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Jewish Group Strongly Opposes Censorship at York University

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Published on May 21, 2013, by in BDS, Canadian Jewish Institutions, Canadian politics, Events, IJV News Releases, Israel, Palestine, Solidarity, Students.
For immediate release
May 21, 2013

Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) Canada is outraged at the York University administration’s decision to revoke the student club status of Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA)-York, until January 2014. IJV calls on the administration to reverse its decision, and to lift the trespass order on a community member who’s a member of SAIA. The administration amazingly justified its decision because the student club had been too loud in their protesting.

“The real reason behind the decisions to ban SAIA and an alumnus from campus is to stifle criticism of Israel’s policies,” said IJV spokesperson, Tyler Levitan. “It appears that the university cares more about appeasing pro-Israel donors than it does in upholding basic freedoms for students.”
IJV is asking its members and free speech advocates to protest the York University ban. “The foundation of democracy is a well-informed public that is able to make consequential decisions. It is shocking that a Canadian university is attacking critical views and information.”

York University’s decision is part of a broader tactic by Israel advocacy organizations that is quickly emerging across Canadian university campuses—censoring Palestinian human rights groups. Both the University of Manitoba Student Union and the University of Regina Student Union have recently passed resolutions that effectively ban Palestine solidarity organizing on campus. “By claiming that SAIA’s work offends and alienates certain students is a preposterous reason for censoring a student club,” said Levitan. “If everything deemed offensive were censored, what kind of a society would we be living in? Criticizing any government’s policies should be welcomed at a university, not silenced.”

This rush to censorship is coming on the heels of two recently passed motions at York University—by the York University Graduate Students Association (GSA) and the York Federation of Students (YFS)—endorsing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel until it complies with international law. The student unions of the University of Toronto Scarborough and Mississauga campuses recently passed BDS motions, as well.

“It isn’t surprising that York University has taken the drastic measure of banning SAIA until January 2014,” said Levitan. “With so much pressure being placed on the administration to divest its funds from companies complicit in human rights violations in the occupied territories, they would rather continue business as usual without having to tolerate contrary views.”

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Contact: Tyler Levitan, Campaigns Coordinator for IJV-Canada,
tyler@ijvcanada.org
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SPEAK UP against their only weapon – Censorship

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Published on May 17, 2013, by in Anti-Aparteid Actions, BDS, Canadian Jewish Institutions, Canadian politics, Israel, Jews and Judaism, Palestine, Students.
IJV logo w Be active, be well added
SAIA yORK 4Click here to tell York U. to respect free speech. Censorship is the Israel appologists’ only way to blunt enthusiasm for human rights.

Dear Reader,

You might be astonished to learn that for the third time in the past month, Israel’s apologists here in Canada have banned a Palestinian human rights group from organizing on campus. On Tuesday, Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) at York University was officially banned until January 2014 by the university’s administration for staging a protest that was purportedly too noisy. A York alumnus who organizes with SAIA was also given a trespassing notice, simply for organizing with the group. This is a total affront to freedom of speech and academic freedom. Tell the President of York University to immediately reverse his administration’s decision to ban SAIA.
SAIA York 5Sue Goldstein from IJV Toronto speaks at an Israeli Apartheid Week event.

It’s obvious what is happening at York and at campuses across the country: censorship of voices that are critical of Israel’s discriminatory policies. Through SAIA’s dedicated organizing, the Graduate Student’s Association and the York Federation of Students both recently passed motions in support of the Palestinian civil society call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel. The group also collected over 5,000 signatures for a petition in support of divesting from companies that the University’s pension and endowment funds invest in—companies that produce weapons and technologies that support Israel’s occupation and the maiming of innocent Palestinian civilians.
SAIA York 2

In the face of such successful organizing around such blatant and systematic injustices, we have to speak back to Israel’s apologists who have only one weapon at their disposal: censorship.

Imagine if Hillel were to be banned for having a loud protest. Could you imagine the kind of outrage and attention it would get?
SAIA York 1SAIA is organizing very successfully around ideals that universities should be cultivating rather than censoring.

We cannot let this become the norm in Canada, with the mainstream media and politicians remaining silent on the issue of freedom of speech. Contact your Member of Parliament and tell them that you are fed up with the climate of fear in Canada around speaking out against Israel’s crimes.
Tyler and signature

Thank you for your vital support of free speech and human rights!

Tyler Levitan,
Campaigns Coordinator,
Independent Jewish Voices

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©2013 IJV Canada | Independent Jewish Voices, P.O. Box 23088, Ottawa, Ontario K2A 4E2, CANADA

 

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Picketing SodaStream in Halifax

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Published on May 16, 2013, by in Uncategorized.
photoHalifax pickets at Planet Organic for selling illegal settlement products

Halifax, NS

In late winter, two Halifax-based human rights groups began to picket Planet Organic, a well-known local health food store in town.
Members of Canadians, Arabs and Jews for a Just Peace (CAJJP) and Independent Jewish Voices- Canada have been holding information pickets in front of this business to alert shoppers and other Haligonians to SodaStream.  SodaStream is a kitchen gadget that makes sodas and other drinks. Its multi-million dollar advertising campaign boasts that it is a green product  is meant to cut people’s reliance  on bottled water and canned drinks, However, Sodastream does have a dark side.  The product is manufactured in an industrial zone of Mishor Edomim, a large Israeli Settlement in the West Bank.  Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, which makes it also illegal for Israeli companies to operate businesses in the Occupied West Bank.
Though activists have tried to speak with the manager at Planet Organic many times, he has refused.   Instead, he or his assistant manager have called the police  on demonstrators to discourage them.  Planet Organic is one of nearly a dozen stores in Halifax and Dartmouth that now carry SodaStream.   CAJJP and IJV-Canada continue to picket and hand out leaflets it in the hope that Planet Organic will stop stocking the product.  Judy Haiven
All these photos were taken by Trevor Beckerson
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