By Scott Weinstein March 27, 2009
An organization the FBI, the U.S. State Department and U.S. courts have branded a ‘terrorist organization’ has given advice to the Harper government that led Immigration Minister Jason Kenney to barring a British MP from Canada.
A spokesman said Kenney first heard about British MP George Galloway’s visit from a Jewish Defense League letter, and contacted departmental communications staff at Citizenship and Immigration to prepare media lines.
The Jewish Defense League, categorized by the FBI as a “right-wing Jewish terrorist group”, was founded by US ultra-Zionist Rabbi Meir Kahane in 1968. The Jewish Defense League (JDL) wrote to the Canadian government March 16 asking it to ban Galloway. Mr. Galloway is scheduled to speak in four Canadian cities from March 30 to April 2 on “Resisting War from Gaza to Kandahar”.
In the late 1960s, Kahane also founded the Kach political party in Israel, which along with Kahane Chai (Kahane Lives) were declared terrorist organizations in 1994 by the Israeli Cabinet. Kahane was shot dead in a New York City hotel in 1990.
The US State Department designated the JDL’s Israeli affiliates, the Kahane Chai and the Kach as “foreign terrorist organizations” – a decision upheld by a US Appeals Court. (http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt/2006/82738.htm ) Kach member Baruch Goldstein massacred 29 Palestinians praying in the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron. The JDL is still active with Hebron’s Jewish settlers, most visibly remarkable for its hate graffiti such as: “Arabs to the Gas Chambers”. (see http://www.cpt.org/gallery/slideshow.php?set_albumName=album03 )
In a 1986 study of domestic terrorism, the US Department of Energy concluded: “For more than a decade, the Jewish Defense League (JDL) has been one of the most active terrorist groups in the United States….Since 1968, JDL operations have killed 7 persons and wounded at least 22.” In 2001, the JDL’s leader, Canadian Irv Rubin and member Earl Krugel were convicted of planning a terror attack in California against an Arab American congressman. Rubin was also accused of planning bombing attacks on Concordia University and California mosques. Krugel was murdered in prison, and Rubin died in prison allegedly by suicide.
This appeared to spell the end of the JDL in North America. According to The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs there exists a network of radical Zionist leaders in North America who currently serve as primary fundraisers for the outlawed Israeli terrorist group Kahane Chai. Some tried unsuccessfully to revive the JDL in the US. (http://www.wrmea.com/backissues/0799/9907081.html )
The JDL resurfaces in fertile Canada
It is significant that the Conservative government for “national security” reasons bans outspoken anti-war critic and Palestinian supporter British MP George Galloway, while giving a known terrorist organization a free pass to operate in Canada and advise their policies.
The Harper government is too connected to the security apparatus to be unaware of the Jewish Defense League’s terrorism designation. Perhaps the Conservative government is testing whether Canadians still care about their rights, or Canada’s policies in Afghanistan, the Middle East and inside Canadian boarders.
Canadian Jewish critics of Israel have noted the Harper government’s numerous unholy alliances to contain opponents of its Israel and Afghanistan policies. Certainly, the Conservatives’ attacks on Muslims, Arabs and Palestinian supporters have provided a political terrain that is now fertile for the JDL to operate.
The Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) and its Canadian Jewish News (CJN) has positively received the JDL and reports on some of its activities. The CJN wrote March 20, 2009 “CJC commends government for denying George Galloway entry to Canada”. Last year CJC leader Bernie Farber’s opinion on the JDL was “they have the right to exist.”
The right wing Jewish organization the B’nai Brith and the JDL both targeted the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) in 2007 to prevent them from debating a motion critical of Israel. The Canada Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is a currently a target by the JDL and other pro-Israel organizations for it’s resolutions critical of Israel. Liberal aide Warren Kinsella appeared this week at a meeting organized by the JDL as a surprise guest.
Other major news media fail to note the Jewish Defense League’s terrorist designation in their reports, but that is more likely due to ignorance. In an interview this week on British Channel 4 TV with George Galloway, JDL leader Meir Weinstein threatened any Canadian who attended or supported Galloway’s presentation would be “monitored” by the Canadian government. (See: http://www.wikio.com/video/944540 )
For more information on the George Galloway Canadian tour: http://www.defendfreespeech.ca./(Ottawa) http://ottawapeace.blogspot.com/ ; (Toronto) http://www.nowar.ca/ ; (Montréal) http://www.sphr.orgTo individually or have your organization endorse a statement for Galloway to speak in Canada and denounce the attacks by the Conservative government against it’s critics, email : Galloway.Canada@gmail.com
To sign an online petition to let Galloway speak in Canada : http://www.petitiononline.com/gallow18/petition.html
This article may be distributed and reprinted. Scott Weinstein is a member of Independent Jewish Voices CanadaHe can be reached at : scott.montreal@sympatico.ca
