As Palestinian Muslims and Muslims the world over observe the holy month of Ramadan, a time to share, celebrate and reflect on life itself, Palestinians are grieving, families are separated, people are starving and heartbroken.

Reports inform that the Israeli monsters have either destroyed or diminished 184 mosques in Gaza, including the centuries-old Omari Mosque, the oldest in Palestine, destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in December of last year. Millenia of history, historical records, artifacts and writings are destroyed. As in the case of the destruction of schools, universities, libraries and cultural centres, everything is being done intentionally by the Israelis to wipe out all that binds the Palestinian people together as one. The resistance is their memory, the symbol of their cohesion, their honour, dignity and life even as people gather to worship and pray on the rubble of destroyed mosques or on the street surrounded by death and destruction. Meanwhile, Israeli forces beat back Muslim worshipers with batons to prevent their entry to Al-Aqsa Mosque for prayers to mark the start of Ramadan in occupied East Jerusalem.

Prayers at the destroyed Al Furqan Mosque, in Gaza, March 8 (left) and 10, 2024

On the occasion of the beginning of Ramadan, the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haneyya elaborated the common stand of the resistance forces for a permanent ceasefire and an end to the war. The Palestinian Information Center reported on Haneyya's remarks:

"Our Movement over the past months, through the front line led by the factions of the resistance, foremost among them the Al-Qassam Brigades, has defended its people on all battlefronts, on every inch and every street of our beloved territory, and has recorded glorious pages in the history of this people's resistance, uprisings, and successive revolutions," Haneyya affirmed.

"I want to clarify to our people in general, our nation, and the free people of the world, but specifically to our people in Gaza, that since the beginning, in this negotiation process through the mediation of our brothers in Qatar and Egypt, we have set several conditions in order to reach an agreement, most importantly that we want an agreement that leads to a ceasefire and an end to the war," Haneyya continued.

He said: "We want to translate this legendary resilience, heroism, courage, and sacrifices into real achievements for our people on the same battlefield and on the national and general political level."

"We also want to thwart all suspicious schemes that target Gaza in its national, administrative, and political dimensions, what is now referred to as the aftermath of the war on Gaza," he added. "We have insisted on the most important principle to reach an agreement, which is a comprehensive ceasefire and an end to the war on Gaza, the complete withdrawal of the occupation army from all the territory of the Strip, the full and unconditional return of the displaced to their homes, and all the humanitarian issues, such as relief, assistance, shelter, reconstruction, and the lifting of the blockade," Haneyya continued. He said, "We also seek to reach an honourable deal that includes the exchange of prisoners, and the Movement has shown high responsibility, positivity, and flexibility in all dialogue sessions and negotiations with our brothers in Egypt and Qatar."

Haneyya said Israel is solely responsible for failing to discuss a ceasefire leading to an end to the war, reiterating that even hours before the start of Ramadan, resistance forces had not received any indication from Israeli officials of interest to engage in discussions aimed at a ceasefire and ending the war.

"I tell you with clarity that the responsibility for not reaching an agreement lies with the occupation and the government of the Zionist enemy because they do not want to commit to the basic principles of the agreement. Nevertheless, I say that we are open to continuing the negotiations, open to any formulas that achieve these principles and end this aggression."

"We do not want to give an agreement that does not end the war on the Gaza Strip or that does not return our displaced people to their homes, or an agreement that does not guarantee the withdrawal of the Zionist enemy from the Gaza Strip, especially from the central part of the Strip to outside the Gaza Strip," Haneyya said.

"We do not want to give an agreement that does not ensure the humanitarian issues for our people in the entire Gaza Strip, especially in the northern part of the Strip, which suffers from the policy of starvation, where children, the elderly, and women die due to this hunger imposed by the enemy through its military blockade on the city of Gaza and the northern part of the Strip," he said.

"But we certainly honor the holy month of Ramadan and what it carries of cultural, jihadist, and intellectual stock for our people and our nation. We do not exchange this occasion for any drop of blood of a child, a woman, an elderly person, a martyr, or a fighter from the sons of our people today," Haneyya stressed.

Regarding the condition of the resistance's agreement to proceed with negotiations, Haneyya clarified, "Today, I say if we receive a clear position from the mediators about the occupation's commitment to withdrawal, cessation of aggression, and the return of the displaced ready to reach the completion of the stages of this agreement and to show flexibility in terms of the issue of exchange and prisoners."

Haneyya made it clear that, "Yes, the issue of prisoners is important, and the enemy must understand that it will pay a price in the issue of exchange. But among the priorities is the protection of our people, the cessation of aggression, the cessation of massacres, the return of the displaced, and the opening of a political horizon for our cause and our people."

He continued: "This is what I wanted to clarify to you, brothers and sisters, so that no one falls prey to rumors and biased media campaigns. We know that there is a psychological war being waged by this occupation and attempts to sow discord and create chaos, but all of that will fail."

As Ramadan begins across the Muslim world, all people of conscience are seething with indignation and reeling from the pain and grief the U.S. and Israelis and countries such as Canada are imposing on the children, women and all people of Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories. May the people of Palestine find the strength to overcome every challenge they are facing.

Long Live the Resistance! It Will Prevail!

Candles are placed on the steps of the Victoria Parliament in Melbourne for each of the children killed by Israel in Gaza, March 1, 2024

Hold Canada to Account for Its Participation in U.S./Israeli War Crimes and Genocide

– Pauline Easton –

Mass actions across Canada and the world calling for an end to Israel's genocidal war against the people of Gaza, for an immediate ceasefire and an end to military support for Israel have created conditions where politicians of the cartel parties have to end their silence and take a stand or lose all credibility. In this regard, on March 18 the House of Commons will debate a motion presented by the NDP which calls on the Canadian government to, among other things, demand an immediate ceasefire, maintain funding for UNRWA, suspend all trade in military goods and technology with Israel and demand unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. Twenty-seven NDP members of the provincial legislature in Ontario have written to Prime Minister Trudeau with the same demands. In the House of Commons on February 27 Green MP Mike Morrice called on the Trudeau government to restore funding for UNRWA, to call on Israel to follow the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and to end all military exports destined for Israel.

This is a positive development in a situation where the parties in the House act as a cartel where each collaborates to stay in power and parties and individual MPs are under pressure not to break ranks to hold the government to account. The fact that more and more individual politicians are speaking out and that the NDP has presented this motion is due to the power of the resistance, the justness of the cause and the strength of the mass movement in support of Palestine's right to be.

The government's intransigence and continued support for Israeli crimes is facilitated by the so-called democratic institutions and monopoly-owned media that shield them from rendering account for their deeds in any way. This is achieved by, amongst other things, disinforming public opinion, creating diversionary issues and getting MPs and pundits speaking about diversionary issues. For instance, the fact that on principle the Palestinian people have the right to self-determination and no foreign power should interfere in their internal affairs and right to decide does not guide discussion about what state solutions lie ahead. Another example is that the ramifications of the fact that Israel is an occupying power are not discussed. International law which makes resistance to occupation lawful is not discussed. The consequences of Canada's decisions, such as cutting off funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), are not discussed.

Canada must be called to account for its decision to cut UNRWA funds knowing full well that UNRWA is a humanitarian organization which provides the infrastructure to dispense humanitarian aid to the population of occupied Gaza and also the infrastructure for schools, hospitals, universities, refugee camps and more, without which life is not possible. When countries like the U.S., Canada, France and others decide to air drop supplies into Gaza, not only do they put the lives of the population in danger when these supplies fall on top of people or they have to go out to sea to retrieve them, but more importantly, they turn every Palestinian into an individual fending for themselves, without a social structure to rely on. It is criminal and done purposely. UNRWA provides that social infrastructure the people rely on and it has carried out excellent work since it was established as a subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly on December 8, 1949 and became operational on May 1, 1950. It stands second to none in carrying out its humanitarian mission with the most committed leadership and forces on the ground.

If Canada were in the least bit prompted by humanitarian concerns, it would take whatever measures are required to stop Israel impeding aid going through the Rafah crossing and it would condemn the killing of humanitarian workers, medical personnel and journalists and stop prevaricating as if it is OK if it is said to be not intentional. South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor on March 8 proposed that the presidents or prime ministers of Israel's allies instruct their militaries to escort humanitarian convoys currently stranded at the Rafah border into Gaza. Pandor said she believes that with the support of these "close friends of Israel," the convoys would be allowed entry safely. But the aim of Canada and Israel's "close allies" is not the well-being of the people of Gaza, but their evacuation or annihilation. That explains why they are not taking decisive action against their starvation and why many suspect the U.S., for its part, is establishing a temporary pier on the Gaza coast to encourage Gazans to leave their homeland. Such a pier will not be ready in time to save the people from starvation while the U.S. is cynical enough to think that Palestinians will give up their homeland if the situation gets dire enough. What is enough according to the monsters making such calculations?

There is no way to forgive what Canada is doing or attempting to justify. The government has dragged Canada's name in the mud and nothing its champions do will restore it until the people restore it by empowering themselves to make it so.

Canadian elites are mesmerized by the sound of their own voices claiming that everything they do is in defence of what they call Canadian values, human rights, democracy and freedom. But their credibility as governments and parties in government which are said to represent the people of Canada and Quebec is nil. It is time for more members of parliament to speak their conscience. The silence of the majority of them will not be forgiven, no matter what excuses they give.

Canada has many options to stop Israel. It can denounce what Israel is doing rather than egging it on by demanding the genocide be carried out humanely. It can stop providing Israel with armaments and stop welcoming Israeli arms merchants to Canada. It can stop shielding Israel diplomatically, including at the UN where Israel has violated its UN founding resolution and deserves to be suspended. It can stop those in Canada who continue to sell land for settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal. It can investigate Canadians who are joining the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for war crimes as per the order issued by the ICJ. It can demand an end to the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, the removal of all settlers and settlements on Palestinian land and stand for Palestinians' right to self-determination and right of return.

No Means No! No to the Occupation!
No to Israel's Genocidal Activities! Ceasefire Now!
Humanitarian Aid Now!

Israel's Deliberate Obstruction of Truce Talks

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan decried that all the U.S. and Israel want is a temporary truce and that they reject a permanent cessation of hostilities. He told the news agency Al Mayadeen that any negotiations not reaching their goal "will not continue," pointing out that the Israeli occupation wants to "catch its breath and worsen the humanitarian crisis" in the Gaza Strip. Touching on aid to the Gaza Strip, he highlighted that all the air-dropped aid does not exceed the load of two trucks, pointing out that the U.S. is taking part in the siege on Gaza.

Another Hamas official involved in negotiations said that "We are awaiting the final official response from the enemy [Israel]. The initial responses do not meet the minimum requirements related to the permanent cessation of hostilities. We will not compromise on that which ensures the safety of our people." Hamas insists on the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the return of the displaced and the entry of humanitarian aid and the beginning of reconstruction in the besieged territory. Another Hamas official, Mahmoud Mardawi, said the fate of negotiations now rests upon the United States, Israel's great benefactor. "If Israel is serious and does not procrastinate, it is possible to reach a ceasefire before the start of Ramadan." The Hamas delegation left Cairo on March 7 for consultation with the leadership of the movement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to declare the Rafah invasion by ground forces will take place. "Whoever tells us not to operate in Rafah is telling us to lose the war and that will not happen," Netanyahu said. He noted that he is facing international pressure not to attack Rafah, but stressed that Israel will stand up to the pressure and keep up the war on Gaza until full victory against Hamas.

Israel also informed the U.S. and other countries which support it that "a political settlement with Lebanon" must be reached by March 15 after which it plans to "escalate military operations to a broad war." The information comes from "western diplomats that spoke with the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar."

Canada's Restoration of Funding to UN Relief
and Works Agency

– Barbara Biley –

Following calls in demonstrations, petitions and letters written by Canadians from coast to coast to coast and demands of unions, humanitarian and other organizations, Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development announced on March 8 that "Canada will be lifting its temporary pause on funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)." The announcement of the lifting of the suspension of funding was made at a press conference in Mississauga and in a press release from Global Affairs Canada the same day.

Taking its cue from the U.S., Canada announced its decision to suspend funding for UNRWA on January 26, the same day the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued its ruling that all signatories to the UN Convention Against Genocide must do everything to prevent Israel committing genocide and must demand the prompt delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The government claimed it was acting on allegations by Israel that 12 of the 30,000 UNRWA staff were involved in the Al Aqsa Flood Operation of October 7, 2023. At that time and since Canada has received no evidence to support those allegations. Four days later, on January 30, Global Affairs Canada announced $40 million in funding to other agencies including the World Food Program, UNICEF, the UN Population Fund, the World Health Organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, all of which depend on the UNRWA infrastructure in Gaza, as well as an additional $5 million which would be allocated toward "experienced Canadian non-governmental organization partners." It provided no details.

The defunding of UNRWA has been condemned the world over as a violation of international law, including the January 26 ruling of the ICJ and a cruel contribution to the denial of food, water, medicine and all the necessities of life for the people of Gaza.

On March 4 the UN General Assembly discussed the situation in Gaza and the critical work of UNRWA and held what UN News called a heated debate on the U.S. veto of the latest Security Council draft resolution calling for a ceasefire. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini spoke during the General Assembly debate and later addressed a press conference. He said that on January 18 he was informed by Israeli authorities that 12 of the 30,000 UNRWA staff were allegedly involved in the Al Aqsa Flood Operation. He said "no further information has been provided to me since that day, but the gravity of the allegations necessitated swift action" and that he had terminated the contracts of the staff concerned while there was an ongoing investigation by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). UN News reported that Lazzarini told the press that "We are in a situation where there is a political decision to eliminate UNRWA," citing the Israeli Prime Minister's announcement that there is 'no place' for UNRWA in Gaza as well as attempts to block and evict staff from its premises with the aim to dismantle the agency.'" He also pointed out that attempts to eliminate UNRWA are not just based on the behaviour of some of its staff, but is politically driven "to eliminate the status of refugees."

In an interview with CBC Radio's The House which aired on March 9, Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae said that this decision should not be interpreted as an "exoneration" of UNRWA. He admitted that the UN investigation into allegations that some UNRWA staff in Gaza were involved in the Al Aqsa Flood operation has not been able to produce more than a partial report. He said, "The [UN] Secretary General wrote to the government of Israel at the end of January asking for full cooperation with this UN investigation team and, to this point, the Israeli government has not shared any detailed information with respect to the original allegations of the 12 employees. We decided that this is taking a very long time. We can't wait now because of the situation on the ground. Children are starving. People are dying. There is not enough food getting in. That must be the priority for everybody, including Israel."

Thus Canada maintains its shameful support for Israel's war of genocide against the Palestinian people by joining in the attacks on UNRWA, undermining the authority and work of the UN itself and continuing to send arms to Israel while shedding crocodile tears about the children starving in Gaza for which it refuses to hold Israel to account.

(With files from CBC, UN News)

Call to Investigate Canadians in Israel Defense Forces for War Crimes

Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is raising that an unknown number of Canadians have chosen to travel to Israel and voluntarily join the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to participate in Israel's military offensive in spite of the fact that Israel's actions in Gaza show a pattern of war crimes and point to a "genocide in the making," according to UN experts. The participation of Canadians in the IDF raises the serious likelihood that these Canadians are involved in crimes against humanity, war crimes, and even acts of genocide. Canada is legally obliged to investigate and prosecute Canadians who commit war crimes overseas and must launch an investigation into Canadians serving or volunteering with the IDF for possible complicity in war crimes.

In January, CJPME sent a letter to Justice Minister Arif Virani urging him to investigate and deter the participation of Canadian nationals in violations of international law in Gaza. CJPME is aware that Canadian nationals have traveled to Israel to serve in the IDF, with an unknown number of Canadians among the estimated 360,000 reservists. There are many examples in the Canadian press that feature stories of Canadians who have chosen to voluntarily participate in Israel's military offensive, including as 'lone soldiers,' those who have no family in Israel.

CJPME points out that Canada has obligations under international law to investigate and prosecute Canadians accused of committing war crimes. Under Canadian law, the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act states that: "Every person who, either before or after the coming into force of this section, commits outside Canada (a) genocide, (b) a crime against humanity, or (c) a war crime, is guilty of an indictable offence and may be prosecuted for that offence[.]"

In fact, CJPME points out, Canada established a War Crimes Program for the purpose of investigating and prosecuting this criminal behaviour. In spite of this, Canada has failed to issue any guidance to Canadian nationals regarding how their participation in the Israeli military could make them criminally liable under these laws. On the contrary, past behaviour of the Canadian Embassy in Israel – including the hosting of a social gathering for Canadian nationals serving as 'lone soldiers' in the IDF in 2020 – has sent a message that Canada is encouraging participation in the IDF, rather than seeking to discourage participation in an occupying army that is violating international law.

CJPME has urged Minister Virani to discourage Canadian involvement in the Israeli military and ensure that any person who is involved in the commission of war crimes is held accountable.

Specifically, CJPME called on the Canadian government to:

- Issue a warning to Canadian nationals that serving or volunteering with the Israeli military may make them criminally liable under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act;

- Launch an investigation under its War Crimes Program into the participation of Canadian nationals in Israel's military offensive;

- Ensure that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is conducting detailed interviews with Canadian nationals who are returning from foreign military service;

- Share the findings of its investigations with the International Criminal Court;

- Publicly investigate the HESEG Foundation for Lone Soldiers for breaching section 11(1) of Canada's Foreign Enlistment Act by inducing Canadians to join the Israeli military.

The letter to Justice Minister Virani can be found here.

South Africa Requests Urgent Additional Provisional Orders from International Court of Justice to Apprehend Israeli Genocide of Palestinian People

A press release issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on March 6 informed that South Africa filed an urgent request with the Court for the indication of additional provisional measures and the modification of the Court's Order of January 26 and decision of February 16 in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel). South Africa states that it is "compelled to return to the Court in light of the new facts and changes in the situation in Gaza – particularly the situation of widespread starvation – brought about by the continuing egregious breaches of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide [...] by the State of Israel"

South Africa presented new evidence, since the initial Provisional Orders set out by the ICJ concerning Israeli genocide in Gaza, of mass starvation due to Israeli actions. South Africa requested the indication, clarification and/or modification of the following five provisional measures:

"1. All participants in the conflict must ensure that all fighting and hostilities come to an immediate halt, and that all hostages and detainees are released immediately.

"2. All Parties to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide must, forthwith, take all measures necessary to comply with all of their obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

"3. All Parties to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide must, forthwith, refrain from any action, and in particular any armed action or support thereof, which might prejudice the right of the Palestinians in Gaza to be protected from acts of genocide and related prohibited acts, or any other rights in respect of whatever judgment the Court may render in the case, or which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the Court or make it more difficult to resolve.

"4. The State of Israel shall take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address famine and starvation and the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in Gaza, by:

(a) immediately suspending its military operations in Gaza;

(b) lifting its blockade of Gaza;

(c) rescinding all other existing measures and practices that directly or indirectly have the effect of obstructing the access of Palestinians in Gaza to humanitarian assistance and basic services; and

(d) ensuring the provision of adequate and sufficient food, water, fuel, shelter, clothing, hygiene and sanitation requirements, alongside medical assistance, including medical supplies and support.

"5. The State of Israel shall submit an open report to the Court on all measures taken to give effect to all provisional measures ordered by the Court to date, within one month as from the date of this Order."

Opposition to 92nd Ottawa Conference on
Security and Defence

– Pierre Soublière –

While the world is witnessing the starvation of children and impending famine throughout Gaza in the U.S./Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people, the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) held the 92nd Ottawa Conference on Security and Defence on March 7-8 in Ottawa.

The Palestinian Youth Movement organized an emergency action to denounce the two-day conference. Demonstrators gathered at the Human Rights Monument and marched to the Chateau Laurier where the warmongering conference was taking place. They condemned the discussions taking place there and the plans being made by the weapons manufacturers who supply the arms for the genocide against the Palestinian people.

Among the 2,000 registered guests at the conference were Members of Parliament, senior public servants from 20 different government departments and agencies, foreign dignitaries, a large delegation of senior personnel from the Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence, as well as people from industry and academia. One of the "invited guests" was Uzi Arad, National Security Advisor to Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking on the "complexities of the Israel-Gaza war." Demonstrators clearly stated that there is nothing complex about the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the genocide in which Canada is complicit. People shouted Stop Hosting Zionists! Arms Embargo Now!

The CDA represents over 50 military associations including the Naval Association of Canada, the Canadian Infantry Association, the Royal Canadian Legion and the Military Intelligence Association. It is run by former high-ranking military officers, including individuals with close ties to arms manufacturers. For example, Paul Manson, CDA Institute President between 2004 and 2008, was the Chief of the Defence Staff under the Mulroney government from 1986 to 1989, then chairman of the board of Lockheed Martin Canada. A Canadian extension of the U.S. military-industrial complex, the CDA organizes conferences on security and defence issues, lobbies for military spending increases, publishes papers on defence strategy, and funds research on university campuses that is supportive of its aims.

Since its inception the CDA has been indirectly or directly financed by the Department of National Defence. It also receives funding from corporate sources, primarily arms manufacturers and military service providers. Its 2015 conference in Ottawa received "generous support of General Dynamics, NATO and the Department of National Defense ADA Group, Boeing Canada, Ernst and Young, Porter, Rheinmetall, United Technologies, AUG Signals."

Previous annual conferences received the backing of Lockheed Martin Canada, ATCO Structures & Logistics and Irving Shipbuilding.

"I Am a Zionist" U.S. President Reiterates
Time and Again

– Hilary LeBlanc –

Protest against Biden visit to New York City, February 7, 2024

U.S. President Joe Biden on February 26 once again emphasized that he is a Zionist. It was the third time in the recent period he did so. He is telling the Zionists, and everyone, that the U.S. backs and funds the most reactionary, racist and backward forces in Israel, and is proud of it. He also made a point of trying to appeal to people who are not Jewish, saying "You need not be a Jew to be a Zionist. I'm a Zionist."

Biden gave the remarks during an appearance on U.S. television show Late Night with Seth Meyers. He has reiterated this same statement several times, including October 23, 2023, and again in December. This time, he made the declaration even as ever greater crimes are being committed by the U.S./Zionist forces committing genocide.

Why proclaim himself a Zionist now, when the world stands against the Israeli Zionists dictating unrelenting genocide and impunity? He is assuring the Zionists, in the U.S. and Israel, of continued U.S. military and financial support. He is also declaring that the dictate and racist reactionary views of the Zionists -- including against Jews who oppose Zionism -- and the Zionist demand that all those who criticize the state of Israel be criminalized using anti-terrorism laws, also have the full backing of the U.S. state and its police and courts.

More and more Jews and prominent personalities whose families suffered the European holocaust during World War II have come out against the horrors the U.S. and Israel are committing against the Palestinians. The stand, Not in Our Name! and calls for a Ceasefire Now! are ringing out loud and clear, showing where the peoples of the U.S., Britain and all the countries of the world stand. More and more are joining in opposing the Zionists as a reactionary force that does not represent people who are Jewish, including Israelis, nor their religion.

Biden's support for efforts to brand those opposing Zionism as anti-Semitic or engaged in "hate," cannot take away the image of children starving in Gaza. His support for efforts of the pro-Zionist forces inside the U.S., such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), to secure "hate" crime and "terrorism" charges against demonstrators supporting Palestine, will further discredit the U.S. democracy. This includes branding those who have blocked bridges and highways and organized students on many campuses as enemies of the state, "terrorists," to be arrested and prosecuted. As a Zionist, Biden is making clear he supports these brutal attacks on the rights to speech, to assembly and the right to conscience. He is emphasizing that Jews and non-Jews alike should support Zionism, despite the Israeli Zionists' genocidal campaign that all the world can see.

U.S. Plans and Visit of Israeli War Cabinet Member Benny Gantz

By saying he is a Zionist, Biden also indicates that it is the Zionists and their occupation of Palestine that he supports, not necessarily current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the same interview with Seth Meyers, Biden said that if Israel continues "with this incredibly conservative government they have, and [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben Gvir and others they're going to lose support from around the world, and that is not in Israel's interest." These comments were then followed by the visit, against Netanyahu's wishes, of Israeli War Cabinet Member Benny Gantz to the White House on March 4. Gantz is a retired general who was head of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and supports the current genocide against Palestine. He is backed and promoted by AIPAC.

Gantz spoke with Vice President Kamala Harris. She reiterated the "unwavering commitment to Israel's security," by the U.S. She repeated Biden's call for an "immediate six-week ceasefire" and having "a surge of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza." She said, "[W]e're in a window of time right now" and "want this conflict to end as soon as possible."

Gantz also met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. A State Department spokesman said Blinken emphasized the need to "get aid in urgently, as soon as possible," saying conditions were "horrific," and calling out Israeli ministers blocking aid. The spokesman added that Blinken called on Israel to open another border crossing into Gaza, something Netanyahu has opposed. He reported that Blinken is engaged with his Israeli counterparts directly to make that happen and those engagements included Blinken's meeting with Gantz. The U.S. is openly side-stepping Netanyahu and manoeuvring with others, like Gantz, to secure the continued occupation of Palestine on U.S. terms.

A few days earlier on March 1, the Council on Foreign Relations, an influential think tank on foreign affairs for U.S. rulers, published an article by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak calling for early elections. In the article, entitled "Israel Must Decide Where It's Going -- and Who Should Lead It There," Barak said there is a "staggering strategic incompetence of the Israeli government and an astonishing leadership vacuum at the top." He called for elections in June, specifically mentioning Gantz, saying "Yair Lapid (the politician who leads the main opposition party) and Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot (the retired generals who became political opponents of Netanyahu before agreeing to serve in his emergency war cabinet after October 7) should call for general elections to be held no later than June 2024." Israeli media are reporting that if elections were held now, Gantz's National Unity party would likely win.

All of these are indications that the U.S. believes that continuing the occupation of Palestine while appearing to be concerned about humanitarian aid can be better accomplished with Gantz. The "window of time" referred to is also relevant to U.S. elections. The aim is not ending the genocide and taking responsibility for these crimes, it is maintaining the occupation of Palestine, while giving Biden a means to counter the increasing opposition to U.S. crimes.

This is all the more needed given that many reports point out that by proclaiming himself a Zionist, Biden is also openly saying he is a racist and Nazi supporter. They point out that even a cursory look at Zionist history shows the most prominent Zionists collaborated with the Nazis, including making deals with the Nazis to send certain Jews to the death camps and spare those chosen to go to Palestine. Also mentioned is United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379, adopted November 10, 1975, which determined that "Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination." Indeed, one could say racism is Zionism, in that it has played a main role in promoting notions of a "chosen people," superior to all others. Zionism was a colonial project from the start, with its racist nature integral to using force to colonize Palestine.

Biden is affirming that the world order the U.S. is demanding is an order of racism, inequality, and superiority of the U.S. state, with its dictate and impunity based on adopting a Zionist viewpoint.

Biden Administration Steps Up Military
Sales to Israel

The Biden administration has secretly approved more than 100 separate Foreign Military Sales to Israel since October 7 to support the mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza, the Washington Post reported on March 6. Israel receives $3.3 billion in annual Foreign Military Financing, a form of U.S. military aid that gives foreign governments money to purchase U.S. arms. Only two sales have been made public, one for $106 million worth of 120mm tank ammunition and one for $147.5 million in components needed to make 155mm artillery shells. The administration bypassed Congress to push the sales through as quickly as possible.

Israel Approves More Illegal Settlements

Israel has approved plans for the construction of 3,500 more settler units in the occupied West Bank as the occupying regime keeps bombing the besieged Gaza Strip. On March 6, the Zionist government approved the construction of 2,350 units in Ma'ale Adumim settlement east of Jerusalem (al-Quds), 300 units in Kedar settlement and 694 in the Efrat, both situated south of Bethlehem, the official Palestinian Wafa news agency reported. Israel's finance minister Bezlal Smotrich said the new units will be added to a record number of more than 18,500 units already approved by the cabinet of Benjamin Netanyahu.

China Calls Israeli War on Gaza
Disgrace for Civilization

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has condemned Israel's war in Gaza as a "disgrace for civilization" and reiterated China's calls for an "immediate ceasefire." "It is a tragedy for humankind and a disgrace for civilization that today, in the 21st century, this humanitarian disaster cannot be stopped," Wang told journalists at a press conference on March 6. "No reason can justify the continuation of the conflict, and no excuse can justify the killing of a civilian population," Wang said. "The international community must act urgently, making an immediate ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities an overriding priority, and ensuring humanitarian relief an urgent moral responsibility."

Charges of Domestic Terrorism Used Against Advocates for Palestinian Liberation

– Kathleen Chandler –

New York State legislators, from Queens, in New York City, have introduced a bill making blocking highways and streets an act of domestic terrorism. "Streets" is broadly defined to include driveways, sidewalks, alleys, and similar places people might protest. The bill is in direct response to the many New York City actions in support of Palestine, where bridges, tunnels and streets have been blocked. The actions are widely supported by New Yorkers and have played an important role in popularizing the Palestinian resistance and gaining support for the demand for Ceasefire Now!

Florida is also trying to charge students defending Palestine with providing "material support" to terrorists, simply for expressing support for the resistance. The state of Georgia is doing the same for those protesting building of the massive Cop City -- a police training ground for urban warfare.

A recent white paper brings to the fore that in the U.S., at the federal level, laws permitting laying charges of terrorism have long been directed against the Palestinians and support for them. Anti-Palestinian at the Core: The Origins and Growing Dangers of U.S. Antiterrorism Law shows how core features of U.S. terrorism laws were driven by anti-Palestinian agendas from the beginning. Such laws have been pushed by wealthy U.S. Zionist forces and their aligned groups using periods of resistance to brand Palestinians as "terrorists," at times the U.S. and Israel are engaging in state terrorism and genocide, as is occurring today. They show how, over time, these legal mechanisms, shaped by U.S. backing and funding of Israel, were expanded to repress other protest movements, including those against U.S. genocide inside the country, police killings, protecting water and land against pipelines, and more.

A "white paper" is a research-based report which offers a focused description of a complex topic and presents the point of view of the author or body represented by the author. The purpose of a white paper is to give readers understanding of an issue, which in turn helps them solve a problem or make a decision. A white paper differs from a research report designed to merely present facts, analyses and outcomes by appealing to readers to take a position.

This white paper points out that since October 2023 there has been an upsurge in attempts to crack down on advocacy for Palestine in the United States, including demands to weaponize terrorism laws against student activists. These efforts are a dangerous attack on constitutionally protected speech and association. They also represent the culmination of a decades-long campaign by Zionist-aligned organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), to expand U.S. anti-terrorism law to turn it against advocates for Palestinian liberation.

So too in Canada, political police linked to the so-called Five-Eyes Intelligence Agencies (U.S., UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) under U.S. command and to Israeli lobbying in Canada itself, are also working to characterize criticism of Israel and support for the just cause of the Palestinian people as "anti-Semitism," "hate" and terrorism. Their aim is also to get laws changed to criminalize advocates of a just solution which recognizes the rights of the Palestinian people. Merciless defamation, firings and criminalization take place with impunity against which Canadian and U.S. students and youth with the support of people from all walks of life, are courageously fighting.

The U.S. publishers of this white paper say: "Telling this story is critical right now to prevent those seeking to silence Palestinian advocates from exploiting the current crisis, Israel's U.S.-backed genocide. In the face of unprecedented popular criticism of Israel in the United States, Israel-aligned groups are working overtime to weaponize U.S. anti-terrorism law to both criminalize a growing movement calling for justice in Palestine and to isolate Palestinians further."

The paper also has significance today, given the brutal attacks on refugees by the U.S., Israel, France, Britain and others, as it shows that anti-terrorism legislation in the U.S. is incorporated into anti-immigrant laws. For example, in 1990, Congress for the first time made terrorism a formal basis for exclusion and deportation from the United States, in an amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act. As the paper brings out, "The same statute also declared that any 'officer, official, representative, or spokesman' of the PLO would automatically be considered as engaging in terrorist activity." Over the following decades Congress dramatically expanded the terrorism provisions of immigration laws, including adding "material support" for terrorism, a charge being used against students and others today.

The paper reconstructs the "history of a joint U.S.-Israeli effort to suppress Palestinian opposition to Israel's colonization of Palestine whether diplomatic, armed struggle, or other forms of protest. Key findings include that the earliest mention of 'terrorism' in a federal statute, in 1969, dealt specifically with restricting humanitarian aid to Palestinians and inaugurated a pattern of rendering Palestinians synonymous with terrorism. Furthermore, the first and only time Congress has labeled a non-state group a terrorist organization was in a 1987 law aimed at the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Understanding this historical context has important strategic implications for advocates seeking to challenge this fresh wave of anti-Palestinian repression."

In order to stop the use and expansion of anti-terrorism laws, this white paper encourages decision-makers to:

- Publicly affirm the constitutional rights of Palestine advocates against malicious efforts to undermine them;

- Reject efforts to expand terrorism laws to criminalize advocacy for Palestinian rights;

- Cease treating organizations like the ADL as credible sources of information on these issues.

The full document is available here.

Art as Resistance

Art Action at Latitude 53 Contemporary Visual Culture in Edmonton

– Mary Joyce –

Busy Saturday at Latitude

An art show worthy of celebration, "LET IT BRING_____," opened at Latitude 53 Contemporary Visual Culture in Edmonton on February 10 and runs to March 16 at their new space downtown on 100 Street. A group action composed of work from several artists, it focuses on resistance movements presently occupying streets in Edmonton and globally.

Latitude 53 is one of the oldest artist-run societies in the country, opening in 1973 with Canada Council funding after starting in 1971 as an initiative of Edmonton artists Sylvain Voyer and Harry Savage. The group of young artists now running Latitude 53 has transformed a problem into a brilliant initiative of immediacy, by using the uncertainty associated with a recent gallery move to show art supporting the vigorous resistance movements currently active in the city. Be sure to ask for their indispensable "LET IT BRING_____" brochure.

Immediacy in this art action combines with unusual curatorial collectivity where everyone on staff curated the work. A feeling of rough discovery directly out of the studios is heightened by the presence of a working loom, a silkscreen station and a writing station ready for use. Saturday afternoons, the artists have welcomed people to weave, to make silkscreen prints, and to write letters and postcards to authorities on behalf of the resistance movements.

On the walls you find a gorgeous screen print, a grid of keffiyeh knots overlaid with the statement: "INDIGENOUS PEOPLES SAY: OCCUPATION IS A CRIME." To its left, a massive bolt of canvas stretches from 10 feet up the wall down over the floor and into a thick roll, collectively carrying the names, in cursive writing, of Gazan martyrs of genocide, now at about 30,000. Both these are contributed by the print artist, Veronica Fuentes.

Across the room, textile artists Fern Facette and Fatme Elkadry work with a four-shaft floor loom to perfect the saya, a striped silk belt for Fatme to wear with her grandmother's hand-embroidered and sewn Palestinian dress. On the wall near them is a four-part series of handwoven studies that explore a variety of traditional Palestinian textiles, "Weaving to Reclaim."

This work relates to Threads of Diaspora, squares of Palestinian cross-stitching -- "Tatreez" -- a global project of the Palestinian diaspora organized by the Canada Palestine Cultural Association (CPCA) of Edmonton. Already CPCA has built a massive wall piece of resistance from tiny squares sewn all over the world, and the project continues with global reach.

The artist Riaz Mehmood contributes his video Kawtaray/Pigeons 2020 that weaves horrific truths of the U.S.-Canada armed occupation of Afghanistan with a loving story of a pigeon keeper in his home village who releases homing pigeons when he spots a U.S. soldier, warning the locals and in particular, his grandson.

Manpreet Singh's two large, glossy photographs from Edmonton demonstrations for Palestine, with wind gusts and snow flakes participating in the enlivened actions, convey joy for their courageous beauty in face of genocidal horror.

"LET IT BRING_____" features the work of Threads of Diaspora, Fatme Elkadry and Fern Facette, Veronica Fuentes, Ruthann Godollei, Riaz Mehmood, and Manpreet Singh.

Latitude 53 explains how the show was conceived. "The Question of Funding Collective (QOF), a collective of artists and cultural workers, spoke to Elitqa Collective in Gaza about how amidst destruction and desperation, canvases and frames from the gallery were burned for warmth. QOF asks "What is art in the time of genocide?"

"Latitude 53 responds to this call by showcasing the work of local Palestinian artists, and artists working in solidarity, speaking out on their experiences with displacement. From the ongoing genocide in Palestine to the unhoused encampment sweeps locally, we turn to art to resist erasure and support our communities.

"The title pays tribute to Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer's last poem, ‘If I must die.'"

For more information see the show brochure on Latitude 53 Contemporary Visual Culture's Facebook page. The show runs from February 10 – March 16 at 10130 -100 St NW, Edmonton.

(To access articles individually click on the black headline.)

PDF

PREVIOUS ISSUES | HOME

Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca