March 13, 2012
Kenney's Defense of Human Rights Stops at Israeli Border
Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, celebrated Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) by denouncing it as an effort to "demonize and delegitimize the State of Israel."
His statement on March 7 claimed that IAW impinges on “the rights and safety of Jewish students and professors.” Interestingly, the strongly pro-Israel Canadian Parliamentary Committee to Combat Anti-Semitism invited university administrators to give testimony, and it was totally unable to elicit from any of them that Jewish students were under threat or danger on campus.
In response to Kenney, Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) charged that Kenney’s attack on legitimate campus discussion of Israeli policy and practice is an attack on freedom of speech, an attempt to intimidate critics of Israel and of Canada’s uncritical support of Israel.
The IJV statement challenged Kenney’s claim that IAW is “singling out the only liberal democracy in the Middle East for condemnation.” “Firstly,” they charged, “if anyone is singling out Israel, it’s Kenney himself. He’s singling it out for exemption from international law. It’s time for an end to the impunity Israel enjoys in its continued violation of international law. Secondly, we agree with Palestinians living in Israel who are still waiting for democracy (not to mention respect for their rights).”
According to Independent Jewish Voices, the Kenney effort to shut down discussion on Palestinian rights is consistent with other Conservative government efforts to shut down dissent. They noted the Conservative government’s defunding of the Canadian Arab Federation, KAIROS, and Palestine House for their positions on Israel/Palestine that irritated the Tories. As well, there was Kenney’s unsuccessful attempt to keep George Galloway from coming to Canada to speak.
Diana Ralph, a member of the steering committee of IJV and one of the founders of the organization, pointed to a disconnect between the government’s wholesale rejection of Israeli Apartheid Week and its stated stand on Israel/Palestine.
“Canada,” she observed, “says it favors a two-state solution. Israeli Apartheid Week speakers expose the policies and actions of the Israeli government which make a two-state solution increasingly impossible, such as expanding settlement construction and confiscating Palestinian homes and entire villages. Kenney appears to be contradicting Canada’s own stated policy against these Israeli actions. He also acts against Canada’s commitment to humanitarian law and international human rights.”
- Their joint statement was endorsed by the following organizations:
Boycott Israeli Apartheid Campaign (BIAC) – Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories
Canada Palestine Association, Vancouver
Canada Palestine Support Network (CanPalNet)
Canadian Arab Federation (CAF)
Canadian Boat to Gaza
Canadian Peace Alliance
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME)
Centre for Social Justice
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) – Toronto
Coalition of Arab Canadian Professionals and Community Associations (CAPCA)
College and University Workers United (CUWU, Montreal)
Edmonton Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (EQuAIA)
Edmonton Small Press Association (ESPA)
Educators for Peace and Justice (EPJ)
Faculty for Palestine – F4P (Toronto)
Faculty 4 Palestine (F4P Alberta)
Faculty 4 Palestine (F4P Carleton)
Greater Toronto Workers Assembly (GTWA)
Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War
Independent Jewish Voices (IJV)
Independent Jewish Voices, Toronto
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)
Labour for Palestine
Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Network
The Louis Riel Bolivarian Circle – Toronto
National Council of Latin American and Caribbean Women of Canada - LATIN@S
New Socialist Group
Nightslantern Suppressed News
No One Is Illegal Toronto
Not In Our Name: Jews Opposed to Zionism (NION)
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty - OCAP
OPIRG - Toronto
Palestine House Educational and Cultural Centre
Palestine Solidarity Working Group, Laurentian University, Sudbury
Palestine Solidarity Network – Edmonton
Peace Alliance Winnipeg
Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA)
Regina Solidarity Group
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
Seriously Free Speech Committee
Socialist Project
SPHR UWO – Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights at Western University
SPHR Ryerson
SPHR – UBC
Students Against Israeli Apartheid at York University - Carleton
Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA)- Regina
Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) – University of Toronto
Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) at York University
Tadamon! - Montreal
Teachers for Palestine (T4P) – Toronto
Toronto Bolivia Solidarity
Toronto Coalition to Stop the War (TCSW)
Winnipeg CAIA
Women in Solidarity with Palestine (WSP)
