A new Jewish group

DAVE GORDON

A coalition of left-of-centre Jewish organizations has recently combined to create the Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians (ACJC). The group held its first conference in Toronto at the end of March.

Naomi Klein, author most recently of The Shock Doctrine, kicked off the conference with a speech titled, Israel, Whatever You Do, Don't Act Normal. During the 40-minute talk, Klein asked the 150 people in attendance, "Who wants to visit a country with a warrish, bullish personality?"

According to Klein, Israel's birthday celebrations, which are being held over the course of the year are, "actively forgetting the Naqba," or catastrophe, to denote what many Palestinians believe was their catastrophe – Israel's founding as a state. She also said that Israel's marketing to tourists is "taking the world's eyes away from the brutality of the occupation and focusing on the bubble of fun and sophistication ... it is a cocoon of normalcy in a sea of terror. That is what is being marketed here." She also credited Toronto with playing "a leading role in putting divestment and boycott on the agenda."

A video of Klein's speech appeared on YouTube, where it ended with the caption: "Apartheid: wrong for South Africans, wrong for Palestinians." Klein told the Independent, "There are similarities and differences," to the former South African regime. "I don't think it's overly inflammatory," she said, adding that Israel is more militarized than was apartheid South Africa.

A member of the governing board of ACJC, and the main conference organizer, Diana Ralph, said the group is comprised of "all small, marginal, poorly funded" organizations, with the focus on unifying voices to challenge the mainstream Jewish community's, and the Canadian government's, views on Israel.

The meeting was held at the Steelworkers' Hall, in Toronto. Guests included representatives from the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, the United Church and the Canadian Arab Federation. The basis for group membership is to be against Israel's presence in the West Bank.

"There were people who were there that were one-staters, two-staters and no staters," said Ralph, adding that the group has welcomed the strongly Zionist to the strongly anti-Zionist. One of many goals, she said, was influencing the media and politicians, "[because] Muslims and Arabs are being victimized by Islamophobic policies and practices here in Canada."

According to Ralph, the group is split on the usefulness of an economic boycott of Israel as a tactic. The group is harmonious on Israel's security barrier.

"[It] is an abomination and a land grab, and is causing immense suffering for the people in the occupied territories, for their economy and their lives, for them to get medical care and things like that," she said. "In fact, it is a violation of international law."

The barrier's absence should be replaced with overtures of rapprochement, she maintained.

"I think the level of violence coming from Palestinians toward Israel dropped dramatically in the early stages of the Oslo negotiations. Every time that Israel has made any kind of minimal gestures towards peace, the level of violence has gone down."

The root causes of militancy can be found with the Jewish state's policies, Ralph asserted. "I think there's lots of evidence that suicide bombings and violence coming from Palestinians are often planned, and directly provoked, by the Israeli government," she said. "And when they react, the Israeli government uses that as an excuse to massively overreact. So I think taking down the wall would actually increase Israeli security. Obviously, Israel is the instigating power."

Ralph acknowledged, however, that the Palestinian leadership ought to be censured, as well. "Obviously, most people agree that Fatah is corrupt, and Hamas, too," said Ralph. "There is an absence of control and their strategic thinking is flawed. Of course, I don't approve of the random rockets and suicide bombings."

When Klein was asked if she held disapproval for any particular Palestinian policies, she sidestepped the question. "You want me to criticize the Palestinian Authority? I'll leave that to you. The reason for the conference was not to have another voice criticizing the Palestinians," Klein told the Independent. "I know you can't get enough of it, but you're not going to get it from me."

Bernie Farber, chief executive officer of Canadian Jewish Congress, does not perceive the new group to be of any consequence.

"They are very much on the extreme. Virtually no one but themselves are paying any attention to them," he said. "We will have no trade with Jewish groups, or otherwise, that promote boycotts of Israel, that promote the belief of Israel being apartheid.... They got together and they talked amongst themselves. The bottom line is, who cares?"

Dave Gordon is a freelance writer. His website is DaveGordonWrites.com.

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