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LETTERS TO GOVERNMENT and MEDIA December 11, 2006 Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians' letter to The Toronto Star regarding e-flyer denouncing Bob Rae
Excellent response to the responses we receive when we write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Hon Peter Mackay
July 17, 2006 LETTERS TO STEPHEN HARPER REGARDING HIS UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT OF ISRAELI ACTIONS IN LEBANON The Right Hon. Mr. Stephen Harper Israeli bombing of the Beirut International Airport, the destruction of roads and bridges, the demolition of power stations, denying electricity and water to millions of people and hospitals, the imposed siege by sea, air and land on Lebanon and the murder, to this date, of more than a 100 innocent civilians, men, women and children, are war crimes that cannot be condoned by any member of the international community. Your description of these actions, as "a measured response", is a challenge and an insult to the English language. Israeli crimes in Gaza and the West Bank have been ongoing long before the Israeli soldier was captured in a military action on June 25. There are over 10,000 Palestinians and Lebanese held in Israeli prisons, without charge or trial. Israel is in illegal occupation of Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese territory for over 39 years, in defiance of international law and repeated Security Council resolutions. international law and the UN Charter entitles people under foreign occupation to resist such occupation, with all means in their power. Israeli practices throughout this lengthy occupation have included extrajudicial assassination, holding of thousands without charge or trial, torture, daily humiliation at check points, denial of health care, demolition of thousands of homes and expropriation of territory for the creation of illegal settlements. These practices are in violation virtually every article of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and have been condemned by all international human rights bodies, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Israeli human rights action group, B'Tselem. Such violations are defined as war crimes by international law. Article One of the Convention calls on all High Contracting Parties, including Canada, to take action against any state that violates any article in the Convention.
Dear Steve, Or, should I be asking those questions to either George Bush (who seems to be guiding both your foreign policy decisions and statements) or perhaps Ehud Olmert (who is dictating American foreign policy in the Middle East)? I have not addressed this message to the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, since you are obviously making all decision for him. I await your response. Dennis Choptiany *********************** Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited. Pillage is prohibited. Reprisals against
protected persons and their property are prohibited." Under the 1949 Geneva Conventions collective punishments are a war crime. ****************************** I cannot believe the extent to which our government has bought into the lies and sided with a country that continues to illegally occupy Lebanese and Palestinian territory, and destroy infrastruce and kill civilians with impunity. The United States government has shown the world clearly it is a force for war and nothing else. And my government has chosen this path. I am ashamed. A close inspection of the events of the past 6 months in Palestine and along the Lebanese border with Israel have shown, clearly, that it is Israel who is the prime aggressor. There can be no other, unbiased conclusion. That is a fact. Stephen Harper - you do not represent Canada and you do not represent the values that I , and I suspect most Canadians, hold. May your tenure as our Prime Minister be as short as it is disgraceful. Stephen Britton Toronto, Ontario
******************
The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal The complaint of Joel Richler of the Canadian Jewish Congress concerning the CUPE resolution regarding Israel rests on two debatable premises ("'Offensive and dangerous thesis' about Jewish power in Ontario" - letter, June 30). The first is that Israel has seriously sought to reach a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians. The second is that Palestinian militants, without justification, kill innocent women and children by suicide bombing and other means. Both premises are open to question. Firstly, has Israel genuinely sought a negotiated peace? I say "No." If Israel really wanted a negotiated peace it would have, as a gesture of good faith, stopped the expansion of illegal settlements on Palestinian lands, the number one concern of the Palestinians. No Israeli government, not one, made this peace-promoting gesture. This failure creates the suspicion that the only negotiations the Israelis have been really interested in were negotiations for the terms of a Palestinian surrender. Secondly, how innocent are the supposed "innocents." Let us cast our mind back to the era celebrated in the "Cowboy and Indian" pictures. Why the fighting and the killing by the Indians of "innocent" settler families who merely wanted to start a new life in the American west? The problem was that settlers settled on lands the Indians regarded as their own, and frequently on lands which by treaty were supposed to be exclusively for Indians. The settlers ignored Indian claims, and their land grabs were backed up by the U.S. cavalry. If you were in the Indians' saddles what would you have done? I know I would have fought for the lands that for generations had been Indian. We have a like situation in Israel. The Israelis have brazenly occupied Palestinian lands. What alternative have the Palestinians but to fight back with the weapons at their disposal, mainly suicide bombings? Interestingly enough, according to a recent book, the Palestinian tactics mirror those of the Jewish underground during the era of the British mandate. Also, three of the former terrorist leaders have ended up prime ministers of Israel. Terrorism by our side, "OK." Terrorism by the other guy, "Not OK." The irony of the current situation is that 70 years ago Nazi thugs wrecked Jewish shops, beat up Jews, and deprived many of their livelihood. With anti-Semitism rife in the Christian world few Christians lifted a finger to help the Jews. The Israelis are now in the thug role with protests against their actions being dampened by Christian fears of being called "closet anti-Semites." Obviously the need is for more Sid Ryans and CUPEs with the courage to call a spade a spade. And yes, the Israeli lobby is very strong in North America and very intimidating to critics of Israel. The Israelis had left Gaza last August, giving the Palestinian Authority sole control in the territory. Therefore, the raid was in direct violation of Palestinian sovereignty over Gaza. A day later, armed Palestinians launched an attack on an army post close by Gaza through a half-mile tunnel dug under an Israeli-built electronic fence. In this raid they killed two Israeli soldiers and captured a third and took him back (I presume through the tunnel) into Gaza. That tunnel was not dug overnight. My guess is it was dug in anticipation of an event such as an Israeli incursion into Gaza. Whereas the Israeli "arrest raid" had been mentioned in passing in mainstream media, the capture of the Israeli soldier was called "a major escalation in cross-border tensions" (BBC World News, June 25). The follow-up seizure of 64 democratically elected MPs and the destruction of the electricity, water supply and bridges of this sovereign enclave of Palestine is, to say the least, a gross overreaction. Frances Oommen, SYDNEY, N.S.
May 2006 Letter to Toronto Star - Mr. Baker asks Hamas to recognise the state of Israel. Will he tell us which state of Israel is Hamas required to recognise? Israel, since its inception, has refused to define its borders. Letter to the Ottawa Citizen - Israel has put itself above international law. Although it is the only state created by the United Nations through the partition of Palestine, it has flouted all subsequent resolutions, including UN resolution 181 which gave international legitimacy to two states in Palestine, and UN resolution 194, which gives of all Palestinians the right to return to their homes and receive compensation. November 2006 Subject: Devaluing Canada's values: Letter to PM Martin
March
2005 To: Sgro.J@parl.gc.ca Cc: pm@pm.gc.ca ; Pettigrew.P@parl.gc.ca ; Belanger.M@parl.gc.ca Sent: Saturday, July 24, 2004 1:26 AM Subject: Now you see em.. now you don't... Dear Minister Sgro: Congratulations on your re-election. As you resume your ministerial duties, I'd like to draw your attention to an error on the Citizenship and Immigration website that needs to be corrected immediately. The "Landscape and Climate" section of the website contains a map that gives Israel all Palestine. There is no mention of Palestinians (" Israel's neighbours are Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east and Egypt to the southwest") or their land. As you know, Canada and the international community consider that Israel is occupying Palestinian land illegally. This was confirmed recently by the International Court of Justice in an Advisory Opinion that specified the boundaries of those occupied territories. The disappearing Palestinians and their land have to be given their space back. Thank you for addressing this issue at your earliest convenience. Sincerely, Bahija Réghaï Ottawa _____________ To: The Hon. Judy Sgro Citizenship and Immigration Canada Cc: pm@pm.gc.ca ; Pettigrew.P@parl.gc.ca ;ed@edbroadbent.ca Subject: Settlement.org MAP ERROR Dear Minister Sgro: I thought you might want to know that there is a map of the whole of Palestine purporting to be a map of Israel on the Citizenship and Immigration website. For your convenience in correcting this grave error, there is a map that shows the correct shape of Israel on the University of Texas website. This map is useful also in that it provides information about Israel's agriculture. Unfortunately, the map currently being used negates the entire Palestinian West Bank and Gaza, areas which Israel calls "disputed territories" but which the rest of the world, including the United Nations and the World Court, calls "illegally occupied territories". In short, what the Settlement.org map depicts is Israel's dream and the Palestinians' nightmare. I am confident that, in the interests of accuracy and respect for international law, not to mention Canada's global reputation for intelligent government, you will want to see that this error is corrected immediately. Corinne Allan Address http://www.yayacanada.com Your Comments -------------------------- June 10, 2004 From: Samah Sabawi Sent: Tuesday, June 1, 2004 7:41 AM To: Bob Harvey, Ottawa Citizen Subject: Why I declined the Ottawa Citizen's request to do a story on our event. When Bob Harvey from the Ottawa Citizen left a message on my cell phone expressing interest in doing a story on "Cries from the land", a play that I have co-written and produced, I decided it was best to ignore his call. The play is about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and based on Mr. Harvey's personal history and that of the Ottawa Citizen in general, I did not feel I could count on the Citizen to give a fair account of the story. Mr. Harvey has a murky history with Canadian Friends of Sabeel, a co-sponsor of the play. He has often preferred to seek the opinion of a retired pro Zionist professor, Paul Merkley, as to how Christian Palestinians feel over the first-hand experiences of Christian Palestinians - a racist attitude to say the least, but one that is consistent with your editorials in general. Your paper is never short of "experts" who are neither of Arab nor Muslim origins who claim to know and to speak out for Arabs, as if we are incapable of knowing how we feel and what we experience. That was why your "experts" were surprised when the people of Iraq did not greet the occupying forces with flowers. You are constantly misrepresenting and slandering my race, my beliefs, my religion, and that in a nut-shell is why I never returned Harvey's calls. Some warned me that I might be making a mistake by excluding the Citizen, but fortunately the event proved to be a smashing success. Our production "Cries from the Land" was well publicized and received great reviews in the local papers, including Nepean This Week, The Kanata Kourier, Cross Talk and the Ottawa Xpress. Our performances were very well attended and the final night was completely sold out. We received a standing ovation from our multi ethnic and multi religious audience, including members of the Jewish community, every night. To sum it up, we did well without Bob Harvey's questionable brand of journalism. On Friday night, after our last performance, our audience applauded us twice. Once at the end of the play, and a second time, when a member of the audience asked "Why didn't the Ottawa Citizen cover this event?" I believe my exact response to his question was, "We did receive a call from the Citizen's Bob Harvey, but I never returned his call because I didn't think the Ottawa Citizen had the integrity to cover this event". There was loud applause from the audience. To many Ottawa residents you are no longer perceived as an objective newspaper - your views on the war on terror, your unwavering support for Israel, your support of the war on Iraq and your publishing of clearly racist anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim editorials have branded you in the minds of many as a paper with a private agenda which betrays basic journalistic standards and Canadian ideals of tolerance and dialogue. It is no surprise that your readership has declined and no amount of telemarketing will reverse that trend. Samah Sabawi Ottawa ------------- From: "Harvey, Bob (ott)" To: "'samah sabawi'" Sent: Sunday, June 06, 2004 10:25 AM Subject: RE: Why I declined the Ottawa Citizen's request to do a story on our event. Mr. Sabawi. Just for the record, I talked to Paul Merkley once, and that is one of the few stories I would like to forget. I would be happy to talk to Sabeel folks, and have written about it on other occasions. Perhaps the next time you want to make angry comments about my actions, you might try talking to me first. Bob Harvey, religion editor, Ottawa Citizen ------------------ From: "Samah Sabawi" To: "Harvey, Bob (ott)" Sent: Monday, June 07, 2004 8:03 PM Subject: Re: Why I declined the Ottawa Citizen's request to do a story on our event. Dear Mr. Harvey, Thanks for your email response to my letter. Perhaps elements of my letter were misunderstood. Allow me to clarify my view that you are only part of a much larger issue - Canwest's racist manipulation of perceptions and attitudes. When the audience applauded me it was for stating that the Ottawa Citizen lacks the "integrity" required to provide balanced coverage, specifically of a dramatic play on the Palestinian/Israeli conflict which presented a hope for a shared peace. The Citizen has an obvious anti-Arab bias on Mideast issues, which the late Izzy Asper unabashedly drove home in a speech in Montreal. This indeed puts the paper beneath the most minimal standards of respectable journalism, certainly as indicated by our audience. On a personal level, I don't allow that paper in my house to protect my family from having to be faced with ugly racist propaganda. I was only being polite and not "angry" when I sent the email to let you know why I didn't return your call and why the Asper media is being shut out from real stories. The paper's or your opinion didn't need to be further sought as it is amply expressed in print while ignoring opportunities to talk to and understand Arabs and Muslims before writing ignorant and racist comments and stories about them. Moreover, letters to you and your paper about achieving a standard of decency and according Arabs and Muslims the same dignity as all other humans have evidently been ineffective. Since I have announced my decision not to return your call, you would be surprised at the number of emails and telephone calls of support I have received. Yet more amazing is the number of people who felt they needed to thank me for taking a stand. Several have urged me to start a nation-wide action against Canwest's hate incitement. If I decide to do that, you may then be invited to attend. In the meantime, many Canadian groups participating in coalitions in which I am involved have taken a strategic decision to work only with alternative and electronic media and avoid Asper owned media. This is a direct response to the Asper's manipulation of Middle East/Muslim reportage, of which you are a part, and the bullying and intimidation of the CBC and other non-Asper media in this country. I followed the same strategy as well as regards the play. Based on the spontaneous audience response to my decision, it seems there is broader agreement on my assessment of the quality of the Citizen than might make you comfortable. I hope this is not again discarded, but received as an opportunity to treat Arabs and Muslims fairly and with dignity. I'll check the Citizen occasionally to find out. (Ms.) Samah Sabawi Your Comments canpalnet-ottawa.org June 5, 2004
To Charley King
NDP Candidate - Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam cc Alexa McDonough, Jack Layton Subject:
Are you out of your mind?
Dear Charley: I have long been a supporter of the NDP. I strongly support the views of the NDP party on most issues - particularly its stand on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. I cheer each time Alexa McDonough cries out about the one-sided statements and views of the Liberal and Conservative MP's on this issue. That is why I cannot understand why you have taken a public stand in favour of Israel and the illegal and immoral acts of terrorism that the Israelis are inflicting on the Palestinians. I understood why Stephen Owen and Ujjal Dosanjh were at the 'Walk with Israel' rally last month. They have no honour or sense of decency. But why were you there? Your presence at that rally was absolutely disgusting. You might just as well run as a Conservative if you continue to back the Israelis in their quest for more land and power in the Middle East. Your stand on this issue brings shame to the NDP and to Canada. Dennis Choptiany PS: I have included an article that recently appeared in the Calgary Sun. Please read it and then decide is you wish to continue in your support of Israel. Your Comments canpalnet-ottawa.org Subject: Racist comments - please reply Dear Mr. Jack Layton, At a recent Stand With Israel rally, NDP candidates participated on stage and in the audience while oppressed Palestinians were called "Barbarians". In response to an "End the Occupation" banner a Rabbi stated, "It is the occupation of Palestinian minds, their hatred of Jews, which must come to an end." This conflict is not about hatred; that ploy is an emotional strategy to distract people from the real issue - brutal colonialization - period. The suffering and destruction in Rafah was conveniently and immorally ignored, although the UN reports that more than a hundred homes were destroyed, more than a thousand Palestinians were made homeless yet again, and about 48 Palestinians were killed including children and peaceful demonstrators. Silence is not golden; silence is complicity. Meanwhile, I attended a Rally for Rafah in Kitchener where, thankfully, an NDP MP (along with students, adults, a Jewish anti-occupation student, and unions) spoke in support of a just peace and an end to the occupation. Here in St. Catharines our NDP candidate Ted Mouradian says he is "neutral" on the Palestine-Israel conflict. There's no such thing as neutral. He has recently said he agrees with an end to the occupation, but he is still not at all well informed regarding the conlict. The NDP has some explaining to do. I'd like some clarity on the NDP stand before I will vote NDP or encourage my friends and associates to vote NDP. Thank you. Susan Howard-Azzeh Founder, Niagara Palestinian Association Moderator, Niagara Coalition for Peace Member, Canadian Arab Federation canpalnet-ottawa.org From: Linda Belanger To: Jack Layton Sent: Saturday, June 05, 2004 12:06 AM Subject: Your stand on Israel - Palestine Dear Mr. Layton: I was shocked to receive the following report saying that the NDP candidate, Charley King, participated in the Walk with Israel in B.C. Not only did he participate but he did not leave when racist generalizations were made about Palestinians. This is completely unacceptable. Following the numerous statements made by Alexa McDonough and Sven Robinson regarding the "situation" in Palestine, which is nothing less than a genocide in slow motion, I had pretty much decided to vote NDP and have even made substantial contributions to the campaign. Now I am starting to see that you can be bought out just like the Liberals have been. Perhaps I will join the ranks of the non voting. It is imperative that the NDP take a firm, vocal and unwavering stand on the ongoing Palestinian holocaust. If you cannot be trusted on this deeply ethical life and death issue, you can't be trusted on anything. Linda Belanger Address Your Comments canpalnet-ottawa.org Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2004 10:13 PM To: Ottawa Citizen Ashamed of being Canadian I would like to express my warm regards to Mr. Deaton for his letter of May 24th "As a Jew, I am disgusted by Israel's lawbreaking". I am not Jewish but I understand exactly how Mr. Deaton feels. Personally I feel ashamed of being Canadian lately. A multitude of European nations and human rights organizations have strongly condemned Israeli actions in Gaza as war crimes. After days of home demolitions and 2 full days after Israel opened fire with a missile and tank shells on a crowd of demonstrators in Rafah, our government finally issued a statement which "condemned all acts of terrorism and supported Israel's right to defend its citizens", while calling on "the Palestinian Authority to act immediately against terrorism"!! Paul Martin is beholden. He has received a great deal of financial backing from Zionist Gerry Schwartz. The Martin cabinet includes no less than 6 individuals who are members of a group that call themselves "Parliamentarians for Israel". Do Canadians want people in their government who are advocating for the interests of another country? Our members of parliament, especially those in Cabinet must have Canada as their one and only priority, not England, not France and certainly not Israel which is violation of over 65 United Nations Resolutions. By its silence, our Government is making us all complicit in Israel's human rights violations. I have been angry at government policies before but never to the point of being ashamed of being Canadian. Linda Belanger Ottawa Your Comments canpalnet-ottawa Sent:
Friday, May 14, 2004 1:28 AM Right
Honorable
Paul Martin Dear Prime Minister: The
Minister of
International Trade, the Hon. Jim Petersen appears to be in
conflicts
of interest and commitment over the issue of trade relations with
Israel
and the Arab world. He is part of a lobby group How
then can the
Minister of International Trade re-assure Canadians that his
partisan
views will not influence improperly his decision-making, and lead him
to
mis-judge Canada’s national interests? Prime Minister, this perception of bias and of conflicts of interest and commitment needs to be addressed and counteracted. One way that would benefit Canada's economy is to take advantage of people-to-people ties to expand trade and build stronger relations with the Arab world. Another is to consider free trade agreements with Arab countries, along the lines of the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act. Canada needs to reject the two-tier foreign policy, one for Israel and a different one for all other countries of the region. Canadians, including those with cultural ties to the Arab world who have been contributing to all sectors of the Canadian economy, expect no less of their government. Sincerely, Bahija
Réghaï
Published in Toronto Star on Tuesday, April 20th, 2004. From: Linda Belanger To: Toronto Star Letters Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2004 12:13 AM Subject: Israel/Palestine conflict By backing the Sharon plan to keep part of the territory captured and then settled by Israel after the 1967 war, President Bush is endorsing flouting of international law by Israel. It is amazing how an administration that will not negotiate with terrorists because this would encourage further terrorism is quite willing to side with a nation that is in breach of over 65 U.N. Resolutions. Bush's claim that he still wishes to foster meaningful negotiations between the parties is just a bunch of hot air. It has become abundantly clear that there will not be peace as long as the United States is in charge of negotiations because it simply has not been an honest broker. There will not be peace until the occupation has ended or Israel-Palestine becomes a single state with equal rights for all. The Palestinians do not occupy one inch of Israeli territory. They recognised the state of Israel in 1993 at the time of the Oslo Accord. They can give no more. It's time for the world to put pressure on Israel. Published in Nepean This Week, April 23rd, 2004. Dear
Editor : Subject: Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel I'm sure that most people share Art Campbell's concern (NTW, letters, April 16) that middle east violence not be imported to Canada. His appeal for people not to get involved in the issue of Palestine and Israel however is not in the best interest of Canada. The fact is that the issue has been brought to the heart of Canada by certain MPs. They call themselves Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel and 6 of them were named to Cabinet by Paul Martin. (see www.canpalnet-ottawa.org for details). This should be of concern to all Canadians. Do we want Canada to be making foreign policy decisions based on the interests of a particular foreign country or based on justice and International law? Israel is in violation of over 65 United Nations Resolutions. It is building a "security" wall, largely on its neighbour's property. Israel's policies vis a vis the civilian population of the West Bank and Gaza Strip violate several articles of the Fourth Geneva Convention each and every day. These injustices are a large part of the reason that recruiting terrorists in Muslim and Arab countries has become relatively easy for fanatical groups. Sorry Mr. Campbell, this issue arrived in Canada long before the firebombing at the Jewish school in Montreal - it cannot be ignored. Linda
Belanger Sent: Saturday, April 10, 2004 12:03 AM To: Hon. R. Goodale ; Hon. D. Anderson ; Senator Jack Austin ; Hon. Ann McLellan ; Hon. Lucienne Robillard ; Hon. Pierre Pettigrew ; Hon. Jim Peterson ; Hon. A. Mitchell ; Hon. Denis Coderre ; Hon. R. Pagtakhan ; Hon. J. McCallum ; Hon. S. Owen ; Hon. Bill Graham ; Hon. Stan Keyes ; Hon. B. Speller ; Hon. Joe Volpe ; Hon. R. Alcock ; Hon. G. Regan ; Hon. T. Valeri ; Hon. David Pratt ; Hon. J. Saada Subject: UNRWA forced to stop delivering food aid to Gaza Dear Minister: The BBC news story below reports that UNRWA, the United Agency responsible for providing food aid to refugees in Gaza and the West Bank has been forced to suspend its operations due to Israeli transportation restriction. This is another Israeli excuse for collective punishment and ethnic cleansing. Israel's security does not justify starving the civilian population of the territories that it illegally occupies. A quick internet search shows that aid agencies have been warning of malnutrition in Gaza and the West Bank since at least 2002. How much more can these people stand? Canada must demand that Israel allow food aid to reach the already undernourished children of Gaza. One
World.net: Malnutrition
in Gaza 'as bad as Zimbabwe' Linda
Belanger
Editor Globe & Mail March 15, 2004 Re: Facing an old sickness by M. Valpi So, according to Michael Valpi, "What Canadians, and others, need to do is watch their mouths."It is becoming increasingly clear that the likes of Mr. Valpi, the Canadian Jewish Congress, B'nai B'rith and a multitude of other organizations and individuals who blindly support Israel are not interested in a dialogue. That is precisely the problem with the defenders of Israel: they either want to "educate" us or if that is unsuccessful, accuse those who persist in holding different views of being anti-Semitic. Canadians that I speak to are fed up with this. It is counter to the Canadian political culture of dialogue, openness and compromise. And Mr. Valpi, it is not anti-Semitic to call Israel an apartheid state; just because it has certain democratic institutions does not change the result of the policies of the Israeli government. Furthermore, the idea of a racially pure Jewish state is racism. Zionism is racism. Until Israel and its supporters learn to sit down and listen to other people's views and needs they will not have peace. Thank goodness for the internet and all the voices of anti-Zionist Jews that one can find there. If Mr. Valpi were truly interested in curbing anti-Semitism he would ask the editors of this paper to publish more articles by Jews who are critical of Israel. Linda
Belanger
March 9, 2004The Hon. Irwin Cotler, P.C., O.C., B.A., B.C.L., LL.M. Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 Re: Your article
Dear Mr. Cotler: Anti-Semitism is defined as “hostility toward, prejudice or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group.” In your February 16, 2004 article “Human Rights and the New Anti-Jewishness,” you alter this definition to include criticism of Israel and then propose a “set of indices” to “identify…and monitor the nature and meaning of the new anti-Jewishness.” Yours is only one in a spate of published articles and books taking a similar sensationalist view of the “return of anti-Semitism.” The New York magazine ran a story by that very same title in December. ADL national Director Abraham Foxman, Alan Dershowitz and others contributed by articles and books with various degrees of emphasis on the blurring of the lines between criticicism of Israel and anti-Semitism, Zionism and Judaism. While there is certainly reason to be concerned about a climate of hostility towards Jews, this hasn’t reached the crisis level that these articles imply. There have been reports of worldwide increase in the number of assaults on Jews (or persons perceived to be Jewish), and these have to be condemned in the strongest terms. But there has also been an upsurge of criminal offences and verbal assaults against Muslims and Arabs (or persons perceived to be Muslim or Arab). To discuss these vile attacks out of context is intellectually dishonest. Muslims and Arabs have been targeted as a consequence of September 11, and anti-Semitic incidents are directly linked to the conflict in the Middle East. Europe has been identified as a continent where the "new anti-Semitism" is the most virulent. However, it was found that “[d]uring the first half of 2002 the rise of anti-Semitism reached a climax in the period between the end of March and mid-May, running parallel to the escalation of the Middle East conflict, whereas factors which usually determine the frequency of anti-Semitic incidents in the respective countries, such as the strength and the degree of mobilisation extremist far-right parties and groups can generate, have not played the decisive role.” (Manifestations of anti-Semitism in the European Union, Internet Haganah, Dec. 1, 2003). Like others that put Israel first, you lump together anti-Semitic attacks and discourse with criticism of Israeli policies, and conclude that there is an explosion of bias against Israel everywhere, including in the United Nations. This “new anti-Semitism” you call "new anti-Jewishness." What is new in this phenomenon is the spin supporters of Israel are articulating in order to stifle criticism of Israeli policies. While there are fringe elements on both sides of this conflict, within Israel and without, who advocate the killing of the other, most of the Palestinians and the Palestinian authority have already recognized Israel’s right to exist. So have Arab countries who proposed their own “roadmap,” considered a non starter by Sharon. It seems therefore that the claim that the state of Israel is under threat of anihilation may be a little over fetched, specially considering Israel’s military power, her nuclear capabilities and the US’s unflinching support. Some Jewish friends actually consider Sharon’s rhetoric and policies more of a threat to their existence and to peace in the region than anti-Semitism. Your use of the term “Genocidal antisemitism” is puzzling. The dictionary defines genocide as “The systematic and planned extermination of an entire national, racial, political, or ethnic group.” Genocide happened in Europe when Nazis considered Jews and Roma “undesirables” and set out to implement the “final solution” for both, and a few other groups that were also considered sub-human. Is it really what is happening in Canada and around the world today? Using a quote attributed to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. you write: “The discrimination against, denial of, or assault upon the Jewish people's right to self-determination which, as Martin Luther King, Jr. put it, "is the denial to the Jews of the same right, the right to self-determination that we accord to African nations and all other peoples of the globe. In short, it is anti-Semitism…" The Committee of Accuracy in Reporting of the Middle East in America - CAMERA - admitted on their website that this quote was a hoax and gave an alternate source, that has also been discredited by Jewish author Tim Wise. Had Dr. King been alive, he would certainly understand what Palestinians are going through, just as Gandhi would have, and as Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu have already spoken out about. Both Mandela and Tutu are supporting the right of Palestinians to self-determination. Does this make them anti-Semitic and anti-Jewish? Do you really believe that anti-Semitism or anti-Jewishness is what is driving the Palestinian resistance? Zionism is a political movement based on religious segregation. It runs counter to the fundamental principles of equality and democracy. To call opposition to Zionism "anti-Semitic" is dishonest and equates Judaism, one of the great religions that transcend national borders, with Zionism, a national ideology. Israeli policies towards the Palestinian people are not representative of the Jewish faith as understood by Albert Einstein, and by many prominent Jews. In fact, not all Jews, including Israelis, condone what is done in their names by Israel, and say so publicly. Their words are unfortunately not carried by mainstream media. Does this make them antisemitic and anti-Jewish too? I would argue that anti-Semitism does exist in other quarters, that include Evangelical and born again Christians. Zionism is useful to the these groups because, according to them, it ends the Jewish exile and ushers God's kingdom to earth. Their love for Israel is an article of faith that does not include love for Jews. They tolerate Jews because “there are future Christians amongst them.” Evangelical Christians’ language may be politically correct, but the core belief is not. We had a glimpse of these views in an exchange between one of the more moderate evangelical leaders, Rev. Billy Graham, and Richard Nixon, and when Jerry Falwell said that “the Antichrist will be a Jewish male who is probably ‘alive somewhere today.’” Does this make them and those who think like them anti-Semites? Using distorted biblical passages as a rationale for uncritical support of Sharon and his policies and for financial support to extremist settlers in occupied territories, Christian Zionists see the current bloodletting as presage of the foretold prophecy that precedes the Second Coming and the end of days - The Jewish Temple in Contemporary Christian Zionism. Instead of being outraged, ADL and other pro-Israel organizations have actually embraced these religious extremists. B’nai Brith Canada is even collaborating with the Return Ministries in ‘Together For Israel Solidarity Mission.’ This unholy alliance should concern you, Mr. Cotler, because these groups believe that a violent and volatile situation in the Middle East will help fulfill God’s plan, and that reconciliation threatens it. Similarly and for their own reasons, Jewish extremist groups - some at the receiving end of fundamentalist Christians’ largesse - are also against any peaceful resolution. This alliance of Jewish and Christian fundamentalism that has been blessed by prominent Jewish organizations and Israeli leaders is kept out of the media and out of our consciousness, although it does represent a real and fundamental threat to peace that has unfortunately been absent from your discourse. Your state that the indices you are proposing are organized “around juridical framework and draw upon principles of discrimination and equality as they find expression in both domestic and international law.” The proposed framework may be fine on its own, but the premise that one can pick and chose which issues should be framed in law and which should not is untenable. The NewSpeak is clearly intended as an attempt at muzzling dissent, at intimidation, at tarnishing the reputation of those who dare not agree with Israel's policies and treatment of Palestinians. Considering your work on human rights issues, it is disappointing to see you toe the line put out by pro-Israeli propagandists. I expected you to rise above your personal interests and apply the same principles to Palestinians as you have other minorities. Canada has been well served by the rule of law, and I do not understand how law abiding citizens and a Minister of Justice can still find reasons to allow for Israel to break international laws that all states abide. Those who really have Israel's interests at heart should insist that she respect not only her own laws, but international and humanitarian law as well. For there can be no real and lasting peace without justice. Sincerely, Bahija
Réghaï
To: Carole Off, CBC, CounterSpin March 6, 2004 Dear Ms. Off Canada's objection to ICJ hearing and CounterSpin show I enjoy very much your CounterSpin show. Lately there has been a blackout on the Israelis-Palestininans conflict, with the tacit approval of the Western governments in order to give Sharon a free hand to expel the palestinians from a large portion of their homeland while the world is busy watching Iraq and Haiti. I do not understand why your show did not discuss Canada's objection to the International Court of Justice’s hearing on the legality of the Israeli wall built in Palestine. Here is what Mr.FRANCIS A.BOYLE, J.D.United States Professor of Law had to say on this matter: "there is a lot of misunderstanding as to the significance of the decision. Of course, it will be an advisory opinion, that will be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly on the matters before it. It will have consequences for at least two reasons: One - what the World Court says about the Wall and its accompanying circumstances will constitute an authoritative enunciation about the rules of international law with respect to the entire situation. Two - that statement of
the rules of
international law can then be acted upon by the United Nations General
Assembly, for example, by recommending sanctions against Israel and
also
will have consequences for other governments of the world that will
have
to refer to what the world court ruled in this opinion and will have to
act in accordance So it is incorrect to state that this opinion will have no consequences." On the question
of :"Many of the
Western nations filed objections to the court’s hearing
Mr. Boyle answered: "
That’s ridiculous.
That is the result of the strategy mounted by the Israeli government
and
the Israeli lobbies in all these countries to undercut the significance
of the ruling. The General Assembly asked a very narrow technical legal
question about this wall. And that is what the court will answer. The
normal
jurisprudence of this court is that it will answer a technical legal
question
even if it has profound political consequences. And all these European
governments know this. They are The E.U. Hasn’t lifted a finger to help the Palestinians against the Israelis and the U.S., and they aren’t going to. The fact that they have taken such a legally preposterous position simply betrays the fact that these governments are working with Israel against the Palestinians." (THE HANDSTAND MARCH 2004) Would you kindly consider inviting Mr. Boyle in your show in order to educate the Canadian and US public (who watch your show) on this matter. Thank you. Let us always remember that the roots of nowadays group terrorism lies behind state terrorism perpetrated by Israel and the US. So the earlier we deal with the causes of group terrorism the earlier the whole world will be more secure. Thank you. Hesham Seoud
To: Stephen Harper, Bill Graham, Jack layton,
PM Paul Martin
Sent: Monday, January 26,
2004 1:13 PM
Subject:
The atrocities of
Nablus
The reports over the past month from the beautiful city of Nablus have been almost too much to bear for a person who has been there and knows the people. I oscillate between tears and rage at what is being done to the people and the city. Please take time to read the short article from the Israeli paper Haaretz: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/386462.html It is by Gideon Levy, one of many Israeli writers and intellectuals who are ashamed of what is being done by their country. In June and July of 2002 I joined the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in Palestine for three weeks on strictly nonviolent direct action in opposition to the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. At 77 I was the oldest volunteer among the hundreds of internationals from around the world. I spent two weeks with the ISM Ramallah, Nablus, and Balata Refugee Camp. I spent a week with the Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) in Hebron. I came back from this trip a changed person. I had witnessed an obscenity: the Israeli military occupation of Palestine. I was shot at, or at least shots fired in my direction from an Israeli Armoured Weapons Carrier, in response to a peaceful nonviolent protest by the CPT and Palestinian farmers near Hebron trying in vain to get to their land to harvest fruit. (I found out later from the CPT that the fruit rotted.) I was terrified by a tank and a huge bulldozer coming down the narrow street in Balata in the middle of the night while I huddled with a family whose house was scheduled for demolition. The next day I watched as a tank taunted the kids of Balata into throwing stones, and then opened fire at them, wounding several. The next night there was a murder of a 17-year old unarmed boy shot by a sniper from a tank. See: http://www.palestinetrip2002.org Canada is disproportionately represented by peace activists in Palestine. It is time the Canadian government policy reflects what many of consider to be atrocities committed by the Israeli Army acting in the name of the state of Israel. Thank you for your attention. Respectfully yours, Louis Schmittroth, Ph.D. http://www.palestinetrip2002.org http://www.yanoun.org
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