The Hardest Conversation seeks to offer a safe and anonymous space for Jews to have conversations about Israel that many of us work very hard to avoid. These conversations are difficult, but we believe that they are deeply important. Our volunteers are here to connect with anyone who doesn’t feel...
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Voix juives indépendantes Canada (VJI) est une organisation issue de la base ancrée dans la tradition juive qui s’oppose à toute forme de racisme et qui promeut la justice et la paix pour tous en Israël-Palestine. VJI dispose de comités locaux actifs partout au Canada, dans les villes et sur les campus universitaires. country.
Pétition #noIHRA: La lutte contre l’antisémitisme est un impératif. Mais la définition de l’AIMH n’est pas la bonne approche.
Nous devons absolument lutter contre l'antisémitisme, mais la définition de l'antisémitisme de l’Alliance internationale pour la mémoire de l’Holocauste (AIMH) n'est pas la façon de s’y prendre. L'adoption de cette définition nuit à la défense des droits de l'homme des Palestiniens, fait taire les critiques légitimes à l'égard d'Israël et...
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IJV Webinar: What’s wrong with the IHRA re-definition of antisemitism?
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism has recently been adopted by the Liberal government as part of its so-called “Antiracism strategy.” Why the big push for a new definition? And why are so many human rights and civil liberties organizations objecting to it? Prof. Amos Goldberg will take...
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Nos Campagnes
#NOIHRA
La définition est formulée de telle manière qu’elle peut facilement être maniée pour assimiler la critique d’Israël à l’antisémitisme et, par le fait même, interdire le soutien des droits des Palestiniens.
#STOPJNFCANADA
#StopJNFCanada est une campagne visant à révoquer le statut d’organisme de bienfaisance de JNF Canada et à dénoncer, contester et mettre fin aux activités discriminatoires et nuisibles de JNF Canada. Pour plus d’informations, consultez notre page FAQ.
Les Médias Sociaux
Must read Gideon Levy in response to France adopting the IHRA redefinition of antisemitism last week. #NoIHRA
Full text:
The plague is spreading. Under cover of the (just) war against anti-Semitism, Europe and the United States silence every voice daring to criticize Israel. Under cover of this war, they are undermining their freedom of speech. Incredibly, this new phenomenon is not triggering any protest, as one would expect. Laws labeling anti-Zionism as anti-Semitism and the anti-occupation movement as anti-Semitic, are passed with overwhelming majorities. Now they are playing into the hands of Israel and the Jewish establishment, but they are liable to ignite anti-Semitism when questions arise about the extent of their meddling.
Last week, the phenomenon hit France, cradle of the revolution. The French National Assembly passed by a sweeping majority a bill that adopts the definition of anti-Semitism issued by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, which equates anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism. Liberty? Equality? Fraternity? Not when it involves Israel. Here, these values are rendered mute.
French parliament member Sylvain Maillard formulated the bill. He is another friend of Israel’s who reportedly participated in a meeting with settler wheeler-dealer Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria regional council, some months ago. “Criticizing the very existence of Israel as a collective composed of Jewish citizens is tantamount to hatred towards the Jewish community as a whole; just like collectively holding Jews accountable for the policies of the Israeli authorities is an expression of anti-Semitism,” the law’s introduction states. The cat is out of the bag: It is forbidden to raise doubts about Zionism, one of the only ideologies in the world whose righteousness cannot be questioned by the nations of the free world.
First, the language. Israel “as a collective composed of Jewish citizens.” The nation-state law was also accepted in the National Assembly in Paris. If Israel is a collective of Jewish citizens, what are the Palestinian citizens? And what are the subjects living under occupation? The 154 parliamentarians who raised their hands in support of the decision cannot evade these questions. Liberté, égalité, fraternité – only for the Jews? And what are they offering the six million Palestinians, citizens and subjects of the occupation, who live under “the collective of Jewish citizens”? Second-rate liberty, equality, fraternity? From now on no one is even allowed to ask these questions. Anyone who asks is an anti-Semite.
“Anti-Zionism is a legitimate position in Jewish history, and it also has a long history in Israel,” a petition signed in vain by 129 Jewish and Israeli professors and intellectuals against passage of the law, stated. The petition’s signatories mentioned that there were many anti-Zionist Holocaust survivors. Now they, too, are anti-Semites.
From now on, every Palestinian and every Arab, except for Ayoub Kara, is an anti-Semite. Even every Jew and every Israeli who supports a solution of one democratic and egalitarian state, precisely in the spirt of the French revolution, is an anti-Semite. So too anyone for whom Zionism is a colonialist movement – is that not a legitimate position? – is an anti-Semite.
For generations of Palestinians, Zionism is the essence of their existence; it expelled them from their country, deprived them of their lands, dishonored them, ruined their lives, and kills and torments them to this very day, without the end being in sight. Are they forbidden from being anti-Zionists? Are they able to not hate Zionism? Will France try them for the transgression of anti-Semitism? They are not fighting Zionism because they are anti-Semites. They are anti-Zionist only because Zionism destroyed their lives.
And what are the protesters of the fence around the cage of Gaza? Are they anti-Semites? Are they not freedom fighters? And what about people of conscience around the world who identify with them? From now on they are all anti-Semites, and that is outlawed in France. And if denying the right of Jewish self-determination is anti-Semitism, how will the French National Assembly refer to Israel’s denial of the Palestinians’ rights? Why does it not pass a law about that? Only because the Palestinians and justice don’t have a powerful lobby in France.
Miriam Meir of IJV was interviewed about our recent #noIHRA victory in Calgary on CKUT 90.3FM's Under The Olive Tree. Have a listen to Miriam here!
Interview with Miriam Meir: Palestine-solidarity voices stifled in Calgary. How bad is it?
www.mixcloud.com
In November, activists in Calgary received news of a new motion to be voted on by the Calgary city council on Nov. 18. Among other things, the motion wanted Calgary to adopt a new controversial IHRA re-redefinition of antisemitism (noihra.ca). This same definition was rejected last August by the Van..."S.G. [a pseudonym] was adamant that although he was grateful for the opportunity to share his journey and potentially help other neo-Nazi extremists to seek de-radicalization by speaking to the media, he credits the antifa (anti-fascist) movement for doing the majority of the work necessary to break down barriers."
An important article on current neo-Nazi activity and anti-fascist activism in Canada.
'Deadly serious': Ex neo-Nazi and Iron March user speaks out on de-radicalization
www.ctvnews.ca
An ex-Iron March user and de-radicalized neo-Nazi says that the rising tide of fascism in the world is not being taken seriously enough – and wants to tell others that it is not too late to leave hatred behind.Plusieurs attaques ont été lancées contre la Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU) dans les derniers jours pour des accusations fallacieuses d'antisémitisme. VJI continuera à supporter des étudiant-e-s qui refusent les voyages à des fins propagande en Israël.
"Ces voyages en Israël, n'ont rien d'innocent, dans un pays qui continue de faire fi du droit international en se livrant à la plus longue occupation militaire de l'histoire moderne et au massacre régulier de civils non armés. Alors même que les invitations de Hillel étaient envoyées aux étudiants de McGill cet automne, les forces d'occupation israéliennes ont tué plus de 30 personnes à Gaza, dont plusieurs enfants."
www.ijvcanada.org
Montreal, 5 décembre, 2019 Voix juives indépendantes Canada (VJI) dénonce les allégations fallacieuses de discrimination et d'antisémitisme de la part de l'administration de McGill et des groupes de pression pro-israéliens qui sont dirigées contre l’ Association étudiante de l'Université ...The Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU) has come under attack in recent days with false allegations of antisemitism. IJV will continue to stand by students who refuse Hillel's all-expenses-paid trips to Israel.
“There is nothing innocent about these trips to Israel, a country that continues to thumb its nose at international law with the longest-running military occupation in modern history, and regular massacres of unarmed civilians. Even as Hillel’s invitations were going out to McGill students over the fall, Israeli occupation forces killed over 30 people in Gaza, including several children.”
www.ijvcanada.org
Montreal, December 5, 2019--Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV) denounces false claims of discrimination and antisemitism by the McGill administration and pro-Israel lobby groups directed at the Student Society of McGill University (SSMU). SSMU has come under harsh criticism for censuring a s