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Canada-Israel friendship: beyond political speeches
The 11-day conflict between Israel and Palestine resulted in the deaths of 230 Palestinians (including 65 children) and 12 Israelis. This upsurge in violence has caused tremors even in communities across Canada. In Montreal, there were numerous demonstrations in support of the Palestinian people.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for his part, has Saluted the formation of a new Israeli government on 13 June, reiterating the “common values” of the two countries.
On May 28, Ottawa also invested $25 MILLION to support the Palestinian populations.
For Palestinians in Canada, these latest statements are insufficient. They want Ottawa to recognize their suffering and denounce the close ties between Canada and Israel, which are reflected in the speeches, arms sales, and the definition of antisemitism. A subject that is not very well covered, which La Converse focused on.
“The 25 million Palestinians mean nothing if Justin Trudeau continues to sell arms to the Israeli state,” says Leila*, who preferred to keep her identity secret for security reasons. One Kufiya carried proudly on her shoulders, the Canadian-Palestinian activist does not feel defended by Canada.
She has a determined outlook and a demanding tone; she is in need of justice. It was in 2017 that Leila arrived in Canada, alone. She has lived in the Middle East, but never in Palestine. His entire family was expelled from Jerusalem and Jaffa in 1948.
“I “went back” thanks to my Canadian passport a few years ago,” she says, between gratitude and sadness. “I went to my country of origin with another passport, that of a country that is another colonizer,” she continues bitterly, referring to the situation of First Nations. Since arriving in Canada, she has made a point of speaking out against the close ties between Ottawa and Tel Aviv.
“The Jewish community is not monolithic”
At the UN, Canada's vote is consistently in favor of Israel. Since 2006, Ottawa has rejected a resolution on the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people 14 times. Justin Trudeau finally voted in favor in November 2019. “All Canadian governments have the same position on the situation in Israel/Palestine. It's always a disappointing reaction,” regrets Rafel Silver, a retired social worker involved with Independent Jewish Voices. Jewish, born in the United States, he arrived in Israel at the age of 18.
“I was young, I wanted adventure and to know my roots,” he says romantically. He served in the army for two years. Gradually, disillusionment set in. “I was sent everywhere: to Gaza, to the West Bank... I saw how Palestinians were treated on a daily basis. I didn't want to raise my children there,” he reports. After living in Israel for 17 years, he immigrated to Canada for work and felt “extremely grateful” to have been able to settle here in 2001.
For him, it is crucial to show that “the Canadian Jewish community is not monolithic.” “People are waking up and starting to ask questions about the treatment of Palestinians,” he explains with verve. He believes that Jews in Canada need to speak out to let it be known that not everyone supports Israel.
Apartheid
According to Leila and Rafael Silver, it is the government's desire for balance that is problematic in its positions. The use of the word “conflict” to describe the situation is increasingly disturbing. “The two parties are not equal. It is deeper than a conflict, it is an apartheid,” say the two activists. Rafael Silver gets carried away: “Why only mention Israel's right to live in peace and not that of the Palestinians in the statements? ”
“Palestinians have been telling us this for years, but the word 'apartheid' is still timidly used by the media,” says historian Dyala Hamzah.
That's exactly the word used by Human Rights Watch in a Report published in April 2021. A few months earlier, the Israeli Jewish association B'Tselem denounced the same situation of apartheid in a Report. That an Israeli organization is using the same term shows that “things are starting to creak,” according to the researcher.
Photo: Sandrine Edmee
Amalgame
The historian believes that Canada will not be the first to recognize and denounce the apartheid state in Israel, as Ottawa has always traditionally supported the Jewish state. There are several reasons for this: among them, the hegemony of the United States and Canada's strong bond with its neighbor, but also the traumas of the Holocaust.
Many also point to Canada's definition of antisemitism. Promoted in 2016 by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), it is denounced by the Palestinian community, but also by Jews, Israelis and many voices in the world. It has been the official definition of G7 countries such as France, Germany and the United States, but also of Quebec since June 9, 2021. “This definition is fraudulent, because it combines criticism of Israel and antisemitism,” explains the historian. An amalgam that Rafael Silver knows well.
Because of his passion and commitment, he is sometimes “called a traitor” by members of his community. “It's so ridiculous that I laugh out loud. Then I tell them: “Walk where I walked, see what I saw and experience what I went through to understand what Palestinians go through on a daily basis.” Proud to be Jewish, he recounts his involvement in the Israeli army with bitterness and the disillusionment he experienced living there.
An inconvenient arms sale
On May 13, Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), called on Justin Trudeau to stop selling arms to the State of Israel in a petition. This is also the wish of Alexandre Boulerice, deputy leader of the NDP. “We must end the sale of arms, identify products that come from Israel and put economic pressure on the country,” says the deputy, who believes that the official position of Canada is good, but that it is not supported or defended by actions. Arms were sold to Israel for nearly $14 million in 2019, according to the Data from Global Affairs Canada. An insignificant amount compared to the $2.9 billion generated by arms sales to Saudi Arabia in the same year. However, Alexandre Boulerice points out that this contract with Israel may have a certain influence on Canada's position: “It's still a contract that creates jobs.” Canada is far from being the biggest arms dealer to the Jewish state.
In this regard, the United States comes in first place, followed by Germany — whose sales represent 70% and 24% of conventional arms imports respectively from 2009 to 2020. Arms from Canada account for 0.3% of Israeli imports and 0.4% of exports by Ottawa, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Following the request of Jagmeet Singh and the NDP, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not respond. When asked about this, Minister Marc Garneau did not respond to our request for an interview. The spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, Grantly Franklin, only told us that exports are governed by Canada's Export and Import Permits Act (LEIA). This text prohibits the sale of arms to countries that violate human rights, unless they can show that Canadian weapons have not been used against civilians. While it is currently impossible to know for Israel/Palestine, doubts exist for the weapons sold to Saudi Arabia: they would be used in the war that has ravaged Yemen since 2014, according to a Report of the United Nations Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen (GEE).
At a meeting on Palestine on May 27, the United Nations Human Rights Council called on states not to sell arms that would present “the obvious risk of being used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law”.
Economic and military ties
The relationship between Canada and the State of Israel is not limited to arms. Very aware of Ottawa's actions in this area, Leila recalls the close ties between the two countries and, above all, the existence of the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA). For example, over $40,000 worth of aircraft and space equipment was exported in 2019 and 2020, according to Data from Global Affairs Canada. Other ties between the two countries continue to cause concern. This is the case with the recruitment of the Israeli army (Tsahal) on Canadian soil. In October 2020, a Complaint was sent to the Minister of Justice to request an investigation into the matter, but Ottawa did not respond to this request, alleging that It would be up to the police to investigate.
“This is against the law on foreign enlistment, but there is an exception for consular officials and Israeli nationals. There is a legal loophole,” explains Dyala Hamzah. This enrolment does not represent a situation unique to Canada. It operates more widely in the United States or France, whose nationals constitute the vast majority of Lone Soldiers, the foreign soldiers of the Israeli army. For comparison, it is estimated that Canadians represent 3% of foreign soldiers in the IDF, according to data obtained by CBC.
An influence of parliamentary groups?
Could it be that the Canadian government is influenced by pressure groups in choosing its positions? In the Canadian Parliament, there is a Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group (CAIL). It is composed of 59 members of all political stripes, who we have rigorously analyzed to better understand this group. Of these, 24 are from the Conservative Party, 16 from the Liberal Party, 8 from the Bloc Québécois and 3 are from the NDP.
Parliament does not fund such groups, but provides them with administrative assistance, in this case a secretary. Neither the latter nor the group's president, Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather, answered our questions about CAIL's actions. It is difficult to know what the role of such a gathering is. For Dyala Hamzah, her existence contributes to “forging ties”, to strengthening the friendship between the two countries.
Randall Garrison, a member of the NPD and CAIL, was offered a trip paid for by the Jewish state. He says that the trip helped him in his role in the group, according to a Article by La Presse. In 2018, a collective of hundreds of organizations, elected officials, activists and academics signed a Call calling for the withdrawal of the CAIL party.
Asked about the three New Democrats at CAIL, Alexandre Boulerice of the NDP explained that one should not “exaggerate the influence of these groups.” “The NDP is a major political movement, and we are not against the State of Israel either. Their citizens must be able to live in peace. There are different sensitivities within the NDP. I have no problem having colleagues who are members of this group,” he defends himself. For his part, Mr. Boulerice belongs to the Canada-Palestine Parliamentary Friendship Group.
This allowed him to travel to Israel and Palestine from 30 March to 6 April 2018. Does it have a mediating role between Palestinian and Canadian leaders? “We are meeting more members in Canada. The idea is to make statements and interventions to defend the Palestinians,” explains Mr. Boulerice.
McGill investments singled out
Leila also denounces McGill University for its links with the State of Israel. Students, teachers, graduates, and colleges have signed a petition calling on the administration to stop investing in Israeli businesses and the Jewish state. They denounce, among other things, the financing of Israeli settlements, transport companies, but also banks. “McGill has never condemned the Canary Mission site, even though many students are on it,” she is scandalized.
Canary Mission is a site that lists and Doxx (discloses personal information) anyone “promoting hate” of the United States, Israel, and Jews. This Blacklist can be used for intimidation or even violence. For Leila, Palestinians and movement activists are mostly on file. Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), which are putting non-violent pressure on the State of Israel. The petition has not yet been sent to the administration, but professor and vice-principal for studies Christopher Manfredi has published a Answer, in which he recognizes the horror of the “violence that is shaking the Middle East” and its consequences for Palestinian and Jewish members of the McGill community. This the complainants find insufficient.
We asked several questions to the university press service about the points reported by the students. Questions to which the publicist Katherine Gombay answered, in a short paragraph, that the establishment “speaks out against racism and discrimination in all its forms,” recalling the core values of McGill.In the meantime, Palestinians, like Leila, are campaigning by walking on eggshells.
“People don't know how harassed we are. I don't want to be categorized or said to be antisemitic,” she explains. That is why she wanted to remain anonymous. Publishing her name could have had serious effects on her academic and professional future.
“You can't decide on your role when you're a Palestinian in the diaspora. My duty is to Stand-up for my compatriots and to fight,” she says as a matter of course. A duty that she will observe until her government truly and sustainably helps the Palestinians, not only by paying $25 million to the population. *Her first name has been changed to preserve her anonymity.
To go further
More than 2,000 people signed an open letter asking journalists and newsrooms for better and more honest coverage of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The signatories are calling for articles on Israel and Palestine to provide more context and include Palestinian voices. According to Vice, CBC journalists who signed it are now no longer allowed to cover news on the issue, due to a conflict of interest.