What do you call an organization that teaches children an exclusive religious or ethnic nationalism and promotes war and other forms of violence to get its way? Many people would say an extremist group or a right-wing cult. Many people would think we were talking about something like the Ku Klux Klan. But while the KKK... Continue Reading →
Lester Pearson was no ‘honest broker’ or friend of Palestine
It’s no wonder Canadians are confused about their country’s place in the world when a leading advocate of the Palestinian cause praises the official most responsible for dispossessing Palestinians. In an article about a recent poll showing Canadians have a negative attitude towards Israel, reject the notion criticizing Israel is anti-Semitic and believe the media... Continue Reading →
Strange bedfellows at ‘anti-racism’ forum
Why would one of Toronto’s leading anti-racist writers share a stage with three individuals who support an explicitly racist institution? Recently radio host and Toronto Star columnist Desmond Cole spoke at a forum put on by the Mosaic Institute titled “Canada in a Trump World”. It was about “increased racist and xenophobic attacks” and offered a “dialogue for communities... Continue Reading →
Backers of ‘anti-Semitism lessons’ fail to speak out against all forms of racism
Is a school lesson plan, widely used across Canada, designed to fight racism like its promoters say? Or is it also a clever cover for defending Jewish and white supremacy in the Middle East? A recent 12-page Canadian Jewish News insert about Elizabeth and Tony Comper raises the issue. According to the supplement, in 2005 the Bank of... Continue Reading →
Putting Palestine into the NDP leadership race
To the sound of crickets chirping from opposition benches Justin Trudeau’s government has once again isolated Canada on Palestinian rights. But, recent developments suggest this shameful chapter in Canadian diplomacy is past its political best before date. On November 21 Canada joined the US, Israel, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia and Palau in... Continue Reading →
Anti-Palestinian coverage part of broader media pattern
Media coverage of world affairs mostly focuses on Ottawa/Washington’s perspective. While the dominant media is blatant in its subservience to Canadian/Western power, even independent media is often afraid to challenge the foreign policy status quo. A recent Canadaland podcast simultaneously highlighted anti-Palestinian media bias and the fear liberal journalists’ face in discussing one of the foremost social... Continue Reading →
Could Christian Zionism explain Green Party leader’s threats to resign?
Elizabeth May’s response to Green Party members voting to oppose Canadian support for Israeli colonialism has been wildly anti-democratic. She has not simply disagreed with a majority of members, which could reflect healthy internal processes, but publicly derided the party’s procedures and members’ clearly expressed opinions. After diluting a resolution about revoking the Jewish National... Continue Reading →
Misuse of term ‘anti-Semitic’ will have repercussions
Sticks and stone may break my bones, but names will never hurt me -- and they may come back to haunt the name-callers. In finding anti-Semites behind every challenge to Canadian complicity with Israeli colonialism, mainstream Jewish organizations are emptying the term "anti-Semitism" of its historical weight. "The Green Party of Canada's vote in favour of... Continue Reading →
Greens face vote on tax subsidy to Jewish National Fund
Despite a backlash evocative of those who defended the Jim Crow U.S. South, Green Party members recently voted in favour of a resolution calling on Ottawa to stop subsidizing racist land covenants. The Greens will make a final decision on whether they support the principles underlying a half-century old Supreme Court of Canada decision outlawing... Continue Reading →
What we’re told to remember and why
How can you tell when “remembering” horrible events is being twisted to defend the status quo and support the powerful against the weak? When a sports network airs a Nazi Holocaust themed show. Last week TSN ran a six-minute video feature about Hank Rosenbaum, a Polish Jew whose life was turned upside down when German troops invaded... Continue Reading →
Exploiting the Holocaust for political ends
By blaming Palestinians for the Nazi Holocaust Benjamin Netanyahu wildly distorted Jewish suffering for Israel’s ends. The lack of comment by Canada’s main Jewish organizations speaks to their own use of Nazi crimes to serve Israel and power more generally. Using words that would have destroyed the political career of any mainstream North American, or... Continue Reading →
Jewish voters turning to Harper
Where are Conservatives most likely to be elected in Canada? Historically, rural and suburban White, Protestant ridings and the wealthiest parts of English-speaking cities have been where the Tories enjoyed the most success. Certainly the Conservatives have never been the party of those marginalized for economic, social or religious reasons. Yet, at the start of... Continue Reading →
White privilege masquerades as anti-racism
Why does a demonstration of hundreds of people against “anti-Semitism” in Toronto seem more like a march for white supremacy than a rally against racism? On August 20, reported the Canadian Jewish News, several thousand took to Bathurst Street under the slogan “We Will Not be Silent: A March Against Global Anti-Semitism.” The demonstration was... Continue Reading →
Supporting ‘terror tourism’ to Israel gets Canadian tax credits
When is a Canadian who leaves this country to join a foreign military force and participate in the killing of innocent civilians, including children, called a “terror tourist” and sent to jail? The answer is: Only when that person joins a military force the Conservative government disagrees with. Numerous ministers in the current federal government... Continue Reading →
Israel has turned a progressive community into warmongers
From a left-wing community once at the forefront of struggles against racism, unconditional support for Israel has turned a significant proportion of Toronto Jews into promoters of hatred against “Arabs” and into allies of right wing, bigoted, homophobic Christian Bible literalists. During 15 years of activism in Montréal, Ottawa and Vancouver I haven’t seen anything... Continue Reading →
Interview: Canadian ‘aid’ goes to policing Palestinians
Real News Network Interview JESSICA DESVARIEUX, TRNN PRODUCER: Welcome to The Real News Network. I'm Jessica Desvarieux in Baltimore. And welcome to this edition of The Engler Report. Now joining us is Yves Engler. He is a Canadian commentator and author, and his most recent book is The Ugly Canadian: Stephen Harper's Foreign Policy. Thank... Continue Reading →
The long history of Zionism in Canada
Canada’s Conservative government is trying to convince Canadian Jews to support its right-wing imperialistic worldview. Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently spoke to the annual Toronto gala of the Jewish National Fund, which has a long history of dispossessing Palestinians and discriminating against non-Jews. Echoing the words of Theodor Herzl, a founder of political Zionism, Harper... Continue Reading →
Illegal in Canada, but okay in Israel?
In Canada it is illegal to restrict the sale of property to certain ethnic or religious groups but many of our business people and politicians promote an organization that does exactly that in Israel. Into the 1950s restrictive land covenants in many exclusive neighbourhoods and communities across Canada made it impossible for Jews, Blacks, Chinese,... Continue Reading →
Harper’s love affair with monarchy
Harper’s Conservatives have a thing for monarchy, the more absolute the better, it seems. At home they’ve put up portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and added the moniker “royal” to the Canadian Navy and Air Force while in the Middle East they’ve strengthened Canada’s ties to kingdoms from Morocco to Saudi Arabia. Jordan’s pro-US/pro-Israel King... Continue Reading →
Aid to Palestine or Israel?
A recently uncovered government document confirms that Ottawa has delivered millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinian Authority in a bid to advance Israel's interests. The internal memorandum also sheds light on Canada's efforts to build a security apparatus to protect the Palestinian Authority from popular disgust over its compliance in the face of... Continue Reading →
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