SEE US AT THE UJA BATHURST STREET FEST, MAY 20TH, 2019,
11:00a.m.-8:00p.m.
Where: a one kilometre stretch of Bathurst Street between York Downs Drive to Wilson Avenue, will be a place of music, food, entertainment, and will be closed to automobile traffic.
See us at site# 34
Celebrating Yom Ha'atzmahut, May 9 2019, Toronto
Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation (CAEF) representatives were proud to be invited to the celebration of Israel’s 71st anniversary, hosted by Israel’s Consul General, Galit Baram.
Islamophobia – the 21st century weapon to silence our freedom of speech - by Adam Milstein
The writer is an Israeli-American active philanthropist. He can be reached at adam@milsteinff.org, on Twitter @AdamMilstein and on Facebook.
On March 5, the US House of Representatives was set to vote on a resolution condemning antisemitism in the wake of freshman Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s latest hateful comments on Jews and Israel. Unfortunately, that resolution never made it to the House floor for a vote. Instead, on March 7, a revised resolution was passed 407-23, denouncing both antisemitism and Islamophobia “as hateful expressions of intolerance.”
Around the same time, a resolution was introduced on the floor of the United Nations in response to recent attacks on minority groups, like the horrific murder of 50 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the slaughter of 11 Jews at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Until Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon spoke out and rallied allies, the resolution only condemned Islamophobia, completely excluding antisemitism.
The events illustrate how antisemitism and Islamophobia are often framed in our discourse: as equivalent phenomena and equal dangers. This framing is both incorrect and problematic.
Let me be clear.
Bigotry, prejudice and violence must be called out and combated forcefully – whether it is directed at Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists or anyone else. Those who traffic in this hatred must be marginalized and, when possible, prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
That said, by definition, antisemitism and Islamophobia refer to two very different phenomena – and should not be lumped together as one and the same.
Everyone Knows... but Everyone’s Wrong - by Victor Rosenthal
Victor Rosenthal, who publishes a blog under the name Abu Yehuda, explains succinctly how to understand various concepts and to defend Israel with the truth. Antisemitism doesn’t really need much fuel to grow from a spark to a blaze, but much fuel comes from lies about Israel and the confluence of Jew and Israel that operates in the minds of many Jew-haters. New developments in Israel are particularly open to criticism; the anti-Israel critics would have nothing change, no new developments on either side of the felt-tipped green marker-made line (hence the cease fire line is referred to as the “green line”), nor any efforts to resolve conflicts that don’t inevitably lead to the demise of Israel. Legal and historical facts don’t preclude the anti-Zionists from judging Israel wrong at every turn.
This article originally published April 12, 2019 and republished by JNS in May, speaks to the fact that there are no “occupied” territories and that extending Israeli law to Areas in Judea and Samaria known as "Area C” is not illegal.
The Importance of the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism, and What You Can Do
The working definition adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance is very significant and forms the foundation of much global work on countering antisemitism. Canada is a signatory to the definition and has representation on the Alliance, so it falls to all Canadians to work to have the full definition adopted by all levels of government, by our security services, schools and universities, public institutions of all kinds. One of the most important elements is equating AntiZionism with Antisemitism, which acknowledges that mere criticism of an Israeli policy does not automatically reduce to antisemitism unless said criticism is ONLY made of Israel while other countries with the same policy are ignored—applying a double standard is an indication of antisemitism.
Former Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, explains the double standard very well in a recent video produced by Prager U. CAEF urges everyone to watch this and share it.
Let’s get to know the Canadian delegation to IHRA
Canada’s membership in the IHRA is an affirmation at the highest political level of its commitment to Holocaust education, remembrance and research.
Member country since: 2009
Remembrance Days:
27 January (International Holocaust Remembrance Day),
17 January (Raoul Wallenberg Day)
Guiliana Natale (Office of Human Rights, Freedoms and Inclusion) – Deputy Head of Delegation
Amanda Sharaf (Indigenous Services) – Deputy Head of Delegation
Gina Csanyi-Robah (Canadian Romani Alliance) – Education Working Group
Clint Curle (Canadian Museum for Human Rights) – Education Working Group
Alain Goldschlager (University of Western Ontario - Holocaust Literature Research Institute) – Academic Working Group
Alice Herscovitch (Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre) – Education Working Group
Belle Jarniewski (Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada) – Education Working Group
Nina Krieger (Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre) – Museums and Memorials Working Group
Jeremy Maron (Canadian Museum for Human Rights) – Museums and Memorials Working Group
Dafina Savic (Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre) – Museums and Memorials Working Group
Mark Selby (Senior Policy Advisor, Global Affairs Canada)Jody Spiegel (Azrieli Foundation) – Education Working Group
David Matas (B'nai B'rith Canada)
Ann Roberts (Department of Canadian Heritage)
Canada’s IHRA Chairmanship in 2013 helped raise awareness of the Holocaust through initiatives such as a ‘National Award for Excellence in Holocaust Education’, participation in an international poster design competition, development of a comprehensive research guide to holdings related to the Holocaust in its National Library and Archives, and government funding to help preserve and disseminate Holocaust survivor testimony.
CAEF supports the Member Obligations which constitute a plan of action for Canada. Stated below, these are commitments for which our Federal Government is accountable. Let’s work together to ensure these obligations are met, but are also replicated by every province, and that the nexus of AntiZionism and Antisemitism is understood and both are denounced.
Every country must submit the completed Liaison Projects-Baseline Study form to the Chair of the IHRA. The Liaison Projects-Baseline Study is circulated to the members of the IHRA over the general listserv at least six weeks before the plenary meeting at which the interested government seeks admission as a Liaison.
Liaison programs will include, as a minimum, two multilateral (i.e. involving more than one IHRA member country) in depth teacher-training courses, with government commitment. As is customary with IHRA projects organized by the Education Working Group, observers from IHRA countries will attend, and evaluations of the seminars will be made to the Education Working Group, which in turn will report to the Chair. The seminars will be concentrated around a core of Holocaust topics.
A Holocaust Memorial Day (on January 27, or another date chosen by the applicant country), will be established.
The government of the member country should demonstrate clear public policy commitment to Holocaust education at a senior political level. This will mean appropriate involvement of relevant government departments.
The Chair will visit the candidate country at least once during its period of candidacy, and will receive copies of relevant correspondence of the different Working Groups with the relevant institutions of the candidate country. The Chair may disseminate reports about the activities in the candidate country over the general IHRA listserv.
The member country will satisfy the IHRA that its archives dealing with the Holocaust period (1933-1950) are open for research, and that there is or will be academic, educational, and public examination of the country's historical past as related to the Holocaust period.
The member country will commit itself to pay a yearly contribution to the IHRA Fund of EUR 30,000.
The member country will endorse the previous decisions of the IHRA.
The member country will commit itself to contribute to the operational activities of the IHRA.
The member country will commit itself to the IHRA's four Working Groups, sending two delegates to the Education Working Group, one to the Academic Working Group, one to the Memorials and Museums Working Group, and one to the Communication Working Group.
The member country is approved for membership only upon fulfillment of these conditions, and a visit by an IHRA delegation to confirm these.
Volunteers Wanted
Looking for a new activity, an important role in a non-profit charitable organization, a chance to learn more about important issues affecting the Jewish community and Israel in an era of increasing antisemitism and antiZionism?
Contact: Andria Spindel for information on volunteer opportunities, andria@caef.ca
Support our commitment to protecting Israel from AntiZionist Lies
