Pressure builds on Jason Kenney condemning Israel apartheid week

As organizations and groups committed to protecting freedom of expression and public debate on Palestine/Israel, we demand that Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney immediately retract his March 7th statement “condemning Israel Apartheid Week”.

 

This statement is the Conservative government’s latest attempt to silence activist groups and organizations in Canada that act or speak in support of the basic human rights of the Palestinian people. While Kenney’s statement claims to value “free exchanges of ideas” and “academic dialogue,” his targeted condemnation of Israeli Apartheid Week events on Canadian universities this week (and in previous years) is a blatant attempt to shut down free expression for Palestine solidarity on campus.

 

The Harper government’s track record clearly reveals that it does not actually value the university as “an environment in which academic discourse can take place freely”. Indeed, it has been actively involved in undermining this ideal that it claims to uphold. In 2009 the Conservative Minister of State (Science and Technology), Gary Goodyear was widely criticized by Faculty for Palestine and academics across the country for his unprecedented and dangerous acts of state political interference in the public funding of an academic conference. The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) called for the Minister’s resignation around this incident, finding it “simply unacceptable” for the Minister to engage in any act that “compromises the integrity and public purpose of universities”. The sole target of the Minister’s actions was an academic conference at York University titled Israel/Palestine: Mapping Models of Statehood and Paths to Peace. His actions were so egregious that they have since been the subject of two major inquiries, one of which is written up in the newly published book titled No Debate: The Israel lobby and free speech at Canadian universities.

 

Free expression on Canadian campuses, including both academic discourse and political analysis, must be protected from these kinds of political interference and all attempts of censorship. Unlike the Conservative government, we encourage and invite open debate and discussion on the full spectrum of views on the Israel/Palestine conflict. As public events on university campuses, IAW talks are open to anyone who wishes to attend and is willing to participate within the standard regulations governing debate and events on university campuses.

 

For eight years, Israeli Apartheid Week has provided a model for free and open discussion by providing a week-long series of public lectures by academics and activists on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Currently IAW events are held on campuses in over 100 cities around the world. Many of these lectures address, in a factual manner, the nature of Israeli rule of a Palestinian population of some five million people within the borders which it controls and the effects of the exclusion of a similar number of Palestinian refugees. This system of blockade, occupation, settlement, discrimination and exclusion has been described as a form of apartheid by a wide range of scholars, journalists, activists, politicians, UN officials and legal experts including former Minister of Government in South Africa Ronnie Kasrils and former Special Rapporteur to the UN Commission on Human Rights John Dugard. IAW events examine these conditions while also building awareness for the movement for boycotts, divestment and sanctions against apartheid Israel as called for by over 170 Palestinian civil society organizations in 2005.

 

The recent welcome for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Ottawa is just the latest indicator of where the current government stands on this issue. It is a serious threat to democratic interchange that the Harper Conservatives use their position as government to try to shut down discussion and debate on their uncritical support for every action of the Israeli state, including ongoing violations of international law and the human rights of Palestinians.

 

Israeli Apartheid Week has played an important role in opening up this discussion. This has been recognized by Palestinians, Jewish anti-Zionists, and South Africans including Bishop Desmond Tutu, and journalist Naomi Klein. Israeli Apartheid Week has always condemned anti-Semitism and all forms or racism including Islamophobia, and will continue to do so.

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)

Ottawa, March 7, 2012– The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, issued the following statement on ‘Israeli Apartheid Week’:

 

Like many Canadians I am concerned with the rise of anti-Israel activities on campuses across Canada, culminating in the so-called ‘Israeli Apartheid Week’ (IAW), which is often promoted in a manner that disregards the rights and safety of Jewish students and professors.

 

Universities are meant to offer an environment in which academic discourse can take place freely. Jewish faculty and students have the right to engage in this debate without feeling the need to conceal their identity, or to self-censor.

 

The irony of this week cannot be overlooked. While singling out the only liberal democracy in the Middle East for condemnation, the organizers of IAW ignore Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s brutal slaughter of his own people and the suppression of basic human rights in many countries around the globe.

 

Debate over Israeli policy is legitimate and encouraged through academic dialogue. However, there is a point at which well-intentioned debate is overrun by hatred and intolerance, creating a toxic environment that prevents meaningful dialogue on important issues from taking place.

 

The organizers of Israeli Apartheid Week use the cover of academic freedom to demonize and delegitimize the State of Israel. In reality, this week is nothing more than an unbalanced attempt to paint Israel and her supporters as racist. This week runs contrary to Canadian values of tolerance, mutual respect, and understanding.

 

As Minister for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, I call on all Canadians to reject anti-Semitism and all forms of racism, discrimination and intolerance, which are unacceptable and completely contrary to Canada’s fundamental values.

NOTE: This statement was originally accessed at the following link http://www.jasonkenney.ca/news/statement-by-minister-jason-kenney-condemning-israel-apartheid-week/

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