It was all smiles from B’nai Brith president David Mostyn (left) and MP Michael Levitt (right), Chair of the Canada Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group, as Federal Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez released the Federal government’s long awaited anti-racism strategy. But despite their brave faces, Israel’s lobbyists were not able to get criticism of Israel defined as “racism” in the federal document. In fact, Israel is not even mentioned. Read more.
Chana Rosenfelder is a wife, mother, and writer who moved from Toronto to Israel 31 years ago. She regularly blogs for Israel Hayom, a right wing Israeli daily owned by Sheldon Adelson. In a recent blog post, she asked a simple question: “If Canada has the right to exist, why doesn’t Israel?” If you want to know my answer, read on. (more…)
B’nai Brith Canada lobbyists convinced Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman to argue that American activist Linda Sarsour should not be allowed to speak at an event organized by the city’s Social Planning Council. B’nai Brith claimed she is anti-Semitic. But the Council stood its ground, Sarsour did not make anti-Semitic remarks, and the event was a huge success. See CTIP video interview with a member of Independent Jewish Voices Canada in Winnipeg about what we can learn from the experience. Read more.
CBC’s Michael Enright (l) interviewed US professor Deborah Lipstadt (r) on March 30th about the rise of anti-Semitism and how to combat it. They were right to signal the danger, but their analysis is faulty and so is their solution, according to two OFIP members. Read more. (more…)
Palestinian American Ali Abunimah told a capacity crowd at St. Paul University in Ottawa that Israel should be understood as a “settler-colonial” state, like Canada or South Africa. Abunimah believes that the only answer that would bring peace to the Israel/Palestine conflict is to recognize what has happened and move toward one democratic state with equal rights for all. A lively Q and A followed. See the video here….
Canada Talks Israel/Palestine 