Canadian Lauren Isaacs caused much resentment among Palestinians (and the entire Muslim world) when she unfurled a “Herut Canada” flag at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem in June. In response, she claimed she was just visiting Jerusalem with her mom. But behind her apparent touristic naivety lies a right wing Canadian organization with an explicit objective. Read more…
Irwin Cotler at the Western Wall in Israeli occupied East Jerusalem. Cotler is the Chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights and former Canadian Minister of Justice under Paul Martin. For several years he has been actively promoting a “new” definition of anti-Semitism which includes broad protection of Israel from criticism. Some aspects of the definition appear problematic. CTIP asks Mr. Cotler to clarify his views. Read more.
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.
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.
Young men and women in an English literature class in one of Gaza’s 6 universities. Well educated, but no jobs and no future. Want to leave Gaza? Can’t – Israel won’t let them. Nearly 2 million people are trapped in Gaza – blockaded by air, sea and land. The world treats them as if they were “just numbers”. Do you know the name (or story) of even one of them? Here is one organization that wants to help young Palestinians tell their story to the outside world. It appeals to individual Canadians for help. Read more.
Canada Talks Israel/Palestine 