Kenney flays Israeli Apartheid Week
For the past week, students on university campuses across Canada have been trying to raise awareness of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, calling for an end to discrimination and accusing it of adopting apartheidlike policies.
But the political backlash against Israeli Apartheid Week is growing, with Immigration Minister Jason Kenney linking organizers with antiSemitism, and others questioning why the effort isn’t instead focused on Iran and Syria.
This is the sixth year Israeli Apartheid Week has been held in Canada and in other countries around the world. The focus is generally on lectures, rallies and other efforts, with participants standing in solidarity with Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.
The annual event has been marred by controversy from the beginning, with some, like Kenney, accusing the participants of unfairly targeting Israel or inciting anti-israeli sentiments.
On Wednesday, Kenney went further, issuing a statement in which he accused the organizers of using “the cover of academic freedom to demonize and delegitimize the state of Israel.
“This week is nothing more than an unbalanced attempt to paint Israel and her supporters as racist,” he added.
“I call on all Canadians to reject anti-semitism and all forms of racism, discrimination and intolerance.”
Fellow Conservative MP David Anderson also called the description of Israel as an apartheid state “abhorrent,” while interim Liberal leader Bob Rae said the campaign “continues to defy logic.”
“This year the focus continues to be on Israel, rather than on the ap- palling massacres and human rights violations that have reached intolerable heights in countries such as Syria and Iran,” Rae said in a statement.
“Rather than singling out and demonizing one country, we should be encouraging students to come together and engage in constructive dialogue about peace and democratic reform in a Middle East that is transforming before our eyes.”
Dax D’orazio, a member of Students Against Israeli Apartheid at Carleton University, said Canada, the United States and much of the rest of the world are already extremely critical of what is happening in Syria and Iran. The fact those same Western nations aren’t speaking out against Israeli violations of Palestinian rights is the reason student groups and other organizations have taken up the mantle instead, he said — as happened in South Africa.
“If the international community is unwilling or isn’t doing anything, civil society globally has an obligation to do something.”
D’orazio accused Kenney of purposely trying to smear Israeli Apartheid Week participants and putting them on the defensive by linking them to anti-semitism.