only 3% of Canadian Jews are anti-Zionists.

    That’s roughly the same percentage of people who think the world is flat.

    2. I took a quick look at this study and was horrified by the method used. I could not have answered any of the questions. There are no general statements about people of any ethnicity(or believers in any faith), whether positive or negative, that are true unless they are tautologies such as, “Humans are humans.”

  5. I wonder how many of the people who feel “attached to Israel” actually know what things are like there. Growing up among Holocaust escapees, I had only a vague impression of Israel based on hearsay and anecdotes. Some, particularly visiting Israelis, painted a rosy picture and occasionally tried to convince me to move there. Occasionally, I would hear something about the status of Palestinians that gave me doubts but I could not believe it was true; I thought that nobody would treat other human beings that way. My first visit to the area changed that. Subsequent visits (2) only strengthened my conviction that a monster had been created in 1948. I no longer had any doubts.

    It was important that my visits were not tours – they were working visits. The official work brought me in contact with many Israeli colleagues who were amazingly open when they tried to “explain” Israel to me. I also managed to make a detour into Palestinian territory, do a little work, and meet people there who were also amazingly open (and often very generous). Anyone who heard what I heard would realize that the present situation was wrong and had no “right to exist”.

    During my visits, there were two occasions when my hosts provided me with a tour led by a professional guide. They painted a picture that was very different from what I heard in discussions with colleagues. It was also very different from what I saw when not being guided.

    I very much doubt that if my fellow Canadian Jews were able to hear and see what I experienced on those visits, 91% would feel attached to Israel and only 3% would agree that what exists now should continue to exist.

Comments are closed.