Shaqued Morag, being arrested by Israeli police during a recent demonstration in Jerusalem. In May, she was on a 3 city speaking tour in Canada. Over a hundred concerned Canadian Jews came to hear her speak in Ottawa. Her criticism of the illegal Israeli settlements, and her argument that Israel should end its occupation of the West Bank is popular among many Canadian Jews, but very unpopular in Israel where her organization is regarded as “extreme leftist”. Read more.
Jewish Canadian David Kattenburg was appalled as he watched right wing nationalist Israeli fanatics (left) sing and wave Israeli flags in front of the Damascus Gate (in occupied Palestinian Territory) a few days ago. On the same day, another Canadian, this one of Palestinian origin, watched Israeli police storm into the Al Aqsa mosque using tear gas to disperse Muslim worshippers. “This is what fascism looks like”, said Kattenberg. Read more and see videos.
Ironic collage by Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem mocks Israel’s practice of declaring “national parks” in Palestinian neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem as a pretext for destroying houses. 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….
The red line on this topographical map of Israel/Palestine shows the so-called “pre-67 borders” between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The line gave almost all the best agricultural land (in green) to Israel while most of the Palestinian population was relegated to the desert areas or refugee camps.
According to Ali Abunimah, the “2 state solution” was probably never going to work from the beginning. It certainly wasn’t going to be “fair”.
But now, with 600,000 Israeli settlers living in over 150 colonies in the West Bank, almost everyone agrees that the “2 state solution” is dead. American Palestinian activist and writer Ali Abunimah thinks it’s time to think of a new way to bring justice and peace to the region. He is coming to Ottawa on March 11th to explain his proposal. Read more…
