Has the BDS movement been sidetracked?

I recently received an email from a thoughtful Palestinian/Canadian friend, who raised concerns about what he thinks is a worrying trend concerning the BDS campaign. (See his email is at the end of this post).

He is concerned that the BDS call from Palestinian civil society is being sidetracked – or in his words “hijacked” – by those who focus primarily on “ending the occupation” and minimise (or even ignore)  the other 2 demands articulated in the 2005 call (i.e. “right of return for refugees”, and “civic rights” for Palestinians inside Israel).
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Anti semitism in Canada – is it really growing?

On CBC’s “Sunday Morning” today (January 19th), Michael Enright had a long interview with American academic Daniel Goldhagen, author of “The Rise of Global Anti-Semitism”. Mr. Goldhagen argues that anti-Semitism is a latent and endemic condition in the Christian world, always there, ready to press forward from time to time. He adds to that what he calls the Muslim Anti-Semitism of the Arab world. This anti-Semitism, while today often directed against Israel, is much more deep rooted than that. The attacks on Israel are solely “a new form of anti-Semitism”.

Goldhagen’s argumentation is the basis, of course, of Jason Kenny’s thesis that the world is awash in the “new anti-Semitism’ and that Canada should struggle against it.
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Should Canadians support a “Two State Solution”?

Mr. Harper and his government have repeatedly asserted that they are fast friends of Israel, and have little time for or interest in the issue of human rights for the Palestinians.

However, official Canadian policy claims to support human rights for Palestinians and proposes a “2 state” solution, with safe and secure borders for Israel and “self determination for the Palestinians”.(http://www.international.gc.ca/name-anmo/peace_process-processus_paix/canadian_policy-politique_canadienne.aspxmainstream)
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How to break the Canadian Jewish logjam with respect to Israel?

Canadian Jews are well known to be ‘liberal” in their political attitudes – except where Israel is concerned. There, they circle the wagons. However they might have criticisms of the current Israeli government, they will defend Israel resolutely when anyone outside criticizes it.

But as I see it, there is very little chance that we can effect any significant “rebalancing” of Canadian policy towards the Israel/Palestine issue until a significant number of Jews are willing to dissociate themselves from Israel or criticize it publicly.
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