September 9, 2019
CAEF joins several Jewish organizations in asking that Dr. Meric Gertler, President of the University of Toronto, act on his commitment to challenge/confront antisemitism on the U of T campus. Ignoring his own recently published statement in the Canadian Jewish News would be a mockery of his commitment, and endanger Jewish students on campus.
Here is some of the information about the notorious antisemite who has been and may still be a member of the sadistic, terrorist organization, The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Issam Al-Yamani is a Palestinian living in Canada, alleged by the Canadian government to have ties with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Born and raised in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, Al Yamani legally emigrated to Canada via Jordan in 1985, at which time he was granted permanent resident status. In 1988, he applied for Canadian citizenship. During this time he became the subject of an investigation by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).
A report conducted in 1992 through Canada's Immigration Act, authored by the Solicitor General and Minister of Immigration, alleged that Al Yamani was a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The report was sent to the Security Intelligence Review Committee, (SIRC). As a result of the report, a security certificate was created for Al Yamani in 1993.
Al-Yamani then applied for and was granted a judicial review of his case. Justice Mackay agreed with Al-Yamani's Charter-based argument that a portion of the legislation used to charge him contravened his right to freedom of association. Based on this ruling, the first security certificate against Al-Yamani was dismissed.
In 1997, the SIRC issued a second certificate, which was also ended by the judge's ruling that their case had ignored key evidence on the accused's behalf.
In 2000, Al-Yamani was informed that security proceedings against him would be dropped, but the Minister of Immigration began an inquiry in consideration of changes to the legislation that had occurred in 1993.
Al-Yamani's attempt at a stay of the charges was denied in 2001, and a new application for his removal was begun shortly after, under regular immigration proceedings rather than the security certificate provision. Most recently, a deportation order was issued for his removal on April 20, 2006. It has yet to be executed.
(quotes from JDL bulletin, original info on Wikipedia)
In 2014, Mr. Al-Yamani gave a speech in downtown Toronto that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) interpreted as inciting violence. The CBSA then issued a report stating that he is a "danger to the security of Canada.” A CBSA report also claims that two PFLP members tasked with bombing an airplane “confessed to placing the bomb on instructions from Al-Yamani.”
According to a Global News investigation on Mr. Al-Yamani published in March of 2018, the Government of Canada has been trying to deport him for the past 26 years.
While criticism of Israel (that doesn’t delegitimize or demonize it) is certainly acceptable by invited guests and speakers, members of recognized terror groups should not be lauded and legitimized by groups on campus, particularly under the banner of “human rights.”
(quote from Hasbara Fellowships)
The story below from Global News, May 2018 about Al-Yamani speaks to the failure of Canada’s security deportation procedures.
Meanwhile, the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center also issued a statement on September 6, 2019 demanding the school disallow Al-Yamani from speaking at the event on campus.
Hillel Ontario is also quoted: “We are deeply concerned about his (Al-Yamani's) presence on campus, and obviously very perturbed by the idea that a person with ties to a terrorist organization would be even invited to campus. And beyond that, we have engaged in conversations with the University of Toronto’s administration and have made them aware of our concerns.”
So, on what basis is Issam Al-Yamani being promoted as a speaker? The event itself has nothing to do with peace amongst Arabs and Jews, but rather is a hate fest that should be stopped. Here is the information that every Canadian should consider: There is NO truth to the allegation that Israel is an apartheid state. There is No truth to the claims of economic injustice to Arab Palestinians by Israel. Consider that the Palestinian Authority(PA) President has both stolen and squandered hundreds of millions of dollars and financially rewards jailed murderers of Jews.
Consider that the Palestinian Postal Workers Union is a terror-supporting union calling for a boycott of Israel, backed by the Canadian Postal Workers Union. The entire event is a disgusting display of antisemitism and a shameful political ploy being perpetrated on the students and faculty at a Canadian university.
