By: Sofia Chassomeris, News Writer
On October 16, Just Peace Advocates (JPA) and Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV) held an online press conference to discuss a joint report released with Dr. Miles Howe of Brock University. The report calls on the Canadian government to “expand its sanctions to include high-ranking Israeli officials and organizations that enable settler violence and support settlement expansion.” This includes organizations such as the World Zionist Organization (WZO) and Jewish National Fund (JNF).
JPA stated these organizations “receive millions of dollars in funding” annually for Israel’s “greatest needs in social and environmental infrastructure.” According to the report, both the WZO and JNF “facilitate illegal land grabs and settler violence under the guise of ‘development’ and support for ‘at-risk youth.’”
Speakers at the press conference emphasized the need for the Canadian government to take meaningful rather than symbolic actions against these organizations. The report states, “sanctions by Canada and other countries have thus far focused primarily on relatively low-level actors,” which JPA and IJV referred to as “a small, albeit grossly insufficient, step in the right direction.” One of these low-level actors includes Amana, an Israeli settler organization, which has been sanctioned for their “violent and destabilizing actions against Palestinian civilians and their property in the West Bank.” Karen Rodman, executive director of JPA, spoke to The Peak following the press conference, saying, “The call is for sanctions to be put onto [ . . . ] settler organizations especially.”
The report indicates that “extremist settler violence” in occupied Palestinian territories is facilitated by Israeli government officials and supported financially by “a network of entities” around the world. “Canada, as a third-party state, has the responsibility and accountability to not be in any way aiding and abetting, providing support to war crimes,” Rodman continued. She said the Canadian government should be holding Israel accountable “through their actions, like not allowing arms or charity dollars to go to a settlement or to support functions of the Israeli military.”
In terms of meaningful action, Rodman gave the example of the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) recent decision to revoke the charitable statuses of the JNF and Ne’eman Foundation of Canada. “Revoking charities would be another action of the government that is tangible,” said Rodman. The charities the CRA determined had disobeyed the rules of the Income Tax Act are no longer subsidized by Canadian tax dollars or exempt from income tax.
JPA and IJV are also calling on the Canadian government to cut diplomatic ties with high-ranking Israeli officials and enact a “comprehensive two-way arms embargo.” An arms embargo would mean Canada ceases to sell and purchase arms to and from Israel. In March, Canada motioned to “halt future arms sales to Israel,” but the final motion was amended to “no longer called for [a] total suspension.” Instead, “Canada has since ‘paused’ export approvals due to the risk that they could be used to violate human rights.”
“Certainly, if a full arms embargo was put in place that would be [a meaningful] action, rather than the rhetoric of words that may sound like they have something in them, but there’s no substantial action coming from them,” said Rodman. A full arms embargo would involve the “total suspension of all trade in military goods and technology with Israel.”
“The arms embargo — it’s just the right thing to do, right? It’s just right not to arm.”
