We're thrilled and honoured to learn that IJV has won the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1281 BDS Award for 2020! This award is given out every year for an organization fighting to end support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and to pressure Israel to comply with international law.

The award comes with a $500 cash prize (which will no doubt be put to good use!). But beyond the money, it is a powerful accolade from our labour allies for the crucial work we're doing to advance justice and peace in Palestine.

IJV strongly condemns the the arrest of Mahmoud Nawajaa, the General Coordinator of the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC), during a night raid carried out by Israeli soldiers at Nawajaa’s home near Ramallah on July 30th.

Sadly, such attacks against non-violent BDS activists, especially Palestinians, have become commonplace in the last few years. While they are terrifying and insidious, they are also a testament to our movement’s power. BDS is winning, and the only option of a desperate Israeli state is to silence the movement.

But rest assured, we will not be silenced!

If you attended our fabulous book talk with Palestinian author Ibtisam Azem in June, or if you've read her book "The Book of Disappearance", then don't miss our next event with Librarians and Archivists with Palestine on August 3rd at 6pm ET. This book club-style discussion will allow participants to discuss their thoughts and feelings on the novel.

While this book discussion is better geared towards people who have read "The Book of Disappearance", everyone is welcome to join. You can also read excerpts of the book here.

Don't forget to register for this upcoming online event - this one is gonna be fun!

Anti-fascists: Donald Trump is afraid of them. Your parents might be confused by them. And the media loves sensationalizing them.

But did you know that there is a long history of anti-fascism within Jewish klezmer music? Our ancestors armed themselves with songs against xenophobia, police brutality, and patriarchy long before groups like the Proud Boys or Soldiers of Odin were even a thing.

We're thrilled to bring you Anti-fascist Klezmer From the Shtetl to the Streets - an evening of online musical performance and discussion on August 13th at 5pm PT // 8pm ET!

Over 100 organizations, including IJV, have joined Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network in the call for the Days of Resistance for Palestine, 7-9 August 2020. These global days of action are geared towards resisting the ongoing threat of annexation in the West Bank.

In Canada, demonstrations are happening in Vancouver on August 8th, and Montreal on August 9th.

If you're in another Canadian city and are interested in holding an action for the Days of Resistance, please get in touch! info@ijvcanada.org.

I wanted to take a moment to share with you an opinion piece that I had published in Mondoweiss last week on the hot topic of monuments to Nazis, colonizers, and white supremacists.

I wrote this piece after the revelation that a cenotaph to a Ukranian SS division was still standing proudly in a cemetary in Oakville, Ontario. 

Quite simply, I argue in this piece it should be taken down immediately, along with every other monument to Nazis, colonizers and white supremacists in Canada.

Last month, we launched a campaign along with Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East and several other ally organizations to put pressure on Canadian MPs to take a stand against Israeli annexation in the West Bank.

We're pleased to say that to date, 68 MPs from 4 political parties (Liberals, NDP, Greens, and the Bloc Quebecois) have signed our pledge against annexation! Click here to see the full list.

But it's only a start. Is your MP on that list? If not, please act today and send them an email!

We would like to draw your attention to 2 parliamentary petitions, both initiated by IJV members, and encourage you to sign them.

The first, initiated by Corey Levine of IJV-Victoria, calls on the government of Canada to instruct a Special Envoy to promote, monitor and report on the human rights situation of Palestinian children living in the occupied Palestinian Territory and Gaza. Click here to sign.

The second, initiated by David Kattenburg of IJV-Winnipeg, calls for a ban on the import of settlement products to Canada, and for revoking the JNF Canada's charitable status. Click here to sign.

Aaron Lakoff,

IJV Communications and Media Lead

aaron@ijvcanada.org