anti-Semitism

Amnesty International claims that Israel practices “apartheid”. Is that justified? An OFIP webinar discussed the issue with a Palestinian Israeli politician

Sami Abu Shehada is a Palestinian citizen of Israel. He has been a member of the Tel Aviv/Yafo city council and a member of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament), In a recent webinar organized by the Ottawa Forum on Israel Palestine, OFIP Chair interviewed Sami on whether Amnesty Interntional is right to accuse Israel of apartheid when it comes to its own non-Jewish citizens. Read more and watch the video of the discussion…

(more…)

Israel lobby warning to Canadian politicians – “If you criticize Israel, we will call you antisemitic”

Ontario MPP Joel Harden came under intense criticism for an interview he did last year with OFIP chair, Peter Larson on National Truth and Reconciliation Day. He compared colonialism in Canada to that of Israel. Now, a year later the Israel lobby is “shocked, shocked” to discover the interview and has accused him of “antisemitism”. It put enough pressure on the Ontario NDP that Harden chose to apologise for some of his remarks. It’s a stark warning to other politicians. Read more…

(more…)

Antisemitic comments cause controversy and raise fears in USA and Canada

Sportswear giant Adidas announced that it was dropping its sponsorship of controversial rapper Kanye West (also known as “Ye”) following his repeated antisemitic slurs. The move comes a few weeks after another scandal here in Canada over alleged vicious antisemitic slurs by a well known Palestinian human rights activist. Both cases are very harmful to the cause of human rights for Palestinians. Read more…

(more…)

New report details concerted efforts to suppress rising pro-Palestinian voices on Canadian campuses

Detailed research by two investigators from Independent Jewish Voices Canada has documented repeated attempts to shut down voices supportive of human rights for Palestinians on Canadian campuses. It reveals widespread efforts by a variety of Israel advocacy organizations in Canada to use the spectre of anti-Semitism to vilify voices critical of Israel. We speak to one of the authors. Read more.

(more…)

OFIP open letter to hon. Jim Carr: “How does criticism of Israel pose a threat to public safety and national security in Canada? See his answer.

On June 8th, the Federal Government Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security issued a report on violent extremism in Canada. One of its 30 recommendations called for the government to “condemn” strong criticism of Israel on Canadian campuses. How criticism of Israel might be related to violent extremism was not clear. OFIP wrote an open letter to Mr. Carr asking for an explanation. His answer was less than satisfactory. Read more…

(more…)