Speaking Out Against Bill C-51

May 30 was the Third National Day of Action Against Bill C-51. Since it looks like the bill is going to pass the Senate, the emphasis of the protest was to encourage people to vote the Conservatives (who introduced the bill) out in the upcoming federal election. I spoke at the rally on behalf of Independent Jewish Voices.

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My name is Paula Kirman. Take a good look at me: I am a peace activist whose activities trying to advocate for a better world make me potentially a criminal guilty of hate crimes. You see, I am the Alberta representative on the steering committee of Independent Jewish Voices of Canada. We are a grassroots group of Jewish Canadians who believe in working towards a just resolution to the conflict in Israel/Palestine. We are, of course, in favour of legitimate criticism of the government of Israel's actions. Because of this, our spokesperson has said that he believes that he and other members of our organization are under surveillance. But that is not enough for the Harper government.

According to a May 11 CBC News report, the Harper government is planning to use hate crime laws against Canadians who advocate boycotts of Israel in support of the rights of Palestinians. In 2014, hate speech laws were amended by the government to add the category of "national origin" to those protected under the legislation. This was widely seen as laying the groundwork to criminalize criticism of Israel.

The government's need to make such an amendment to advance its efforts to criminalize support for Palestinian rights indicates that it could find no legal basis upon which to accuse Canadians of racial or religious hatred, already protected in hate-speech laws.

In January of this year, Canada's then-foreign affairs minister, John Baird, signed a "memorandum of understanding" with Israeli authorities in Jerusalem, pledging to combat BDS (Boycotts, Divestments, Sanctions), referring to it as a form of “new” anti-Semitism. Even more recently, Conservative Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney has called for "zero tolerance" of criticism of Israel and that Canadian hate laws could be applied to those campaigning for BDS.

We find this ludicrous as BDS is a legitimate, peaceful, and non-violent way to express protest towards the government of Israel. It requires not doing something, not being complicit, and encouraging others to not do something: to not purchase goods from Israel, particularly those produced on disputed or occupied land. This is not much different than when I was in high school and there were boycotts against South Africa, which was still under apartheid. Even Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu has described Israel as an “apartheid state” and has said, “We learned in South Africa that the only way to end apartheid peacefully was to force the powerful to the table through economic pressure.”

IJV supports BDS in cooperation with the United Church's Unsettling Goods campaign, which also supports BDS. How many of you are members of the United Church of Canada? Now you are potentially criminals also, for the same reason.

IJV, in a press release, has asked that the government explain what “zero tolerance” for criticism of Israel actually means. Thus far, we have not gotten a clear response, nor has any other individual or group who have asked a similar question.

Bill C-51 would take the criminalization of dissent even further. Bill C-51 is an assault on our right to freedom of speech, thought, and conscience. Its definition of advocacy or promotion of “terrorism offences in general” is basically whatever Harper wants it to be. It has no defences for legitimate expression of political or religious thought.

It is designed to silence us, to instill fear about speaking out, to be afraid of indefinite detention and arrest without warrant. It creates a police state in Canada where CSIS can be “legally” authorized to conduct black ops and dirty tricks, including entrapment. It invades our privacy and allows CSIS and the RCMP to “share” information - as they did with Maher Arar.

The aim is to silence dissenting voices. I used to consider myself lucky to live in a country like Canada where we could be free to criticize the government without repercussions. Those days are sadly ending. Bill C-51 flies in the face of Canadian values of freedom and diverse opinions. The Conservatives are anti-Canadian – not protesters.

Why are Israel's critics being slammed? I believe this is a political move by Harper in anticipation of an election to try to court the evangelical Christian and right-wing Jewish vote. What can we do? There is an election coming. I've never been one to tell people how to vote, but we need to vote the Conservatives out. The Liberals, who supported Bill C-51, are no better. Vote for a party that will repeal Bill C-51 and, while perhaps not agree with everything each and every one of us may espouse, would at least protect our freedom of speech and expression. Once human rights are taken away, they are difficult to get back.

So, once again, take a good look at me – one of the faces of Harper's enemies - and hear me when I say that we are heading down a slippery slope and we have the power to change things. We did it in Alberta and we can do it federally. We have to.

Speech for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF)

I was scheduled to speak at a fundraiser for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund this month. Unfortunately, the event was cancelled. However, I decided to share my speech here, since I prepared it and hope that I can deliver it at a related event in the future.

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I am the Alberta representative on the national steering committee of Independent Jewish Voices. IJV is a humanitarian organization that believes in human rights for all people, and especially a just resolution to the conflict in Israel and Palestine, a resolution that would result in peace and justice for all people in that region. We oppose the ongoing, illegal occupation and are the first (and as far as I know, the only) Canadian Jewish organization to endorse Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel.

I was asked to speak a bit about my perspective on the most recent Gaza incursion from a Jewish perspective. That is rather difficult to do because, as goes the story, if you have two Jewish people, you have three opinions. Jewish people are known for intellectual discourse, debate, examination of issues, and, of course, being opinionated. Except, however, when it comes to this issue. Jewish people who are level headed and willing to stand up for the rights of the downtrodden anywhere else in the world, may suddenly find themselves choking when the question of Palestine is raised. So much so, in fact, that there are national organizations that claim to speak on behalf of all Jews in Canada, such as B’nai Brith and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

Independent Jewish Voices exists to provide that alternative voice, to say that those organizations do not, in fact, speak for all Jews. As proof, our membership rose just recently during Operation Protective Edge. Our members were out in droves at the many anti-Zionist peace rallies held across Canada.

Indeed, Jewish people have many opinions, so I am going to speak a little about myself. I was raised in a fairly traditional, Modern Orthodox home, where our traditions and values were important. Unlike other Jewish families, Israel was not overly discussed or stressed, and I always had trouble wrapping my head around the conflict, since Jews and Arabs are both people of Abraham. Over the years I swung numerous ways on the issue and a few years ago, I think it was during Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009, I became appalled at the number of civilian casualties the Palestinian people incurred, especially of children. It was disproportionate, inappropriate, and disgusting.

It was around then that I discovered and became a member of of Independent Jewish Voices and began speaking on their behalf at a number of events. As part of the Jewish community, the reaction has been mixed, from agreeing to disagree, to people outright walking out of my life as friends. However, I believe that no cause is worth standing up for if there is no threat of sacrifice, and if anything, my views separate the people in my life into two camps: those who are my real friends, and those who are not.

I am not a Torah scholar, but from a theological perspective I don't believe that the modern political State of Israel is the same as Eretz Yisroel which is described in the Torah. In fact, Israel was founded by working class, mostly Socialist Jewish people who had survived the Holocaust. It had nothing to do with religion, as such. As a Jewish person, I don't feel I need to have unwavering loyalty to a nation in order to maintain my Jewish identity.

However, this does not stop me from being accused of being a “self-hating Jew” or “anti-Semitic.” Both of these claims are absolutely ridiculous. First of all, I can't be a self-hating Jewish when I so openly identify with my Jewishness. The same applies to supposedly being anti-Semitic. And as far as that goes, Arabs are Semites also. So anyone who calls me anti-Semitic is actually being anti-semantic.

I am also not anti-Israel. I believe there needs to be a just peace for all people in that region. In fact, there is a growing, vocal peace movement from within Israel amongst Jewish people, such as the journalist Gideon Levy. Why? Peace is important for everyone’s security and safety. The occupation is bad for the future of both Israelis and Palestinians.

As a Jewish person, certain values are of utmost importance to me. One of these is the concept of Tikkun Olam, which refers to healing or repairing the world. The rift in the Middle East needs to be repaired or the world remains incomplete.

Speaking Out Again on the Middle East

On Tuesday evening, July 8, I spoke at an emergency rally concerning the situation in Israel and Palestine, on behalf of the Edmonton Coalition Against War and Racism and Independent Jewish Voices. The rally was a call for peace and a protest against the collective punishment of Gaza in retribution for the tragic deaths of three Israeli teenagers last week. Below is the text of my speech, as well as a video of me speaking.

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The Edmonton Coalition Against War and Racism condemns the collective punishment and violence against the Palestinian people by the government of Israel. We believe in the right to self-determination for all people without imperialistic interference, and this includes Palestine. We call on everyone to work for an anti-war government in Canada. There can be no solution without recognizing the rights of the Palestinian people.

I am also the Alberta representative on the National Steering Committee of Independent Jewish Voices (IJV). Independent Jewish Voices is a national human rights organization whose mandate is to promote a just resolution to the dispute in Israel and Palestine through the application of international law and respect for the human rights of all parties.

IJV is made up of Jewish people (and non-Jewish supporters) from across the country. We come from different walks of life, levels of religious observance, professions, and ages, but the one thing we have in common is that we believe that the occupation of Palestine is wrong and must stop. Politically, we provide an alternative to organizations such as B'nai B'rith and the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee which claim to speak on behalf of all Canadian Jews. They don't.

In light of the recent tragedies we are hearing more Jewish voices calling out for an end to the occupation, even within Israel itself. To quote Gideon Levy, who is a Jewish writer for the major Israeli newspaper Ha'Aretz: “In the Jewish state, there is no remnant of the biblical injunction to treat the minority or the stranger with justice. There are no more Jews left who marched with Martin Luther King or who sat in jail with Nelson Mandela. The Jewish state, which Israel insists the Palestinians recognize, must first recognize itself. At the end of the day, at the end of a terrible week, it seems that a Jewish state means a racist, nationalistic state, meant for Jews only.”

My heart breaks at the recent, senseless, tragic murders of the three Israeli teenagers. It also breaks at the Palestinians who have been murdered by Israel in retribution, including a 16 year old who was burned while he was still alive. IJV takes the stand that all of these heinous crimes are the inevitable result of Israel’s brutal and illegal occupation of Palestine.

In a press release that IJV issued last week, our spokesperson Tyler Levitan did not mince words. “Make no mistake, the burden of responsibility rests with the occupying power – Israel. The blood of these youth is also on Canada’s hands, as Canada’s government unconditionally supports Israel’s violent military occupation of the West Bank and siege of Gaza, which repeatedly fuels more violence,” he said.

The bottom line is that the occupation is not only illegal and immoral, but bad for the futures of both Israelis and Palestinians. It is causing misery and death for both peoples, and they deserve better. It is time for Canada's government to stop supporting the policies of the Israeli government and to take a stand against the brutal occupation of the Palestinians. It is time for the Jewish community as a whole to open its eyes and accept that just because we have been oppressed does not give us the right to become or to support the oppression. We must stand up for the rights of all, including the Palestinians. Our religion and our history demands it.

Finally, Canadians must put an end to the lawlessness of the Harper dictatorship which claims to stand for law and order but acts in defiance of international law - giving its support and even directly participating in illegal occupations, war crimes, collective punishment, use of banned weapons, and many other heinous crimes against the Palestinian people and humanity.

Shalom.

Zionism and Religion: A Progressive Jewish Observation

What does it mean to be Jewish? Many people of Jewish background, myself included, were raised to believe that one's Jewishness and loyalty to Israel are inextricably tied together. To question the actions of Israel's government is an act of disloyalty, and one of the few topics that are not open to debate in Jewish circles.

I tend to look at social justice from a faith perspective, and the situation in the Middle East is no different. When I began to question what was going on in Israel/Palestine, I began to question beliefs that were at the core of my Jewish self. Here are some conclusions from a religious viewpoint as to why a Jewish person cannot just blindly accept that Israel is blameless, perfect, pristine, and an example to the international community.

First of all the, so-called "Jewish state" was not founded on religious principles. It was founded by socialist, working class Holocaust survivors. Which is perhaps by, at first, the modern political State of Israel was rejected by many religious branches of Judaism. Zionism was seen as a political, secular movement - not a religious one.

Over time, the Orthodox took over, and Orthodox law is what rules in Israel today. As a result, all cycle of life events have to be overseen by Orthodox auspices, conversions that are not Orthodox are not accepted, and neither is patrilineal descent. In other words, the version of Judaism that the fewest Jews around the world follow is what rules in Israel. So, if you are someone who identifies as Jewish but converted through Conservative or reform (or are the child of a mother who converted as such), or have a Jewish father and was raised Jewish but have a non-Jewish mother, guess what? You are not considered Jewish in Israel. Oh, and only religious marriages are valid, so if your spouse is not Jewish, in Israel you are single.

Yes, a government gets to decide a person's religion. Although Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, that doesn't speak of freedom to me. Here is another one: Messianic Jews (Jews who believe that Jesus is the Messiah) are not considered Jewish under the Israeli Law of return, even if they are Halachically Jewish (born to a Jewish mother who is considered Jewish under Orthodox law). Now, I know this is a very contentious issue, and I am not intending to start an argument on whether or not Jesus is the Messiah, but I am a firm believer that people have the right to believe whatever they want (even if they are being meshuggah (crazy)). Apparently, the powers that be in Israel don't share that attitude. How ironic, considering how Zionist the Messianic movement is. So, if you are a Messianic Jew, heed my words: Israel does not want you.

Israel does love Evangelical Christians, though. Those same Christians who believe that Jews are going to hell (well, the ones who don't believe in Jesus, anyways). There is a prophecy that Jesus will return if the global Jewish population makes aliyah (moves to Israel). Evangelicals support Israel financially and politically. Israel appreciates this and welcomes them - except for the Jewish Christians/Messianic Jews. Those guys are religious traitors, after all. Yeah, like the Evangelicals putting money and time into conversion efforts against Jews isn't intrusive and borderline anti-Semitic. What a paradox.

As a member of Independent Jewish Voices I am glad I have an outlet for my views on the Middle East and social justice from a Jewish perspective - a progressive Jewish perspective. If you are Jewish and interested in true religious freedom, social justice, and human rights, I hope you will consider joining.

My Al Quds Speech

Here is the text of my speech delivered on August 2, 2013 at the Al Quds event in Edmonton.

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I grew up in a fairly traditional Jewish home, where I often equated Judaism with Israel. Much later on as I began to explore issues concerning the Middle East, I realized that I had only been presented with one side of the story. I began to question why, if Israel is only defending itself from supposed enemy attacks, why the victims of Israeli aggression seemed to disproportionately be women and children. I began to question why I, as a Jewish woman, could get automatic citizenship to a country where I had never set foot, when people who have been living there for generations don't even have basic human rights. And, I began to question why questioning these sorts of things seemed to be such a touchy issues in the organized Jewish community.

A little while after this, in an effort to reach out to like-minded people, I joined Independent Jewish Voices. Independent Jewish Voices is a grassroots organization of concerned Canadian Jewish citizens who are against the unjust, illegal, and immoral occupation of the Palestinian territories. We come from diverse backgrounds, occupations, and affiliations but have in common a strong commitment to social justice and universal human rights. We come together in the belief that the broad spectrum of opinion amongst the Jewish population of this country is not reflected by those institutions which claim authority to represent the Jewish community as a whole. We further believe that individuals and groups within all communities should feel free to express their views on any issue of public concern without incurring accusations of disloyalty. Independent Jewish Voices is also the first national Jewish organization in the world which formally adopted BDS (Boycott Divestment Sanctions) in 2009.

My practise of Judaism includes values such as compassion, social justice, and Tikkun Olam, which is the Jewish concept of healing or repairing the world. The occupation of the Palestinian people violates these principles. Ironically, like many other Jewish people who are also against the occupation, I have been called self-hating and anti-Semitic. I have learned that, besides being absurd (someone who self-identifies as being Jewish is hardly “self-hating”), these are tactics to try to discredit dissenting viewpoints and to try to shut the conversation down.

In the Jewish community, there is a lot of misinformation about the connection between Judaism and Zionism. The bottom line is that the spiritual and cultural practise of Judaism and the political philosophy of Zionism are not intrinsically connected. Historically, Zionism was opposed by almost all organized branches of Judaism. Today, there are some very strong Jewish voices from within Israel who have remained fierce critics of Israeli colonial settlement policy in the Occupied Territories for many years.

I try to communicate to other Jewish people that they should examine the situation in the Middle East from an objective point of view. They should be concerned that human rights violations and murder are being committed in our name. They should be concerned that, despite our culture of intellectualism and open debate, that when it comes to this issue, dissent is discouraged. It is my sincere hope that a new generation of Jewish people is coming of age that is more open to questioning these important issues and not blindly following the Jewish establishment.

Independent Jewish Voices in Alberta

I joined Independent Jewish Voices a few years ago when I became frustrated with the situation in the Middle East, and how, if you are Jewish, you are expected to think a certain way politically. I also disagree with the way politics and faith are purposely interconnected on this issue: if you are Jewish, you are expected to support Israel unconditionally. Finally, and probably the most concerning, is that fact that any debate on the issue of Israel - any disagreement - is immediately shot down in conversation and the person branded as a self-hating Jew or an anti-Semite (a ridiculous accusation to someone who self-identifies as being Jewish).

Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) provides an alternative voice for Canadian Jews like me. It is a political organization that counters groups like B'nai Brith and the Canadian Jewish Congress, which are political (not religious) organizations claiming to speak for the entire Jewish population in this country.

Over the last couple of years I have spoken for IJV at a number of rallies concerning human rights for Palestinians. Most recently, I spoke at Al Quds Day on August 2. What I say in this video pretty well sums up my views and the purpose of IJV:

IJV has chapters in individual cities, with representatives on a national steering committee which shapes the direction of the organization. I decided it was time for more of a voice from the Prairies and recently joined the IJV steering committee as the representative for Alberta. With a few members in Calgary and Edmonton combined, it made more sense to have a province-wide chapter rather than one for both cities.

I have been spending some time trying to attract new members. It's not easy - even amongst "progressive" Jewish people, there can be fear of retribution over speaking out, as well as ambivalence on the whole topic itself. Non-Jewish people are also welcome to join - the only difference is that non-Jews cannot join the steering committee or vote at an AGM. The reason for this is for IJV to maintain its identity as a Jewish but non-Zionist organization.

Membership is confidential (unless one chooses to make it public, like I did) and requires very little in the way of a time commitment. Mostly, members receive emails that contain information about current BDS campaigns (SodaStream is the big one right now), news items of concern, and petitions. BDS, to explain for those who don't know, means Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions. IJV is the first national organization in the world to adopt BDS, in 2009.

I will be starting up a low-traffic email list for Alberta members, and possibly organizing one or two in-person events over the coming months (likely discussion circles over coffee). However, for now, if you are someone who is concerned about the one-sided viewpoint concerning the actions of Israel that is propagated by the mainstream; if you are concerned about the human rights violations of the Palestinian people; if you believe in truth, social justice, and peace: please consider joining IJV.

On a personal note, for the record, I am not anti-Israel and have never spoken against Israel's right to exist as a country. I believe that most of the people who live there want peace and that the actions of the Israeli government and IDF are to blame for much of the suffering that continues in that region.