Independent Jewish Voices (Canada)

Independent Jewish Voices (Canada) (IJV(C)), formerly known as the Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians (ACJC) is a coalition of Canadian Jews who are critical of the policies of the Israeli government, particularly toward the Palestinians. The alliance adopted its current name after its first national conference in 2008.

Background

The IJV(C) argues that Israel has wrongly "claim [ed] to speak in the name of Jewish people around the world," and that "those of us who have a different vision" should "come forward publicly to present our views to the Canadian Jewish community and to the people of Canada." At the time of a March 2007 press release, the alliance consisted of "184 Jewish academics and activists across Canada who oppose Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands."

Diana Ralph, who helped found the organization, has stated that IJV(C) wants Israel to withdraw from disputed territories and allow any Palestinians who have lost homes in the past 60 years to reclaim them. Ralph has also said the alliance is necessary to open up debate in her community, arguing that "When you try to ask about two subjects, there's no room for discussion. One is circumcision and the other is support for Israel."cite web | title=A different vision for Israel| publisher=Toronto Star| date=April 12, 2008| url=http://www.thestar.com/article/413810]

In June 2006, the alliance defended the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) resolution for a boycott of Israel in disagreement with the condemnation of the trade union by the Canadian Jewish Congress. [http://canadiandimension.com/articles/2006/06/19/520/] CUPE Ontario president Sid Ryan has cited the alliance's support while defending his union against charges of anti-Semitism. [Ryan, Sid, [http://www.ontario.cupe.ca/www/News/Ryan_Defends_CUPEs_N "Slurs will not silence us"] , "Globe and Mail", pg A17, July 7, 2006.]

IJV(C) attempted to affiliate with the Canadian Jewish Congress in 2006-07, when it was still known as the Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians. [http://eutopic.lautre.net/coordination/article.php3?id_article=726] Its application was initially rejected in August 2006, with the ACJC's defence of the CUPE resolution on Israel being cited as a reason although the alliance did not identify with the entire contents of the CUPE resolution. Josh Rotblatt, CJC's director of operations, wrote that "no member organization of CJC can support an economic boycott of the state of Israel, not to mention approving wording which describes the nature of the Israeli state as 'apartheid.' " The decision was reviewed at a subsequent meeting of the CJC's national officers, as the result of an appeal by law professor Michael Mandel acting on behalf of ACJC. [Block, Irwin, [http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=ebc3137f-2dc4-4671-94c2-243b311cbb0a Anti-occupation group may win CJC acceptance; Membership was rejected in August letter] , "Montreal Gazette", October 29, 2006.] The CJC once again refused to accept the application.

In response to the group's exclusion, ACJC Administrative Secretary Abraham Weizfeld said that the CJC had become dominated by sectarian forces, adding that the "CJC's refusal to include all tendencies in the Jewish community should be seen as a futile attempt to marginalize growing Jewish opposition to Israel's behaviour and to the exclusive character of the Israel State". Weizfeld also criticized the CJC's June 2007 decision to discontinue the practice of holding direct elections for its Board of Directors. He noted that 25% of the Board's seats are now reserved for the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy, which he described as providing "unquestioning support to Israel, regardless of what it does". ["Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians slams Canadian Jewish Congress exclusion", "Canada NewsWire", 3 July 2007, 15:41.]

In his article announcing the formation of Independent Jewish Voices, a group of prominent British Jews in disagreement with the Jewish community leadership's position on Israel, Brian Klug referred to the Canadian group as one of several similar Jewish groups internationally "who are confronted with the same climate are taking similar steps to make their voices heard." [Klug, Brian, [http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/brian_klug/2007/02/hold_jewish_voices.html Who speaks for the Jews of Britain] , "The Guardian", February 5, 2007]

In an article written for the Winnepeg Free Press and reprinted widely since, IJV(C) member Jason Kunin wrote that "pro-Israel advocacy depends upon on the active dissemination of Islamophobia. Not surprisingly, engendering hatred in this manner inflames anti-Jewish sentiment among Arabs and Muslims. None of this is a recipe for making Jews safe" and that "Defenders of Israel often argue that Israel is forced to do what it does — to destroy people's homes, to keep them under the boot of occupation, to seal them into walled ghettos, to brutalize them daily with military incursions and random checkpoints — to protect its citizens from Palestinian violence."." [cite web | title=Criticizing Israel is not an act of bigotry| publisher=Arab American News| date=2007-3-10| url=http://www.arabamericannews.com/newsarticle.php?articleid=7859]

The ACJC protested an event honouring Israel's 60th birthday at the National Arts Centre (NAC) in Ottawa with Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, and Neturei Karta, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish group with rejects Zionism and calls for the state of Israel to be dismantled. Diana Ralph stated that many Canadian Jews were appalled by Israeli policies in relation to Palestinian people and that the Canadian government "should not honour Israel without acknowledging the catastrophe that happened to the Palestinian people." [cite web | title=AIsraelis and Palestinians Unite | publisher=A-Channel| url=http://www.achannel.ca/ottawa/news_57265.aspx]

First National Conference

The ACJC held its first national conference on March 28-30, 2008 with Naomi Klein as its keynote speaker [http://youtube.com/watch?v=NS0lVVpXjn0] . It affirmed its support for international law, its opposition to all forms or racism (including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia), and pledged to counter the view that any criticism of Israel's government and military policies is automatically racist. Specifically, IJV(C) opposed the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza which commensed in 1967. [http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2007/03/c3437.html] The Principles adopted at the conference support the view that:

"There is no justification for any form of racism, including anti-Semitism, anti-Arab racism or Islamophobia, in any circumstance. The battle against anti-Semitism is vital, and it is undermined whenever opposition to Israeli government policies is automatically branded as anti-Semitic." [http://www.canpalnet-ottawa.org/ACJC_Statement.html]

The seven stated goals of IJV(C) are:

*1. To give Jewish Canadians an alternative that works for peace and justice
*2. To challenge the Jewish establishment's views on the Middle East
*3. To open up discussion about Israeli government and military actions
*4. To support the right of Canadians to discuss Israeli policies without fear of being accused of anti-Semitism
*5. To promote contacts with Muslims and Arabs in Canada and to demonstrate that we can work together for peace
*6. To oppose wars of aggression
*7. To work in solidarity with the peace movements and war resisters within Israel [http://www.nion.ca/pdf/acjc-conference-callout.pdf]

ACJC Criticism of B'Nai Brith Canada on Security Certificates

In 2007, the ACJC sharply criticized Bnai Brith Canada for supporting "security certificates," which are used by the Canadian Federal Government to detain and deport non-citizens without warrants or criminal procedures. Diana Ralph stated that "These days, B’nai Brith seizes every opportunity to come down firmly in opposition to fundamental human rights principles.” The ACJC press release, posted on Canadian Dimension, stated that "It is ironic that B’Nai Brith should defend a law so similar to those Nazis employed against Jews in the name of national security. Hermann Goering’s testimony at the Nuremberg war crime trials eerily echoes B’Nai Brith’s stand on security certificates."cite web | title=B’Nai Brith Condemned for Supporting Security Certificates | publisher=Canadian Dimension| date=March 6, 2007| url=http://canadiandimension.com/articles/2007/03/04/956/]

upport for Norman Finkelstein

In 2007, Abraham Weizfeld, Administrative Secretary of IJV(C), protested the denial of tenure by DePaul University to controversial professor Norman Finkelstein. In an email to the President of DePaul , Weizfeld wrote that "Your university has lost a world-class scholar and a much admired teacher in a tenure process tainted by external pressures aiming to shut down academic discussion." The alliance praised Finkelstein, who they stated "distinguished himself as a careful scholar who has, through his widely read and appreciated books, documented and raised important issues regarding Israeli governments’ violations of human rights and humanitarian law in Israel and Palestine. We regard this as a service in the cause of creating understanding of human rights issues and promoting the ideas of peace and justice." [http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/article.php?pg=11&ar=1231]

Criticism

The Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) has criticized IJV(C). Bernie Farber, chief executive of the CJC, states that "no one ever says Israel is perfect" and predicted the fledgling group will have trouble finding support. Farber stated that the alliance "will remain a rump on the edge of Jewish society."

References

ee also

*Independent Jewish Voices (UK)
*Independent Australian Jewish Voices

Further reading

* [http://ijvcanada.blogspot.com/ Independent Jewish Voices (Canada)]
* [http://www.cjnews.com/viewarticle.asp?id=9660 Canadian Jewish News article]
* [http://www.vcn.bc.ca/outlook/library/articles/jewsontheleft/05Dissent.htm True Patriot Love - Jewish Dissent in Canada] by ACJC founder Michael Benazon, "Outlook", Nov/Dec 2005
*Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians, [http://canadiandimension.com/articles/2007/02/20/921/ The Jewish Grassroots Revolt] . "Canadian Dimension". February 19 2007.
* [http://www.imemc.org/article/53845 Jewish Canadian Coalition]