No. 29
May 4, 2026
Opposition to U.S./Zionist War on Iran, Palestine and Lebanon
• World Puts to Rest U.S. Hysteria of "Iran Nuclear Threat"
• Iran Spells Out Conditions for Resumption of
Negotiations with
U.S.
• Hezbollah Rejects "Craven Negotiations" with Israel
• New Israeli Settlements -- Flagrant Contempt for
UN and
International Law
• Important Meeting to Mark Palestinian Prisoners' Day in Montreal and Toronto
Photo Review
• Canadians and Quebeckers' Steadfast Support for Palestine in March and April
Opposition to U.S./Zionist War on Iran, Palestine and Lebanon
World Puts to Rest U.S. Hysteria of
"Iran Nuclear Threat"
Ambassador
Do Hung Viet, Viet Nam's Permanent Representative to the United Nations
(centre) chairs 11th Review Conference Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons Treaty, UN Headquarters, New York City, April 27, 2026. (VNA)
On April 27, Iran was chosen by the majority of members of the United Nations to sit as one of 34 vice presidents of the 11th Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) month-long Review Conference. Iran was nominated by the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) comprised of 121 developing nations that strongly support genuine nuclear disarmament and the sovereign right to peaceful nuclear technology. By electing Iran to a leading position in the NPT review, the nation states which are members of the UN put the U.S. in its place and put to rest U.S. fabrications and hysteria that Iran has been secretly only weeks away from acquiring a nuclear weapon or that Iran's peaceful nuclear development projects pose a "nuclear threat" to humanity.
The U.S. and a handful of its allies, including Australia and the United Arab Emirates, were shaken and declared the UN membership demonstrated contempt for the NPT by choosing Iran as a vice president for the review, while Britain, France, and Germany voiced "concern." Canada remained silent and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told reporters on Parliament Hill: "I want to be absolutely clear that there was no vote taken on the matter, and in particular, my officials who spoke two times yesterday on the issue of Iran were completely clear, that there is absolutely no support from the Canadian government for the Iranian regime and any leadership positions it holds."
Russia, on the other hand, firmly supported Iran's nomination and rejected any attempts to slander or malign Iran which is a responsible member of the international community. Iran in fact has been in full compliance with its commitments to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) despite U.S. and E3 (Britain, France, Germany) claims to the contrary.
The 11th NPT Review Conference is taking place from April 27 to May
22 at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Viet Nam's Permanent
Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Do Hung Viet, is
heading up the Review and has emphasized the need to advance practical
disarmament
measures, enhance transparency, build trust and reduce nuclear risks.
In related news, on May 1, in a post shared on its social media
account, Iran's mission to the United Nations issued a strongly
worded statement accusing the U.S. of failing to meet its
obligations under the NPT. The
mission described the U.S. record as "extremely shameful," arguing
that the U.S., as a state possessing thousands of nuclear
warheads and the leading proliferator of nuclear weapons, has been
in "clear non-compliance" with Articles I and VI of the treaty for
56 years.
It also accused the United States of exploiting the NPT Review
Conference to misrepresent Iran's nuclear program and shift
attention away from its own violations and those of its allies.
The mission stressed that all of Iran's enriched uranium has
consistently remained under "full supervision of the International
Atomic Energy Agency, and there is no report of even one gram of
Iran's nuclear material being diverted."
The statement also stressed that the UN Security Council, the International Atomic Energy Agenccy's Director-General and its Board of Governors not only "failed to condemn these illegal attacks, but most regrettably, took actions that reversed the roles of the victim and the aggressor."
Despite this, Iran said the U.S. has portrayed Iran's peaceful nuclear activities as a threat, using the NPT forum to advance a politicized narrative while ignoring broader concerns over nuclear disarmament commitments.
The mission further argued that such framing serves to divert attention from U.S. violations and the failure of its allies to uphold obligations in the field of nuclear disarmament.
Instead, the statement said, these institutions have contributed to reversing "the roles of the victim and the aggressor."
Iran Spells Out Conditions for Resumption of Negotiations with U.S.
Iran has informed mediators in the negotiations with the U.S. of its conditions which the U.S. must agree to for a resumption of negotiations to end the U.S.-Israeli unprovoked aggression against Iran. It is a three-phase framework according to media reports, with the first phase being an end to U.S.-Israeli aggression and securing guarantees that fighting will not resume against Iran and Lebanon. Until this first phase is realized, Iran does not intend to discuss any other issues, the report said. The second phase would address management of the Strait of Hormuz and reportedly envisions coordination with Oman to establish a new legal framework governing the strategic waterway. Iran's nuclear program would only be discussed once the first two stages of the plan are realized.
These details were revealed over the April 25-26 weekend in the
course of a diplomatic initiative by Iran which saw Iranian Foreign
Minister Abbas Araghchi in conversations with his counterparts from
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan and Russia.
Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said he held "good talks" with Minister Araghchi in Muscat, Oman on April 25 and called for diplomatic efforts to ensure lasting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz following U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.
The Associated Press reported on these developments in a distorted manner, claiming instead that "Iran offered to end its restriction of the strait if the U.S. stops a blockade and the current conflict against Tehran." Ending the U.S. naval blockade is of course contained in the first of the three conditions set by Iran -- ending hostilities, but the AP report deliberately left out that phase one also includes not only ending all U.S. aggression against Iran, including the naval blockade, but also Israeli aggression on Lebanon.
In and of themselves, Iran's diplomatic efforts are yet another defeat for the U.S.-Israeli war of aggression on Iran, which accomplished none of its objectives, led to massive destruction of U.S. military assets in the region, left U.S. allies in the region exposed to tit for tat retaliation on their energy infrastructure by Iran and earned the U.S. and its myth of human rights and rules-based order nothing but contempt internationally.
Germany for example, even while committing to send a naval
mine-hunting vessel to the Mediterranean, as part of early planning for a
"possible mission in the Strait of Hormuz" at the
same time outright distanced itself from the U.S. military and
"diplomatic" effort to defeat
Iran. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on April 27 that Iran's leadership
is effectively "humiliating" the United States amid the ongoing war.
"The Iranians are clearly stronger than expected and the Americans
clearly have no truly convincing strategy in the negotiations either,"
Merz said. "At the
moment, I do not see what strategic exit the Americans will choose,
especially since the Iranians are clearly negotiating very skillfully --
or very skillfully not negotiating," Merz continued. He further
stated that "an entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian
leadership," particularly
by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
On May 2, the Iranian Tasnim news agency reported on Iran's
14-point plan for a permanent peace agreement that outlines its position
on ending the war. This was given to the U.S. via Pakistan which is
acting as
an intermediary in ongoing indirect exchanges between the two countries.
Iran said it wants to focus on ending the war instead of extending the
truce and wants all issues resolved within 30 days. The Iranian proposal
is said to include demands for guarantees against future military
action, the withdrawal of U.S. forces from areas near Iran, the lifting
of the maritime blockade, the unfreezing of Iranian assets and
compensation payments. It also calls for an end to hostilities across
all fronts, including Lebanon, as well as the establishment of a new
framework for managing the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharib Abadi, during a briefing to foreign ambassadors on his country's proposal said that "the ball is now in the U.S. court" regarding the choice between pursuing diplomacy or continuing the war. However, he stressed that Iran continues to take a position of "pessimism and lack of trust" toward the U.S. and its sincerity in any proposed diplomatic process.
Hezbollah Rejects "Craven Negotiations" with Israel
Sheikh Naim Qassem, Secretary General of the Hezbollah resistance movement in Lebanon, has once again categorically rejected the "face-to-face" negotiations between the Israeli aggressor and occupier regime, orchestrated by the U.S. with the Lebanese prime minister. These talks are unconstitutional, do not represent the political or legal will of the Lebanese people and can only lead to national subjugation, humiliation and occupation by Israel, he said.
In a statement, Qassem stressed that Hezbollah categorically opposes that kind of dialogue and upheld the legality and continuity of what he called "defensive resistance" and Hezbollah's refusal to surrender its weapons. Qassem said further that any solution has to meet five fundamental conditions: 1) the cessation of hostilities by land, sea and air; 2) the withdrawal of Israel from the occupied territories; 3) the release of prisoners; 4) the return of the displaced to their localities; and 5) the reconstruction of the affected areas.
"Israel has escalated its aggression and attacks," which is evidence of its "criminal nature, treachery, and disregard for all international laws and conventions. However, no clear or explicit public statement confirming such a condition was made. On the contrary, what was issued by Lebanon's representative amounted only to praise for the U.S. President, a partner of the enemy in the shedding of Lebanese blood, which encouraged the enemy to continue its attacks and violations," the statement read.
The position of the Lebanese authorities who agreed to engage in
these U.S.-orchestrated "negotiations," does not even include
withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. Lebanese President
Joseph Aoun for example said on April 24, "We informed the American
side, which is commendably
engaged in its efforts, from the very first moment that a ceasefire is
a necessary first step for any subsequent negotiations."
While praising the U.S., Aoun outright ignores that the U.S. is the broker and guarantor of the so-called ceasefire and therefore responsible for enabling the Israeli forces to launch over 200 airstrikes across Beirut and Lebanon within 10 minutes of the declared "ceasefire." These attacks killed more than 300 civilians and wounded more than 1,200. Not a word from Aoun about the need for Israeli Occupation Forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon, reimbursement by Israel to the Lebanese whose homes and villages have been erased by Israeli bombardment and demolition, nor holding Israel to account for the targeted murders of first responders and reporters, and other crimes it has committed.
The U.S. relies on smoke and mirrors to hide its treachery. In words, the U.S. opposes "any offensive military operations" by Israel against Lebanese targets, while in practice enables ongoing Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon describing them as "defensive."
Satellite Images Expose Israeli Ethnic Cleansing of
Occupied Southern Lebanon
On April 14 satellite imagery shows the centre of Bint Jbell in
southern Lebanon severely damaged with grey debris patterns suggesting
burning consistent with demolitions.
Israeli warplanes have carried out relentless airstrikes across southern Lebanon while ground forces have infiltrated territory near the border, with bulldozers tearing down buildings and demolitions razing whole villages, increasingly following the Gaza playbook.
New Israeli Settlements -- Flagrant Contempt for UN and International Law
Israel must not expand its construction of settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, the United Nations declared on April 28. "Reported plans to expand Israeli settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan must stop," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
Chinese UN envoy Fu Cong also reminded the UN Security Council on
the same day that all concerned parties, especially Israel, must
fulfill their obligations, abide by ceasefire agreements, dismantle all
barriers to humanitarian access, open crossings, allow the agreed
quantities of food, relief
supplies, medical aid and shelter materials into Gaza, halt settlement
activities and support the two-state solution. These are
non-negotiable, he said.
According to the Times of Israel, a five-year U.S.$334 million plan to develop illegal settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, was approved on April 16. The plan, covering 2026-2030, allocates approximately 1 billion shekels (U.S.$334 million) to strengthen infrastructure and promote Israeli population growth in the occupied territory.
Israel has also allocated $30-million to bring 6,000 "Indian Jews"
by 2030, to expand illegal settlements, and replace the Palestinian
workforce, the first approximately 240 of whom arrived in Israel on
April 24. They are being classified as descendants of one of the "lost
tribes of Israel," and
made "kosher" by means of mandatory Orthodox conversions in order to
qualify under the "Law of Return," which grants citizenship on
religious grounds while denying displaced Palestinians the right to
return to their land.
The absurd scheme of importing "Indian Jews" and granting them citizenship under the hoax that they are descendants of one of the "lost tribes of Israel" while Palestinians are denied their rights in their homeland under the rotten apartheid regime only adds to the outrage of what the Zionists are able to get away with.
Important Meeting to Mark Palestinian Prisoners' Day in Montreal and Toronto
A meeting was organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement on April 19, held
simultaneously in Montreal and Toronto in-person and virtually, with hundreds of
people gathered in both cities able to watch, listen and exchange with two former Palestinian
prisoners. The event was to mark Palestinian Prisoners' Day, observed annually on April 17.
It focused on the conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention facilities. The event
included testimonies from released prisoners as well as a defence of prisoners' rights, in what
speakers described as an ongoing genocide.
The keynote speaker outlined the context of the current situation, noting that more than 9,300 Palestinians are currently being held in Israeli prisons and detention centres, including around 350 children and 86 women. He emphasized that these figures are estimates, as many Palestinians are held in Israeli military bases without charge or trial, under administrative detention. The speaker also highlighted that on March 30, the Knesset approved automatic sentences of death by hanging for Palestinian prisoners convicted by Israeli courts, which have a 99 per cent conviction rate, a measure that could affect more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The first speaker, a Palestinian prisoner released in a prisoner exchange and forcibly exiled to Egypt in October 2025, participated via video call from Cairo. He described the dramatic deterioration in conditions for Palestinian prisoners since October 7, 2023. He explained that the history of the Palestinian prisoners' movement can be divided into two periods: before and after October 7. Prior to that date, the movement had secured significant rights and a degree of strength within the prisons since 1967, but after October 7, the Israeli prison authorities lifted all previous restrictions regarding the treatment of Palestinian prisoners.
He described in detail the systematic torture, beatings, sexual abuse and killings taking place behind prison walls. He explained that prisoners are subjected to daily raids by guards, are forced to walk with their hands and legs bound like animals, and are subjected to sexual harassment during searches. He emphasized that these practices go beyond anything observed in historical concentration camps or apartheid regimes, with Israeli officials such as Ben Gvir openly boasting about torture and filming prisoners lying face down.
Regarding nutrition, he explained that prisoners are subjected to systematic malnutrition intended to weaken their bodies and reduce their immunity, leading to outbreaks of disease. The food provided is of poor quality and insufficient, to the extent that prisoners appear unrecognizable upon their release. He cited the example of the martyr Riyal Al-Amour, who died as a result of medical negligence, to illustrate how diseases are allowed to spread due to a lack of adequate medical care.
He raised the issue of pay cuts for released prisoners, explaining that the Palestinian Authority had reduced payments to prisoners and their families under pressure from Israel and the United States. He described living conditions in Egypt as generally safe, but emphasized that all exiled prisoners reject the concept of exile, viewing it as ethnic cleansing and an attempt to neutralize the Palestinian cause.
In discussing methods of resistance, he traced the history of the prisoners' movement back to the British Mandate period, explaining its evolution through several phases. He described hunger strikes as the "battle of empty stomachs" – the most powerful method used by prisoners to secure rights, particularly access to education. In the 1970s and 1980s, prisoners achieved significant victories, succeeding in bringing radios, televisions and university education into prisons as early as 1992.
He shared his personal experience of the famous escape from Gilboa Prison, explaining that he had been planning escape attempts for 32 years, since his imprisonment at the age of 16 or 17. The successful escape in September 2021 required nine months of tunnel digging and involved overcoming numerous security measures. He wrote a novel about this escape but has delayed its publication to focus on current events in Gaza. The escaped prisoners were free for five days and their escape sent a message to the whole world about the ongoing Palestinian resistance.
A Franco-Palestinian lawyer who was forcibly deported to France in 2022 following several periods of administrative detention, then discussed the wider implications of prisoners' exile and diaspora activism. He emphasized that the tactics of the Israeli occupation involve monitoring and oppressing prisoners even after their release and exile to various countries, including Egypt, Türkiye, France and Spain.
He highlighted the vital role of the Palestinian diaspora in the struggle against genocide and in the revival of the global struggle for Palestine. He recalled that following the Oslo Accords, attempts were made to eliminate the political role of Palestinians and Palestinian refugees, but that the diaspora has always been the voice of Palestinian Resistance. He emphasized that the new generation of Palestinians in Europe, the United States, Australia and Latin America is continuing this tradition of resistance and international solidarity.
He explained that the prisoners' movement constitutes a central pillar of the national struggle for liberation, as prisoners were among the first targets following October 7. He emphasized that the issue of prisoners will remain for Palestinian society and the entire region until the end of the occupation, making it a responsibility that extends beyond Palestine to the international community.
During the question-and-answer session, one of the two former Palestinian prisoners addressed issues relating to support for the 400 Palestinian prisoners forcibly exiled to Egypt, emphasizing the political responsibility of all parties concerned. He spoke of the relationship between the occupier and the occupied, asserting that no normal relationship is possible under occupation, while acknowledging that people participate in the resistance in various ways: some through armed struggle, others through humanitarian work, cultural activities or economic efforts.
The event concluded with calls to continue the mobilization, notably by following campaigns on social media, distributing information leaflets and signing petitions demanding action against what the speakers described as "genocide behind bars". The organizers emphasized the importance of making this issue a central focus of public debate and holding complicit actors to account until all Palestinian prisoners are released.
Photo Review
Canadians and Quebeckers' Steadfast Support for Palestine in March and April
Posted below are reports and photos from just a few of the weekly and other ongoing actions, from coast to coast in March and April. These actions are in support not only of the Palestinian people, especially those living in Gaza, but also the Iranian and Lebanese people targeted by U.S. and Israeli aggression.
TML encourages everyone to continue sending in their reports and photos, as well as posters for coming events that can be posted on the Calendar of Events. Upcoming actions in May include a May 9 Day of Action calling on the Canadian Labour Congress to declare trade, services and relationships with Israel to be "hot cargo" that workers should not handle. Actions on and around May 15 are being organized to commemorate the 78th anniversary of the Nakba (Arabic for catastrophe), the ethnic cleaning and displacement of the Palestinian people to establish the state of Israel.
Montreal
March 21, 2026
Hundreds of people marched through the streets of downtown Montreal on March 21, to loudly and clearly voice their firm opposition to the U.S./Zionist aggression against Iran and Lebanon. USA, Get Out! Iran Is Not Yours! USA, Get Out! Lebanon Is Not Yours! the demonstrators chanted. Throughout the march, they were greeted and supported by passers-by who stopped to take photos, raise their fists and applaud.
Symbolically, the demonstration ended in front of Immigration Canada offices. Thousands of refugees and asylum seekers are forced to leave their countries, fleeing wars of aggression and regime change orchestrated by the countries of the genocidal G7 and NATO, including Canada.
Many people pointed out that the struggle for peace does not involve massacres,
aggression, drones, bombings and destruction, reminding us that peace lies in our unwavering
resistance.
March 29
The Palestinian people's just claim on their homeland and their right of return was militantly affirmed on March 29, with a march to mark Land Day and to oppose the U.S./Israeli war on Iran and Israel's breach of its ceasefire with Lebanon. Land Day commemorates the 1976 strike and protests against the confiscation of Palestinian land by Israel, in which the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed six Palestinians. It symbolizes the resistance of the Palestinian people and their attachment to their land, as well as their determination to remain there and for those forced out to return.
Ottawa
March 28
Ottawa demonstrators marked Land Day on March 28. They also denounced the aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran. They argued that the modus operandi of the two aggressors is the same as in Gaza, in that they deliberately target children, hospitals, paramedics, journalists and civilian infrastructure.
They affirmed the right of the Palestinian, Lebanese, and Iranian peoples to resist, and
hailed the successes of resistance movements in pushing back the occupier and the invader,
with the ultimate goal of defeating them and contributing to the liberation of all
humanity.
April 2
A vigil was held on the evening of April 2 at the Human Rights Monument to honour three journalists in Lebanon who were intentionally killed on March 28 by Israeli forces. One of the organizers pointed out: "The tireless work of journalists such as those who stood in the line of fire in Gaza, where 270 journalists have been killed, was to expose and document Israeli crimes. For years, Fatima Ftouni, Ali Choeib and Mohammad Ftouni have reported from every village and town in south Lebanon, bringing stories from the south and the Resistance to the rest of the world. Israel has been ignoring the most basic rules of international law by targeting civilians carrying out their professional duty and they continue to do so with full impunity."
She went on to condemn the recent Knesset discriminatory decision to promote the
death penalty for Palestinians as further proof of Israel's utter disregard for humanitarian and
international law. "To promote the death penalty based on ethnicity is something that has
not existed since Nazi Germany," she said. She said that "We must continue to fight. It is not
enough for our government to half-heartedly condemn Israel's disregard for international law.
We continue to demand sanctions on Israel now!"
April 8
On April 8, an emergency action for Lebanon, Gaza and Iran was held.
April 11
An action was held in Ottawa on April 11, for Hands off Al-Aqsa Day. At the Human Rights Monument, a speaker pointed out that for 40 days the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the fourth holiest site in Islam, had been closed to worshippers. Even after its opening, the violence has not stopped, he said, as settlers continue to intimidate worshippers. He pointed out that other across Jerusalem, churches and other holy sites are also being attacked.
"While this intimidation unfolds, the violence continues elsewhere. In Gaza, most recently, a child was gunned down in a classroom. In Lebanon, indiscriminate bombing has killed over 300 people, more that 200 of them women and children. Multiple reporters and medical teams have been bombed. They want to erase us, our culture, our heritage. They're not going to be able to do that, as long as there are people like us, with conscience, they cannot erase us," he stated.
While the people marched, the police relentlessly slowed down the pace of the march and negotiated in bad faith with the organizers. A few hours earlier, the police had completely closed MacKenzie Ave. in front of the U.S. Embassy to allow Zionist elements that support the restoration of the reviled Iranian monarchy to take to the street to express their support for genocide and war. This interference of the police with those marching for peace and justice was firmly condemned by all those present and, unperturbed, they made their voices heard and will continue to do so: Hands Off Al-Aqsa! Hands Off Gaza! Hands Off Palestine! Hands Off Lebanon! Hands Off Iran!
April 17
On April 17, people gathered at the Human Rights Monument in Ottawa to mark Palestinian Political Prisoners' Day. A spokesperson for the Alliance of Health Workers for Palestine stated that a large number of doctors and other health care workers are incarcerated in Gaza. She said she prefers to call them detainees, explaining that it is part of the daily reality for Palestinians to be harassed, humiliated, arrested and tortured by the Zionist occupier.
She condemned the infamous law passed by the Knesset on March 30 authorizing hanging for Palestinians, saying that the law now makes legal what had already been carried out in the past in the form of killings and summary executions. She added that the situation of Palestinian detainees should be seen as an integral part of the Palestinian resistance and the struggle for liberation.
People then marched through the downtown streets, denouncing Prime Minister Mark Carney for his government's complicity in the crimes against humanity being committed by Israel and the United States against Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, and chanting, among other slogans, Money for Health Care and Education, Not for War and Occupation! and Viva, Viva Palestina!
Toronto
On March 28, Liberate Forty-Eight organized a protest at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto to demand that the IOF keep its hands off the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, and to commemorate Land Day.
This year's protest had even more significance due to the unprecedented and inhumane actions of the Zionist state to shut the doors of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third most holy site in Islam, as a provocation against Palestinian worshippers during Ramadan. Speakers pointed out that this attempt to undermine the Palestinian people's resistance will fail.
Palestinian youth organizers spoke passionately to the crowd of hundreds, assuring them that despite the suffering and destruction caused by the U.S.-backed Israeli Zionist genocide and every injustice, Palestinians will remain steadfast in their resistance until Palestine is free.
The demonstrators chanted: Palestine Will Be Free, from the River to the Sea! Free,
Free Al-Aqsa! and There Is Only One Solution, Intifada Revolution! The
shouts of the demonstrators drowned out the small state-organized assembly of
"counter-protesters" chanting in favour of genocide, bombings and regime change in Iran.
April 16
On April 16 in Toronto teachers protested at the Annual General Meeting of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) to demand it immediately stop investing in war crimes and genocide, including the slaughter of children. They made it loud and clear to OTPP president Jo Taylor that he cannot continue ignoring teachers and their unions demanding divestment. They also demanded that he immediately stop promoting the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB), a bank that exists to fund aggression and war, that Canada is going to host.
In 2024, the BDS Coalition Canada reported that "Five public sector pensions, one in BC
and four in Ontario, have almost a quarter of a billion dollars invested in companies that the
UN has indicated are complicit with supporting illegal Israeli settlements (war crimes) and
over $2 billion in total invested in companies complicit with war crimes and arming
Israel."
The OTPP in particular has $14,708,522 invested in four companies in the UN database,
and a total of $628,508,625 invested in more than a dozen companies identified by anti-war
activists as complicit in occupation and/or arming Israel. This amounts to some $643.2 million
"invested" in the commission of war crimes and genocide.
Sarnia
April 18
Windsor
Calgary
March 23
April 19
Bi-weekly rallies in Calgary to stand with Palestine are ongoing. On April 19, the rally highlighted the issue of Palestinian political prisoners, as well as demanding an end to all hostilities against Iran and Lebanon.
Edmonton
A militant rally was held outside the Edmonton Police Services (EPS) headquarters on
March 14 to denounce Edmonton Chief of Police Warren Driechel for his recent trip to Israel
and unforgivable statements about what he "learned." Speakers at the rally were from the
Palestinian community, Bear Claw Beaver Hills House, Independent Jewish Voices and a
representative of the Arcangelo family who have been actively fighting for justice following
the fatal shooting of Mathios (Matt) Arcangelo by an EPS officer in 2024.
Speakers emphasized that the revelation of the police chief's Israel trip was shocking but not surprising given how the EPS has responded to demonstrations supporting the Palestinian resistance as well as ongoing police violence and impunity, especially towards unhoused, Indigenous and Black community members. The Arcangelo family representative explained that the burden of holding police to account falls on the grieving family, including high legal costs. Speakers also stressed the interplay between Canadian colonial policing and Israeli technologies and techniques which have been "field tested" against the Palestinian people. Speakers expressed their disgust but also incredulity at the brazen manner in which the police chief and EPS tried to defend the indefensible.
Driechel traveled to Israel in February on a trip organized by the Major Cities Chiefs
Association (MCCA), an organization of police executives in North America. EPS issued a
statement claiming that, "The police chiefs attending the trip had the opportunity to gain
insights into local policing in a highly complex environment, including critical incident
response, threat preparedness and community engagement. The purpose of the trip was
educational."
As if this was not outrageous enough, Driechel had the utter gall to say that his "big takeaway was... how do [police] build that connection to all of their community, including the Muslim people that live within Israel." The crimes of the Israeli police against the Palestinian people are well documented and well known, yet the chief of police does not even recognize the Palestinian people and their rights.
Reaction was immediate. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) shared an open letter signed by at least 26 organizations demanding that the police chief must answer for his actions or resign. Mayor Andrew Knack said that he was frustrated and disappointed in how the Chief of Police had severed trust with the Palestinian community.
"For many Edmontonians, the violence in the West Bank and Gaza is not distant. Families in our community are grieving and are worried about loved ones who are living among unimaginable hardships. Decisions like these cause real hurt, damage relationships with communities that already feel marginalized, and break trust," Knack said. City councillors also spoke out to express their opposition to the actions of the Chief of Police, and the Police Commission agreed to review how such trips are approved.
Vancouver
April 18
(Photos: TML, World Beyond War, @mrsteele32020, @puzzleheadkae)
(To access articles individually click on the black headline.)
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca