Occupation

OFIP asks three questions to Hon. Mme. Melanie Jolie about the uneven international application of Canadian human rights policy

Foreign Affairs minister Melanie Joly recently talked tough on the issue of human rights in Iran. “Canada will hold Iran accountable for its crimes,” she said. Prime Minister Trudeau went even further announcing that Canada would “impose sanctions on those responsible”. In an open letter, OFIP asks the foreign minister if Canada applies the same policy across the board. Read the letter….

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The challenges of reporting from Palestine: an OFIP webinar on September 13th with Mariam Barghouti, Senior Palestine correspondent for Mondoweiss

Mariam Barghouti is a Palestinian-American writer, blogger, researcher, commentator and journalist. She currently lives in Ramallah, Palestine where she is the Senior Palestine Correspondent for the independent digital publication Mondoweiss. On September 13, in an OFIP webinar Barghouti will share with her audience the dangers, challenges (and joys) of reporting from Palestine. Read more and register.…

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Israeli police break into offices of Palestinian human rights organizations, seizing or destroying documents. UN and many European countries strongly object. Canada remains mum

A screen grab of Israeli police breaking into the offices of the Palestinian Union of Agricultural Workers in Ramallah, West Bank, seizing equipment. Police also raided the offices of 5 other human rights organizations which they claimed were fronts for “terrorism”. This accusation was first laid 6 months ago by the Israeli government. Subsequent investigation by European countries concluded the allegations were “unconvincing”. Canada has looked the other way. It continues to do so…. Read more.

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President Biden’s visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia is not about promoting human rights and democracy, claims columnist Peter Beinart

President Joe Biden will travel to Israel and Saudi Arabia this week, two states not known for their respect for human rights. Author Peter Beinart argues in a recent article that instead of his claim to want to oppose authoritarianism around the world, Biden is actually doing the opposite. Read more.

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Significant win at Canadian Food Inspection Agency: “settlement wine” is not “product of Israel”

After a half decade long legal battle, David Kattenburg has won his case that wines produced by Israeli settlers in the occupied Palestinian Territory cannot be labelled as “product of Israel”. While the amount of wine at stake was rather small, he faced huge opposition from the Israeli government, the Israel lobby in Canada and the Canadian government itself. In a short video interview, Kattenburg explains what was behind the stiff opposition. Watch the interview and read more.…

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