Discrimination

Governor-General Payette in Auschwitz to commemorate liberation of largest Nazi death camp – “Never again”

Canada’s Governor General Julie Payette visited the Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp in Poland on the 75th anniversary of its liberation by Soviet forces. She also met with a small number of Holocaust survivors. The memory of the horrors of the Holocaust still haunts Jews around the world, including Canadian Jews. It also continues to fuel the idea of a “Jewish State” and its consequent dispossession and oppression of the Palestinians. “We are the victims of victims”, said Palestinian intellectual and author Edward Said. Read more…. (more…)

“There is no political split in Israel, they are all right of centre”, Israeli scholar tells Ottawa U group

cips panel

Michael Koplow, (centre) of the Israel Policy Forum, had some shocking words about Israel for a group of students and professors at the University of Ottawa on October 24th. Other panelists included Professors Costanza Musu (l) and Peter Jones (r). The event was organized by the UofO’s Centre for International Policy Studies (CIPS) and was sponsored by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). Read more. (more…)

Famed Canadian-Israeli architect appalled at plans to “Disneyfy” Jerusalem with proposed cable-car

cable car jerusalem

“A total outrage against a fragile city,” says Haifa-born architect Moshe Safdie, of a proposed cable-car for Jerusalem.  The cable car project is promoted by Israeli settler groups who want to reinforce the Jewish presence in East Jerusalem. It would allow visitors to visit Jewish sites without encountering Arabs. It has faced opposition not only from Palestinians whose neighbourhoods will be defaced, but also from many Jews both inside and outside Israel. Read more. (more…)

Is the “anti-Semitism” label losing some of its punch as a weapon against political parties?

miranda 3The Israel lobby has been very active in this election, attacking candidates who are critical of Israel by claiming they are “anti-Semitic” and demanding that parties drop them. In some cases, it worked and parties flinched. But not always. Its campaign against NDP candidate Miranda Gallo (above) failed. Has the Israel lobby gone to the well too many times? Read more. (more…)