Canadian Politics

Do you want to know what Canadian Jews think about Israel’s proposed “Jewish State” law? Listen in to a CIJA webinar on December 10th @ 2:00 p.m. (eastern)

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“Our view is that Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish State is absolute and non negotiable” – Stephen Harper speaking to Israeli Knesset. 

In recent weeks, the Israeli Knesset has been debating a proposed law (called the “Jewish State law”) which would codify Israel’s Jewishness, making it clearer than ever that being Jewish is more important than being democratic. (This has long been the practice in Israel, but the law makes explicit that which was implicit before. Among other things, it removes Arabic as an official language.)

It has provoked debate in Israel and in the Jewish diaspora. Canadian Jews seem to be concerned as well. (more…)

Why is this young Jewish man opposed to the Jewish National Fund of Canada?

Tyler Levitan is the National Coordinator of Independent Jewish Voices, a small group of progressive Canadian Jews. IJV has been spearheading a campaign to get the Jewish National Fund of Canada (JNF) delisted as a tax deductible Canadian charity. JNF Canada annually collects over $10 million, mostly from Canadian Jews, for projects in Israel. I caught up with Tyler to ask him about the IJV campaign. Read the interview here:

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Does it matter if Homeland is “the most bigoted program on TV”?

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The American television series “Homeland” is wildly popular in Canada. Hundreds of thousands watch CIA agent Carrie Mathison in her continual fight to save western liberal democracy from evil Arab forces motivated by hate and religion. Does this matter to those who want Canada to have a balanced policy with respect to Israel/Palestine? You bet it does. See my article.

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Why does every town in Israel have a “Balfour” street?

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Balfour street in Jerusalem is just one of dozens in Israel

Most Canadians think that the important things of World War I happened in Europe. That is natural, of course, because our terrible losses were in the fields of Flanders.

But World War I was a world war, and it had consequences around the globe. It casts a particularly long shadow in the Middle East, where colonial powers drew lines, created countries and installed rulers.

British Cabinet minister Lord Balfour’s 1917 decision to support the creation of a “Jewish State” in Palestine, known as the “Balfour Declaration”  has caused turmoil in the region for a hundred years.

The Rideau Institute invited me to do an opinion piece on how WWI played a role in shaping the Israel/Palestine conflict. See my “guest blog” here. History buffs might be interested.