Take a minute, tell Singh not to succumb to anti-Palestinian smears
It’s appalling that the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) labelled Leader Singh’s 13 demands regarding human rights for Palestinian rights “dangerous for Jews”.
CIJA owes an apology to Singh and the Palestinian people.
We applaud the direction the NDP has moved regarding championing Palestinian human rights. Singh’s recent participation in CIJA’s Parliament Hill lobbying session last week, however, legitimated CIJA’s anti-Palestinian positions and celebrated a country that Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Al Haq, B’tselem and the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinians have all found to be committing the crime of apartheid.
Nor should the NDP participate in the Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group. As a recent public letter calling on the NDP to withdraw from the Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group noted, “it is incoherent for the NDP to echo human rights groups finding of Israeli apartheid and simultaneously participate in a group promoting ‘co-operation’ with Israel.”
A few weeks ago, 40 groups and 200 prominent musicians, authors and NDP members called on the NDP party to withdraw from Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group. Following this over 1200 letters were sent to Singh and his team.
The Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group promotes “greater friendship” and “further co-operation” between Canadian MPs and members of the Israeli Knesset.
NDP Justice Critic Randall Garrison is vice-chair of the Interparliamentary Group while NDP MPs Lisa Marie Barron, Gord Johns and Bonita Zarrillo are all listed on its website.
Over the past 18 months the NDP has made important strides in opposing Canada’s contribution to Palestinian dispossession. At the party’s convention last year delegates voted to boycott Israel’s settlements and put an arms embargo on the country while in recent months NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson has repeatedly asked the Liberals why they reject Amnesty International’s conclusion that Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid.
On August 26, Jagmeet Singh hardened the NDP’s position on Israel by making 13 demands of the Trudeau government on Palestinian rights. Yet the NDP remains part of a group promoting “greater friendship” with Israel.
It’s time to fully embrace the views of most NDP party members and do the right thing regarding Palestine. It is time for Jagmeet and the NDP to promote their list of 13 demands on Palestinian rights and simultaneously disassociate the NDP from the Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group.
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