Letter to BDS Supporters,
Justice for Jews
Isn’t it time that Jews stood up for Jewish rights—the right not to be discriminated against because one supports Israel, not to be targeted with media lies, humiliated by antiZionist professors, banned from certain “progressive” movements and clubs, or threatened and intimidated by association with what others don’t like about Israel? Jewish lives are being threatened, Jewish students are being taunted and humiliated, pro-Israel advocates are sidelined and disparaged. Where is the justice for Jews?
Jews are on the front line of most social justice movements but often stand alone or don’t stand at all when it comes to social justice for Jews. This has to change. CAEF is partnering with the Lawfare Project and its grassroots movement End Jew Hatred, to encourage Canadians, Jews and non-Jews, to confront the injustices, to demand civil rights including the right of self-determination in our ancestral homeland.
Is anyone assuming that every Italian is responsible for the policies of Italy, or every Russian responsible for Russia’s Putin, or every Iranian responsible for the Ayatollah? So, why is every Jewish student expected to defend decisions of a faraway government? Why are the mistakes made by other governments, far less democratic governments, accepted as the responsibility of the citizens who live there and elect their governments, not the responsibility of that ethno-cultural individual living in Canada? Or if not a democracy, are we still holding the Canadian from Syria or China responsible for the madness and destruction, war crimes and terrorism of the ruling government? If they are responsible, they should be charged under our anti-terrorism laws.
So, it comes down to a simple fact—Jew Hatred! The more euphemistic word is “antisemitism,” but that is seemingly too complicated a concept for many people. The Lawfare Project studied this phenomenon and initiated a movement that every Jew can support, regardless of political or religious stripe—discrimination against Jews is NOT acceptable, not even when it is practiced by Jews.
CAEF invites you to join End Jew Hatred Canada and learn about strategies for standing up for Jews and holding Jew haters accountable. www.endjewhatred.com Indicate you are Canadian when you sign, use the message box.
Listen to the Webinar presentation by Professor Aurel Braun, describing the “Old Wine in a New Bottle, Antisemitism in the Era of Covid.”
Consider Professor Braun’s label of Jews who oppose Zionism to the extent that they support the destruction of Israel (pro BDS) and oppose the International Holocaust Remembrance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism ( a tool to protect Jews globally). These he labels “Jews of convenience” or “Jocons”, as they serve our enemies by intentionally misrepresenting IHRA as limiting free speech, which it does not. The“Jocons” were the Jews that served Lenin and Stalin in the establishment of communism in Russia and elsewhere. Then as now, they set themselves apart, believedwith righteous indignation that they had the solution to mankind’s problems and that living Jewishly was unacceptable, undesirable, erasable, and they set about to deprive others of their Judaism as they are trying to deprive Jews of Israel today. To what end, their own misguided self-deceptions, inflated egos, maniacal leftist progressivism?
A Response to Leftist Jewish Organizations that Oppose IHRA
By David Nussbaum, Ph. D., C. Psych.
I understand a concern anyone would have if their government engaged in atrocities, especially based on race or religion. However, that is not true of Israel at all. Anyone living here (in Israel) knows that Israeli Arabs enjoy human and political rights, including the ability to form political parties, whose members sit in the Knesset (parliament) and despite drawing government salaries, don't necessarily accept the legitimacy of the country. Indeed on occasion, they advocate against Israel in international fora. Israeli Arabs are covered by the same health care organizations as Jewish Israelis and receive identical health care services and benefits. Although exempt, many choose to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces.
What the article below demonstrates is that even Israeli Jews, who have internalized Leftist identities, employ exactly the same pattern of distorting reality to appear virtuous and concerned about the underdog while in reality, doing nothing at all for their alleged "victims." Typically, they make things worse for those they claim to seek to help. Sadly, they are motivated solely to obtain power. In the present instance, by holding Israel to a Double Standard, not legitimately criticizing policies but Demonizing the country, in an attempt to Delegitimize its very existence as a Jewish state and homeland. These collectively are referred to as" The Three D's" by Natan Sharansky but date back to Lenin.
The Double Standard is evident by their utter silence when other local governments commit real atrocities against their own Arab citizens including the massacres of Syrians by the Assad regime, the attacks on Copts and their churches in Egypt, and the utter racist and genocidal goals of the various Palestinian Arab political/terrorist groups whom these antisemitic Jewish Leftists de facto support with their incessant propagandizing with fabricated accusations against Israel.
No other country would tolerate groups on its borders advocating to establish their own state but who would entirely ban any current residents of "the wrong religion" from remaining in situ. Somehow that open and extreme example of an apartheid state, before such state even exists, escapes the scrutiny of the antisemitic Jewish Leftist groups claiming disingenuously to fight antisemitism when they do nothing but increase antisemitism.
The allegations made by these groups never concede any of the myriad positives achieved by Israel with respect to enhancing the lives of its Arab citizens and neighbours. This exclusive negativity in light of considerable counter-evidence is the signature of the Demonization tactic.
The ultimate goal of these Leftist groups is the Delegitimization of Israel. After all, the "logic" goes, if Israel is such a vile actor, how can it expect recognition from others around the globe as a legitimate member of the international community? The repugnant hypocrisy of this tactic can be seen clearly in a variety of ways. First, the charges against Israel are fabrications, just as were charges against the Jews supposed use of Christian blood to bake Passover Matzos, that was most prevalent during the Middle Ages, but still believed by some today.
Second, where is the outcry and the campaigns for delegitimization of the world's actual human rights abusers, who tend to occupy seats on the U.N. Human Rights Council? Those countries should have been nullified decades ago.
It is clear that the claims brought forth by these antisemitic Leftist Jewish groups sadly follow the same strategy used by the Left since Vladimir Ilyich Lenin proposed this coordinated troika for overthrowing successful Western democracies over a century ago. This is the main reason why the IRHA definition of antisemitism includes the idea that slander against the world's only Jewish State within its purview as antisemitic hate speech. Leave it to antisemites to object to anything that would curb their ability or pseudo-legitimacy to engage in the contemporary "politically correct" form of antisemitism.
David Nussbaum is a retired Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Scarborough. Herecently made Aliyah with his wife, Zipporah.
The Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation pays tribute to a man who fought hard for Justice for Jews, supported Israel, defended the Jewish people and gave much philanthropy to noble causes. Much has been written about Sheldon Adelson, his legacy, his commitment to favoured projects, and to his wife and family. I only saw him at a distance, and took these photos at the 2018 Conference of the Israel American Council in Florida. Adelson was a great supporter of IAC, and left an indelible mark on no small number of organizations to which he contributed.
Sheldon Adelson, shown in top photo, died at age 87 on January 12, 2020. His wife Miriam is in middle photo and bottom they are being interviewed at the IAC conference.
Here is an excerpt from one of the two personal memories reported by David Suissa, editor of the Jewish Journal on January 12th:
“My second memory is one word he emphasized at a pro-Israel event — “ambivalence.” His message was that real love should not be tainted by ambivalence. When you truly love someone or something, there shouldn’t be any second thoughts.
He was speaking about Israel. His love for Israel had no ambivalence. It didn’t mean he agreed with everything Israel did; it meant his love was iron-clad and permanent, just as we might love a child. “No ambivalence,” he repeated a few times to a large crowd.
I hope his legacy is—No Ambivalence, in our love of Israel.