After living in Nazareth, Israel for more than a dozen years, British journalist Jonathan Cook decided to apply for Israeli citizenship. Because he is not Jewish, it took several years and several letters from his lawyers, but he finally suceeded. In this illuminating OFIP webinar, Cook explained how despite its claims to be “Jewish and democratic”, in practice Israel discriminates against its non Jewish citizens (most of whom are Palestinians) in a myriad of practical, frustrating and sometimes hidden, ways. Watch the webinar….

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Israel’s Emergency Defense Law, (like Canada’s War Measures Act) gives police extraordinary powers to ignore the normal procedures of a democratic society. It has been rarely invoked against Jewish Israelis but is frequently used during demonstrations by its own Palestinian citizens. After the truce with Hamas in mid May, Israel used the law to launch “Operation Law and Order’. Thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel were arrested. We spoke to one of them, Jarar Farah, Director General of Mossawa. Read more and watch…

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The orange t-shirt has become the symbol of residential school survivors. The recent grisly discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves of indigenous children who had been inmates at residential schools has provoked a somber reflection in Canada about the impact of our colonial history. Some have proposed that Canada Day be cancelled altogether. Others have urged using the moment to think about truth and reconciliation. Is Canada Day also our own “Nakba Day”? Read more….

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Former Liberal cabinet minister Irwin Cotler has joined with the Israel lobby to pressure the Trudeau government to hold an urgent summit to deal with what he calls an anti-Semitism crisis. What has prompted this? Is there really a “crisis” of anti-Semitism in Canada? Or is the real crisis for Cotler, CIJA and Bnai Brith the feeling that more and more Canadians are becoming openly critical of Israel. Read more….

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A recent edition of the internationally renowned magazine “The Economist” devoted its front page, an editorial, and a long article to analysing the Israel/Palestine situation. Its conclusion: the peace process is “hopeless” and the chances for a two state solution are diminishingly small. Is this a sign that the international consensus on the two state solution beginning to break down? Read more…

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