Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid
Date: Friday March 28 / Time: 5pm to 7pm / Place:Indigo store - SE corner of Bay and Bloor intersection - Sign up now and come to the first monthly picket in spring where CAIA will be joining up with the people who hold the regular weekly picket organised by the Jewish Women's Committee to End the Occupation at this location. We want a strong showing to send a clear message to the majority shareholders, Heather Reisman and Gerry Schwartz, that their links to the HESEG foundation for Lone Soldiers (individuals from outside of Israel that want to serve in its military) are unacceptable. For more information, click here.
It has been five years since the US-led attack on Iraq, a war and occupation that was meant to 'liberate' a people. Instead, more than 1.2 million people have died and more than 5 million people have fled their homes and forced to live as refugees in desperate conditions. Under the guise of reconstruction, billions of dollars have been stolen from the much needed hands of Iraqis and put in the pockets of war profiteers. This year, the fifth anniversary will not pass quietly. Join Iraqis and activists throughout the city for Days of Action against the War on Iraq. Click here for details.
Join the CAIA contingent for Women’s Day (March 8) and the Anti-War Rally (March 15) under the banner: "End the Siege on Gaza." People of conscience around the world are mobilizing against this war, which is not only against Palestinians but against the very values of popular struggles for freedom, justice and equality over the world. We are calling all movements and organizations to join the call for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israeli Apartheid and hold the Canadian government accountable for its diplomatic, financial and military support for Apartheid Israel. On Women’s Day, Saturday March 8, the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid will march in solidarity with the people of Gaza in a larger contingent of migrant women, women of colour and our allies. Please come out and join us on March 8 under the banner: "End the Siege on Gaza - Women Fight for Palestine." Also, on Saturday March 15 join the CAIA contingent for the “World Against War" rally to demand “Troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, End the Siege on Gaza”(look for the Palestinian flags).
The Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) calls on all supporters of Palestinian rights to defend the right to organize at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. Last week, the McMaster Provost office, second in authority to that of the President's office, announced that student clubs were banned from using the term “Israeli Apartheid”. This is an unprecedented attack on the right to free speech, academic freedom, and the right to organize. This shocking decision came as students were attempting to organize events as part of Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW). CAIA firmly believes that this attempt to repress student organizing will fail. We call on student organizations, social justice groups and concerned individuals to support students at McMaster and the broader rights of Palestine organizers (full statement : info on action).
Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) is proud to announce the 4th annual Israeli Apartheid Week under the banner "60 Years of Nakba: End Israeli Apartheid" (press release). It will be a week-long series of events held concurrently in Canada, the U.S, U.K, South Africa, and Palestine. In Toronto events will take place onthree campuses: University of Toronto, Ryerson University and York University, including the founding conference of High-Schoolers Against Israeli Apartheid (HAIA). The 2008 Israeli Apartheid Week takes place on the 60th Anniversary of Al-Nakba; 60 years of ethnic cleansing and exile for Palestinians. For the firsttime IAW will also be occurring at universities in the West Bank. Activities vary from campus to campus, consisting of guest lectures, demonstrations, cultural events and film nights. (See also February 9th demo in solidarity with the people of Gaza : poster - .PDF format; leaflets - .PDF format; factsheet 1 - .PDF format; factsheet 2 - .PDF format).
2007 has been a busy and exciting year for the Palestine solidarity movement. While Mahmoud Abbas and Ehud Olmert attempt to hide Israel's crimes behind the lie of 'peace negotiations', thousands of individuals and organizations around the world are building a real and effective alternative centered on boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israeli apartheid. Here in Toronto, the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) has been a proud participant in this global movement. This brief report captures some of our activities over 2007. (Full report)
(All photos courtesy of RAPS) | On December 2nd, two hundred people from a host of community organizations braved the first snowstorm of the winter to protest the Jewish National Fund (JNF) annual Negev Dinner held at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Toronto. This year’s JNF dinner aimed to raise 7 million dollars for the refurbishment of the illegal “Canada Park”. Protesters denounced fund raising for the park, which is built on the destroyed Palestinian villages of Beit Nuba, Yallu and Imwas seized and destroyed by the Israeli military in 1967. The 10,000 Palestinian residents of these villages were expelled and have been denied the right to return to their homes for the past 40-years. In 1973, the Canadian branch of the JNF raised $15-million to establish “Canada Park” as a ‘picnic area’ build on top of the destroyed Palestinian villages. Click here for the full report.
On December 2, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) Of Canada will be holding its annual Negev Dinner to raise money for 'Canada Park' built on the destroyed Palestinian villages Of Beit Nuba, Yalu And Imwas. As part of the June 1967 war, the Israeli military invaded these three villages and ethnically cleansed their 10,000 inhabitants. In 1973, the Canadian branch of the JNF raised $15-million to establish ‘Canada Park’ - a ‘picnic area’ built on the ruins of these villages. After being displaced and dispossessed, the villages’ original inhabitants now live as refugees, not allowed to visit their homes. Join Us on December 2nd @ 4:30pm in front Of the Sheraton Hotel (Queen/Bay) to say no to the funding Of racism and ethnic cleansing!.
The Ryerson University President's Office and the Ryerson Students' Union invite you to a forum on academic boycott and academic freedom. Time: November 28th at 6pm / Place: 575 Bay Street @ Dundas Street (RBB - Ted Rogers Business Building in Room 1067) / Speakers: Salim Vally, South African anti-apartheid activist & academic; Alan Sears, Ryerson Sociology Professor; Stuart Murray, Ryerson English Professor; John Caruana, Ryerson Philosophy Professor; Moderated by: Suhana Meharchand, Award Winning CBC News Anchor. This is a historic debate, seating will be limited, come early. For More Info: Vice-President of Education, Ryerson Students Union, vp.education@rsuonline.ca.
Join the Students Against Israeli Apartheid and Salim Vally for "Apartheid: from South Africa to Palestine" Vally is a South African activist and a former regional executive member of the high school South African Student's Movement (SASM). He is the chairperson of the Palestine Solidarity Committee and the Anti-War Coalition in South Africa and currently a visiting scholar at the School of Social Sciences at York University. The event is part of the 5th Annual Week against the Apartheid Wall – called for by the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign and its popular committees – to mark 60 years of dispossession. The Campaign has called on the world to take action from November 9 – 16 to raise awareness of the global silence and complicity with Israel's apartheid regime and the importance of the movement for boycott, divestment and sanctions (to find out more about all the events planned in Toronto for this week, including CAIA's next Chapters/Indigo picket, click here).
The "Hamilton Declaration" was passed by 18 Palestinian Canadian community associations in Canada (Toronto, Mississauga, Ottawa, Halifax, Vancouver, London Ontario, Hamilton, Branford, Montreal, Al-Awda, Resistance Art): "We the Palestinian Canadian community assembly at the Palestinian National Voice Preparatory Conference in Hamilton, Canada, issue this letter out of profound concern regarding the present state of the Palestinian national struggle and the November 2007 "peace" conference to be hosted by the United States in Annapolis, Maryland...Today it is more apparent than ever that the only basis on which peace can be brought to the historic land of Palestine is through the establishment of a unified secular democratic state in which all citizens are equal and share the same rights and responsibilities regardless of a citizen's religion" (full text, click here).
CAIA announces two upcoming film screenings at the Brunswick Theater this month
MASSAKER (Oct. 23) is a psycho-political study, in content and aesthetics, about six suspects who took part in the massacres of Sabra and Shatila, not only because they were ordered to do so but also for their own motives. The film incorporates the psychological dispositions of the suspects with their political surroundings and approaches the phenomenon of collective violence through the accounts of the perpetrators. GOAL DREAMS (Oct. 31) is a feature length documentary about national and personal identity as seen through a team like no other. Comprised of multiples cultures, speaking different languages and having no home field, the Palestinian national soccer team and its players must overcome obstacles of a physical, emotional, cultural and geographic nature just to exist.
*Please post widely (download promotional poster by clicking here). All welcome.* Featuring: Toufic Haddad, Co-editor and contributing author of Between the Lines: Readings on Israel, the Palestinians, and the U.S. War on Terror. Followed by other speakers addressing the responsibility of Stephen Harper and the Canadian government in the current crisis. Join us for a public educational forum and Iftar dinner ($10-20 donation requested for dinner).
CAIA Re-affirms Solidarity as Canadian Government Escalates Attacks On Indigenous People
(19th September) - The Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) affirms its unequivocal solidarity and support to the struggle of indigenous people for sovereignty, dignity and self-determination across North America (Turtle Island). We strongly reiterate this support given the climate of repression and escalating attacks by the Canadian government on the indigenous population of this country.
Labour for Palestine Marches with Handala in Labour Day Parade!
On September 3rd, Labour for Palestine, a network of rank and file activists involved in promoting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israeli Apartheid across Canadian unions marched in the 20,000 strong annual Labour Day parade in Toronto. To mark the 20th anniversary of the assassination of Palestinian artist Naji El-Ali (creator of the character Handala) organizers build an 8ft Handala and marched through the streets of Toronto chanting “Freedom for Palestine, Justice for Palestine” and distributed 5000 leaflets. To read the full report click here. Pictures of the day are posted at this link.
Film Screening: Naji Al-Ali and Artist with a Vision (August 31)
In commemoration of the Palestinian artist Naji Al-Ali, the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid and No One Is Illegal invite you to a film screening of the award-winning documentary: NAJI AL-ALI AN ARTIST WITH VISION directed by Kasim Abid. Date: Friday, August 31; Times: 1st Showing 7 pm, 2nd Showing 9 pm; Tickets: $10 waged, $5 students, seniors and unwaged; Location: Brunswick theater (296 Brunswick Ave.) Advance tickets will be available at ** Brunswick theater (296 Brunswick Ave.) ** Toronto Women's Bookstore (73 Harbord st.)** OPIRG (563 Spadina Ave.) ** You can also purchase them on line at this link.
"OCCUPATION 101" SCREENINGS AT BRUNSWICK THEATER (JULY 27-29)
A 
powerful, thought-provoking film on the historical and current roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 3 SHOWINGS Friday July 27 9pm, Saturday July 28 9pm, Sunday July 29 7pm @ The Brunswick Theater (296 Brunswick Ave. at Bloor, west of Spadina). Tickets $10 or Organizational group tickets $5 : Trade unionists FREE (show your union card at the door). In person at the Brunswick Theatre (296 Brunswick Ave) and OPIRG (563 Spadina Ave.) or purchase online. In appreciation of the courageous stand taken by several sectors of the union movement in solidarity with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israeli Apartheid, all unionists are invited to attend free of charge to any of the three screenings of Occupation 101. For more information on the screenings see our flyer by clicking here or learn more about the film by visiting the official website. For more information on the growing moment of the BDS campaign, please make sure to check out the 'BDS News' section for up-to-date information on BDS initiatives.
JOIN THE JUNE 9 NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION AGAINST ISRAELI APARTHEID: BOYCOTT CHAPTERS / INDIGO!
In early June, Palestinians will mark 40 years of Apartheid Israel's illegal military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip and the Syrian Golan Heights. The Active Steering Committee of the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign has called for global days of action to mark this anniversary throughout the world. The Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) is organizing information pickets on June 9 outside of Chapters/Indigo bookstores throughout Toronto (other cities across Canada will also be holding pickets). For details on how to get involved click here (including Toronto locations for pickets), please contact us at endapartheid [at] riseup [dot] net and sign up for a location. The pickets will take place from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm – email us to sign up for a shift!
CAIA confronts Heather Reisman and her support for Israeli Apartheid
On Thursday May 10, activists from the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid confronted Heather Reisman, majority owner of Chapters and Indigo bookstores at a book signing for Ralph Nader's new book, The Seventeen Traditions. In the question and answer period, CAIA activists questioned Reisman about her support for the Heseg Foundation for Lone Soldiers, a program of financial support for former 'lone soldiers' in the Israeli military. Reisman refused to answer the questions posed to her and instead, shut down the event and walked out (watch a short video of the action by clicking here). Reisman will continue to be confronted by opponents of Israeli apartheid until all ties with Heseg are cut. Join CAIA on June 9th, to send a clear message to Indigo majority shareholders that they must turn the page on apartheid!
Commemorating Al-Nakba: Palestinian Refguees Will Return (May 15 and May 17)
Join us at 7:30 pm on Thursday May 17 at the Steel Workers Hall (25 Cecil Street) to commemorate the 59th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba – the Catastrophe of 1948. In 1948 Zionist militias destroyed more than 450 Palestinian villages and expelled around 750,000 Palestinians from their homes, beginning a process of ethnic cleansing that continues to this day. Palestinian refugees remain steadfast and continue to fight for their right to return. Also on Tuesday May 15th, the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid and the Brunswick Theater are presenting film showings to commemorate Al-Nakba including Michel Khleifi and Eyal Sivan's critically acclaimed film Route 181: Fragments of Journey to Palestine-Israel and short documentary films by the Balata Film Collective. Proceeds from the showings will go the Balata Film Collective. For more details click here (or download leaflet).
Mayworks Festival of Working People and the Arts is a multi-disciplinary arts festival that celebrates working class culture. This years Mayworks festival will include an exhibit titled: 40 YEARS OF ISRAELI OCCUPATION opening on Tuesday May 1 - Saturday June 16 @ the Toronto Free Gallery, 660 Queen Street East Opening Reception: Tuesday May 1, 6 pm and tour of exhibit at 7:30 pm, Admission Free! This visual arts show is both a documentation and confrontation of the lives and experiences of Palestinians living under Israeli military Occupation. The quality of life of Palestinians is nothing short of sub-standard, living in enclosed spaces without freedom of movement and up to 75% unemployment is only the beginning. Firmly rooted in a belief that art is an important tool to influence social movements and political action, curators Nahed Mansour and Simone Schmidt aim to expose the injustice of Israeli Occupation and challenge us to check all the media stereotypes at the door, in order to genuinely consider the voices of these artists in relating their experiences.
Renowned US-based activist, media commentator and professor, Joel Kovel, released his new book, 'Overcoming Zionism' at an event hosted by CAIA on April 4 as part of a Canadian tour promoting the work. Kovel sought the Green Party 2000 U.S. Presidential nomination and has served as a professor in psychiatry, anthropology, political science, social studies, and communications. His ten books include The Enemy of Nature: The End of Capitalism or the End of the World?, White Racism: A Psychohistory, and Red Hunting in the Promised Land: Anticommunism and the Making of America. He is currently editor-in-chief of "Capitalism Nature Socialism." The book launch coincides with the recent call by Palestinian health sector workers for a boycott of the Israeli Medical Association (IMA) until it clearly distances itself from Israeli apartheid.
CAIA launches Labour for Palestine: A Reader for Unionists and Activists 
Palestinian trade unions recently issued an urgent call for international solidarity calling for a boycott of Israeli apartheid and the racist Histadrut. Labour for Palestine, a group of cross-union rank and file activists active in the Coalition Againt Israeli Apartheid, has just produced an exciting new volume on the nature of the BDS campaign within the labour movement. On March 25th, the new book Labour For Palestine: A Reader for Unionists and Activists was launched at the Steelworkers Hall in Toronto (audio). To obtain a copy of this invaluable resource for your union, local, workers' resource center, campus, congregation or community center contact Labour for Palestine at labour@caiaweb.org
Since the US invasion of Iraq, Palestinian refugees fleeing Baghdad have been stranded in no-mans land on the border of Iraq, as Syrian and Jordanian authorities have thus far refused them entry. These families are currently stranded in Al-Hol, Al-Tanaf, Al-Ruweished and Al-Walid refugee camps. A few families from Al-Ruweished camp have been accepted to come to Canada under private sponsorship. These families have been living in dire conditions in a make-shift camp in the Iraqi desert for four years now and have come to Canada with nothing. They are in urgent need of our support – the Palestine House Women’s Committee urges all members of the Palestinian community and solidarity activists to contribute to this fundraising drive by direct donation or by participating in a Bake Sale organized for March 18th at Palestine House. (full text)
Open Letter to the People of Six Nations and the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island 
The Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign recently released a statement in solidarity with the Six Nations land-reclamation at Kanenhstaton near Caledonia: "On February 28th, 2006, after the Canadian government gave a construction company the permission to build a settlement on their land, the people of Six Nations took it back, demanding an end to the theft and destruction of their land and to settler encroachment on their territory. Many of them now face charges in Canadian courts for defending their land. This sounds tragically familiar to us in Palestine and to many others around the world. For over 500 years the same mechanisms have been used against indigenous peoples, to colonize and dispossess." (full text)
On February 17, CAIA and its supporters staged succesful rallies in Toronto and Halifax protesting the links between Heseg - the Foundation for Lone Soldiers and Indigo Books and Music Inc's majority shareholders. If you're interested in learning more about the action feel free to look at our press release, view the following photo-albums (here and here) or view an audio slideshow and watch a brief video. For more information on how you can help with the campaign and support it from your city/neighborhood click here.
Students Against Israeli Apartheid complete third annual 'Israeli Apartheid Week'
IAW 2007 took place in Toronto (see images), Montreal, Ottawa, Hamilton, New York, Oxford, Cambridge and London with a broad range of speakers exposing the apartheid nature of the Israeli state and discussing the need for a comprehensive BDS campaign. For more information on the week, including media-coverage and press releases visit the official IAW 2007 website (click image).
Palestinian workers set up a picket line around Israel and Histadrut - Call for BDS to intensify!
On 11 February 2007, the General Union of Palestinian Workers, Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions, the Coalition of Independent Democratic Trade Unions and other professional unions joined with the Palestinian anti-Apartheid Wall campaign to call for a comprehensive boycott, divestment and sanctions movement to isolate the apartheid state of Israel and the Zionist Histadrut. For a full resource page on labour involvement in this campaign visit the Stop the Wall Campaign and CUPE-Ontario websites as well as CAIA's statement in support of this call.