Factions Advocate for Discourse Centered on Middle East Conflict and Protests in Upcoming Elections
As the final 10 days of Canada's federal election approach, a pro-Palestinian advocacy group and B'nai Brith Canada, a prominent Jewish-Canadian community organization, are eagerly working to influence political parties' stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Vote Palestine aims to pressure political parties and candidates to support Palestinian human rights, while B'nai Brith's election center is designed to help Jewish voters make informed decisions.
Each group is principally concerned with the nature of the protests surrounding the Middle East conflict taking place in Canada.
Vote Palestine seeks to protect the right to protest and express views about Palestine without harassment, reprisals, or criminalization. In contrast, B'nai Brith pushes parties to commit to banning all rallies promoting hate speech, violence, and extremism, including those like Al-Quds Day, which they argue have been platforms for spreading antisemitic rhetoric and extremist views.
The Vote Palestine campaign calls for federal candidates to support Palestinian rights by endorsing an arms embargo on Israel, recognizing a Palestinian state, and addressing anti-Palestinian racism in Canada while strengthening commitments to protect free speech regarding Palestine.
Tensions around pro-Palestinian protests resurfaced on April 12, when hundreds of demonstrators marched to Parliament Hill to protest Israeli military attacks in Gaza and make Middle East conflict a ballot box issue in the upcoming federal election.
B'nai Brith's election efforts are mainly focused on advocating stronger measures against antisemitism and countering the extremism embedded in some pro-Palestinian protests in Canada.
The Israel-Palestine conflict has been a long-standing struggle over land, national identity, and political sovereignty, resulting in multiple wars, ongoing violence, and humanitarian crises.
The latest stage of the conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, resulting in around 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages. In the subsequent 18 months, Israeli military attacks on Hamas in Gaza have claimed over 50,000 Palestinian lives, more than half of whom were women and children. Over 100,000 people have been injured in the attacks, according to Gaza health authorities.
The war has been one of the deadliest escalations of the Middle East conflict in decades, leading to global tensions and sparking pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests worldwide, including in Canada.
Vote Palestine urges parties to take clearer stances on the still-unfolding crisis and future solutions. The federal Liberal government has tried to maintain a delicate balance regarding the Middle East conflict, advocating for a two-state solution. However, Sarah Lujetic, a Carleton University student and Palestine supporter, asserts that it would be beneficial to know candidates' thoughts on the situation in Gaza.
According to Lujetic, advocates presenting platforms on the conflict to influence candidates and voters are helping to inform people about what matters to them. The Vote Palestine platform is described as a non-partisan campaign aimed at placing Palestine on the ballot. Along with pushing for a two-way arms embargo on Israel, the campaign calls for banning Canadian involvement in illegal Israeli settlements and financially supporting boycotts, divestments, and sanctions (BDS) in support of the Palestinian cause. Organizers are working to coordinate activists across the country to pressure MPs, political parties, and candidates to endorse the Palestine Platform, believing a growing majority of Canadians refuse to accept the government's alleged complicity in genocide, potentially impacting election choices.
B'nai Brith Canada's election pages highlight their seven-point plan to combat antisemitism, with a focus on implementing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism at all levels of government. The platform aims to empower Jewish citizens and allies to engage actively in the democratic process. Jonah Fried, B'nai Brith's communications director, says the organization hopes the platform will offer Jewish voters the resources to make informed decisions. In its invitation for federal political parties to state their positions, B'nai Brith called attention to the proliferation of hate rallies allegedly promoted by foreign governments hostile to Canada and Israel, often crossing the line from legitimate political discourse into hate speech and incitement against Jews.
In its response to B'nai Brith Canada's election questionnaire, the Conservative Party of Canada denounced "deplorable hate fests" and committed to supporting Israel and deterring terrorism. The Liberal party stated their concern about the rise of antisemitism since Oct. 7, 2023, while emphasizing the importance of democratic freedoms. The Bloc Québécois highlighted the necessity of maintaining a healthy and democratic debate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Green Party pledged protection against hate-fueled events and sanctions against rallies supporting terrorist entities and sanctioned regimes, while upholding democratic freedoms. As of April 16, no responses from the New Democratic Party were posted on B'nai Brith Canada's election site.
- The Israel-Palestine conflict, marked by wars, violence, and humanitarian crises, continues to be a significant issue in global politics and general news.
- The ongoing crisis in Gaza has led to a surge in pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests worldwide, including in Canada, making it a critical ballot box issue in the upcoming federal election.
- Vote Palestine, a pro-Palestinian advocacy group, is actively pressing political parties and candidates to endorse their platform, which includes an arms embargo on Israel, recognizing a Palestinian state, and addressing anti-Palestinian racism in Canada.
- B'nai Brith Canada, on the other hand, is advocating for stronger measures against antisemitism and countering the extremism embedded in some pro-Palestinian protests in Canada.
- The federal Liberal government is trying to maintain a balanced approach, advocating for a two-state solution, but there's a question about the clarity of candidates' stances on the crisis and future solutions.
- B'nai Brith Canada's election efforts include implementing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism at all levels of government and empowering Jewish citizens and allies to engage actively in the democratic process.
- The implementation of such measures and the candidates' stances on the Israel-Palestine conflict could significantly impact voting decisions in the upcoming federal election.
