Israel Apartheid Week Tests Canadian Free Speech
This is my first blog for informedvote, my name is Noah and I’m a History major at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. History and politics are my passion and I look forward to sharing my opinions through this blog.
Israel Apartheid Week (IAW) is an international campaign touring University campuses across the United States and Canada, aimed at “enlightening” young people in North America about the injustices Palestinians face in within Israel. My problem lies not within the content, because I strongly believe everyone should be able to fight for what they believe in, but within the execution.
The Israel Apartheid week campaign simply feels like a campaign based on centuries of hate. The severity of this hatred is clear through the campaign’s main poster, depicts a helicopter labeled “Israel” shooting a rocket at a small boy holding a teddy-bear. This picture grossly misrepresents the nature of a conflict thousands of miles away, within circumstances unimaginable. This picture also shows absolutely no respect to the civilian victims on either side of the conflict, be them men, women, or children.
It is clear that the IAW campaign also attempts to draw a direct parallel between itself and the Apartheid that the black community of South Africa faced for 46 long years. The unlawfully campaign resurrects this pain and suffering. It is unfair to compare the struggle of Nelson Mandela and so many subjected South Africans to that of those living in the war torn Middle East.
The IAW campaign decisively preys upon the naivety of the western world through a subversively slanderous campaign. Within the campaign, their shock tactic advertising tests the boundaries of free speech in Canada.
Well, you don’t have to listen to me, feel free to check out their website and form your own opinion!
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March 12th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
I completely agree with this post Noah. The whole campaign is based on antisemitism and hatred rather than educating and enlightening people about the situation in the Middle East.
March 16th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
While I do believe that the poster projects a one-sided view of the turmoil we have to remember that there are paralells between S.A. and contemporary Israel.
-Both were created by colonial powers making decisions about land that had been recently conquered.
-Both give (gave in S.A.) absolute power to the “western” (read white) government because international law is largely defined by the western colonial nations. Palestine is not a country…
These points alone are enough to justify anger and a serious movement against Canadian and American supported “apartheid”. I believe that while some people are anti-semetic, and there is a large amount of ingrown hatred, there has been a lopsided fight where for the most part the palestinians have been losing.
I am Jewish, and am totally ashamed of Israel’s actions towards Palestine. It is not anti-semetic to show bloodshed and anger. Sometimes people need to be shocked to begin the process of critical thought.
There are no easy answers to this struggle. Much like Tibet or even Native land claims here in N. America there are generations of “invaders” who have lived their lives in the new land, and one can’t just throw them out, but informing N. Americans of what their governments are supporting is extremely important. Israel is not just protecting themseles against terrorism, but at best trying to scare their capteurs in to submission, and at worst kill them off.
I sing for the people of Israel and Palestine every day.
March 18th, 2009 at 12:44 am
Thank you for your response. Your points are extremely valid but I feel that the IAW campaign fails to ignore the nature of the state of war occupying the region. This conflict effects both Israelis and Palestinians.
March 19th, 2009 at 10:16 am
46 long years of Apartheid sounds pretty “war torn” to me. I see you did not fail to ignore your grammar check. Look “state(s) of war” can’t “occupy” a region. Militaries can. People can. Is anyone being prosecuted for a hate crime based on this material? Are you suggesting that there is no legal right in Canada to argue for only one side in a conflict?
March 20th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Black South Africans did not launch rockets from neighboring states at innocent people.
March 20th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Fair enough, though the western world stirring up a nest of hatred sure sounds like an old story. What you say hardly answers the other points. If the circumstances are unimaginable it would be difficult to accurately state that the depiction is incorrect. Did the Israeli military not bomb schools, kill children? The UN must have been mistaken, huh? The poster in question in fact depicts an event that they have said occurred (the bombs’ origins perhaps not a helicopter but hardly relevant). Funny you should bring up the term slanderous. I am glad you stopped just short of accusing the campaigners of a crime (defamation law being what it is in Canada)…perhaps there is none?
And for the record I don’t know enough to have a position on this conflict in the middle east. I do know that pushing the limits of free speech in and of itself never hurt anyone.
March 21st, 2009 at 12:14 am
I definitely agree. The campaign doesn’t cross the line but it comes very close and it hasn’t hurt anyone. That’s why it’s effective. It plays off a lot presumptions but that’s how these things work. Neither side in this conflict is in the right but to call Israel an apartheid state is a stretch. Thanks for your responses.