[Fdu] We condemn President Lenton's participation in Israel lobby conference

Sat Mar 3 23:51:19 EST 2018

We condemn president Lenton's participation in Israel lobby conference
SAIA York statement condemning president Lenton's participation in 
Israel lobby conference
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  SAIA York Condemns President Lenton's Participation in Israel Lobby
  Conference

Dear members of the York community,

We strongly condemn President Rhonda Lenton’s participation as a keynote 
speaker in the “Combating Hate Speech and Antisemitism: Legal 
Perspectives” conference on February 13, hosted by hardline Israel-lobby 
group 
<https://saiayork.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bcfcf2da47751fdee27b8ddd5&id=ff5e833247&e=71b288f5b1>, 
the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and one of its principal 
funders, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto (UJA).

CIJA has a history of defending far-right pro-Israel policies, including 
illegal settlements 
<https://saiayork.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bcfcf2da47751fdee27b8ddd5&id=7dd2c6c255&e=71b288f5b1>, 
and recently praised the Trump administration’s decision to openly 
disregard international law by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital 
<https://saiayork.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bcfcf2da47751fdee27b8ddd5&id=8546ab350f&e=71b288f5b1>. 

Moreover, CIJA is leading the charge to criminalize Palestine solidarity 
activism by falsely equating legitimate criticism of the Israeli 
government with anti-Semitism.

CIJA has accused the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS)—a 
  Palestine-led, nonviolent campaign aimed at pressuring Israel to end 
its illegal occupation of Palestinian territories and systematic 
violation of human rights—as being “unavoidably anti-Semitic 
<https://saiayork.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bcfcf2da47751fdee27b8ddd5&id=9b28327231&e=71b288f5b1>,” 
and UJA has claimed that activists encouraging the boycott of Israeli 
goods while “wearing pro-Palestinian shirts” represent a “dramatic surge 
in global anti-semitism 
<https://saiayork.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bcfcf2da47751fdee27b8ddd5&id=ea93db0dd6&e=71b288f5b1>.”

The York community has rejected this position: In recent years, major 
representative organizations—including YFS, YUGSA, and CUPE 3903—have 
all endorsed the BDS movement. Moreover, there is no consensus within 
the Jewish community that BDS—a global movement rooted in principles of 
human rights and democracy—constitutes anti-Semitism.

Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV), an organization that supports 
the right of Canadians to challenge Israeli policy, including through 
BDS 
<https://saiayork.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bcfcf2da47751fdee27b8ddd5&id=5246049818&e=71b288f5b1>, 
states that CIJA and UJA “distinguish themselves by their unconditional 
support for the policies of the Netanyahu government of Israel… These 
organizations may represent their members, but in no way can they claim 
to represent, or speak for, all Jewish communities. Jews are diverse in 
their political views, religious beliefs, and ethnic backgrounds.” 
<https://saiayork.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bcfcf2da47751fdee27b8ddd5&id=a2b2e5fec2&e=71b288f5b1>

CIJA has often attempted to sideline 
<https://saiayork.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bcfcf2da47751fdee27b8ddd5&id=9a62292271&e=71b288f5b1> organizations 
like IJV and other Jewish activists for their support 
<https://saiayork.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bcfcf2da47751fdee27b8ddd5&id=fa5f635931&e=71b288f5b1> of 
those who stand in solidarity with the struggle for Palestinian rights 
under attack by the lobby group 
<https://saiayork.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bcfcf2da47751fdee27b8ddd5&id=61fdf86a72&e=71b288f5b1>.

Notably absent from the conference are speakers who contend that by 
falsely equating anti-Semitism with criticisms of Israel, Israel lobby 
groups including CIJA are distracting us from the reality that it is the 
far-right—not Palestine solidarity activists—who are generating a new 
wave of anti-Semitism around the world. Ironically, far-right 
organizations, despite their virulent anti-Semitism, are often Israel’s 
strongest supporters.

The rise of anti-Semitism in recent years is a real and alarming 
phenomenon. Here at York University we saw several incidents of 
disturbing racist graffiti targeting Jewish students on campus. The 
Palestine solidarity movement stands unequivocally opposed to anti-Semitism.

By engaging with organizations that “fight anti-Semitism” by lobbying 
for the criminalization of human-rights-based activism, while also 
praising an American President whose hateful rhetoric has fuelled the 
rise of bigotry around the world, President Lenton has demonstrated that 
she lacks the moral clarity and political conviction to combat racism in 
all its forms.

We will continue to monitor these events closely.

Sincerely,

Students Against Israeli Apartheid at York University
York Federation of Students
Independent Jewish Voices - Toronto

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