NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson recently published a statement critical of the aggressively racist new Israeli government. It decried “rising anti-Semitism” but ignored Jewish supremacy. But this is how B’Tselem described Israel in a landmark report two years ago: “A regime of Jewish supremacy between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea: this is... Continue Reading →
Canada must withdraw from racist Core Group
It is remarkable how easily the Canadian government gets away with blatant racism in its international affairs. This country is part of a racist colonial alliance in Haiti yet few antiracist activists are even aware of the Core Group. Last week prominent Haitian political commentator Madame Boukman Justice 4 Haiti tweeted: “The all-white Core Group... Continue Reading →
Why won’t any party challenge Canadian foreign policy?
During the first month of the election campaign the discussion of international and military affairs has been dismal at worst and non-existent at best. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix to the problem that requires a profound shake up in the popular understanding of Canada’s place in the world. A number of liberal minded foreign... Continue Reading →
Why Trudeau wants UN Security Council seat
Justin Trudeau is campaigning aggressively for a seat on the UN Security Council. Over the past month he has called about two dozen world leaders and recently organized calls with groupings of UN ambassadors from the Americas, Africa, Arab states and Asia. Just prior to the pandemic the PM attended the African Union Summit in... Continue Reading →
NDP MP Randall Garrison’s disgraceful anti-Palestinian politics
Randall Garrison is an embarrassment to everyone who supports universal human rights. The Victoria area New Democratic Party MP’s anti-Palestinian politics are beyond disgraceful. Earlier this month Garrison was reappointed vice-chair of the Canada Israel Interparliamentary Group (CIIG). As such, he’s continuing to refuse to heed a call from Roger Waters, Noam Chomsky, Maher Arar,... Continue Reading →
Let’s build the kind of Left that demands Canada withdraw from NATO
Final in a four-part series on the 70th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The first two installments discussed how NATO was set up to blunt the European left and to enable global dominance while the third focused on NATO’s role in spurring conflict and military spending. This article details the Left’s relationship with... Continue Reading →
Canadian ‘aid’ to Venezuela part of plan to overthrow government
If more people understood that “aid” often goes hand in hand with military intervention there would be less uncritical support for it. An important, though little acknowledged, principle of Canadian ‘aid’ policy is that military intervention elicits international assistance. Or, in the case of Venezuela ‘aid’ is a tool being used to stoke military conflict.... Continue Reading →
Does Ford Nation include white nationalists, pro-Israel groups?
Pro-Israel politics make for strange bedfellows. B’nai Brith (BB) and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) must be concerned about the furor over Doug Ford’s ties to fringe Toronto mayoral candidate Faith Goldy. Last month the prominent white supremacist participated in a BB support rally and the two pro-Israel groups smeared Dimitri Lascaris... Continue Reading →
First principle of international relations should be ‘do no harm’
Many progressives call for Canada to “do more” around the world. The assumption is that this country is a force for good, a healer of humankind. But if we claim to be the “doctors without borders” of international relations, shouldn’t Canada swear to “first do no harm” like MDs before beginning practice? At a minimum... Continue Reading →
Pro-Palestinian campaigner smeared by Canadian politicians
On Thursday lawyer Dimitri Lascaris called on two Liberal MPs to denounce death threats made by B’nai B’rith supporters against a number of other Liberal MPs and the Prime Minister. But instead of condemning those who called for racialized politicians to face the “guillotine” or “stoning”, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and... Continue Reading →
Pressure must be kept on Victoria MP to exit pro-Israel group
Randall Garrison is refusing to heeda call from 200 well-known musicians, academics, trade unionists and NDP members to withdraw from the Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group (CIIG). To justify his pro-Israel campaigning the Victoria MP has cited that country’s relatively gay friendly policies even as he promotes a bastion of Canadian homophobia. Garrison is vice-chair of a group... Continue Reading →
Real concern should be Singh’s support of Canadian violence
We should be concerned about Jagmeet Singh’s support for political violence. But not the stuff that’s making news. While the media makes much of the new NDP head’s ties/indifference to Sikh violence, they’ve ignored Singh’s leadership of a party/community that has repeatedly backed Canadian aggression. In a Rabble story on the controversy, Karl Nerenberg described... Continue Reading →
B’nai Brith’s shamefully attacks Niki Ashton
B'nai Brith claim to speak for Jews in general, but in reality defend Israel no matter what that country does. The group's recent attack against NDP leadership candidate Niki Ashton was a brazen attempt to use the decimation of European Jewry to protect Israel from criticism and follows a formula used so often most now see its... Continue Reading →
The Left’s racism problem concerning Israel
Most progressives would agree that opposing all forms of racism is a key element of what makes them left wing. But it is not always straightforward how best to confront white privilege, avoid cultural appropriation, tackle colonial attitudes towards indigenous peoples or avoid being labelled anti-Jewish when working for Palestinian human rights. And in the later case, accusations of Left anti-Semitism actually mask a more significant racism problem on the... Continue Reading →
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