The Comment Factory

Thousands of Canadians are again expected to brave snow and sleet weather conditions this weekend as protests continue in opposition to Israel’s attack on Gaza. Last week saw one of Canada’s largest international solidarity demonstrations in recent years, with over ten thousand people marching from the US to the Israeli consulate in Toronto. Protests have taken place almost every major Canadian city, including Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver.

Canada’s support for Israel’s attack on Gaza has been widely condemned by peace activists, human rights groups, and labour unions across the country. On Wednesday a group of Jewish women activists – including Israeli peace activists, filmmakers, the president of Science for Peace – occupied the Israeli consulate in Toronto. “[T]hese atrocities are not being committed in our name,” the women chanted before their arrest. They were released later the same day without charges.

On Thursday in Montreal a group of activists delivered an “eviction notice” demanding the expulsion of the Consular General and an immediate end to the Israeli assault on Gaza. The action shut down the consulate for the morning.

The Ontario section of Canada’s largest public sector union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, has also called to ban Israeli academics from campuses unless they condemn the bombing of the Islamic University in Gaza and the assault in general. Since 2006 CUPE Ontario has supported boycotts, divestment and sanctions aimed at bringing about the Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and a just peace in the region.

The right governing Conservative party, a traditional staunch support of Israel, has blamed Hamas for the crisis, including Israeli’s recent bombing of a UN school.

In one of his first acts as prime minister, Stephen Harper made Canada the first country to cut off aid – more than $30 million a year – to the Palestinian Authority after Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections. Hamas is now considered a terrorist group by Canada and other Western nations because it is committed to destroying Israel.

In an open letter to the Prime Minister, the Canadian Palestinian Association called the recent statements made by the Canadian government “incredible,” and “clearly lacking in any human consideration and balanced judgment.” The Canadian Peace Alliance has also called the assault a violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention: “Our government is now complicit in these war crimes. Canadians will not stand by while the conservative government supports the unilateral massacre of innocent people.”

The main opposition Liberal party has supported the Conservatives, however, while the social democratic New Democrats have condemned ‘both sides’ and called for a ceasefire. From outside of Parliament, the Greens have also called for an immediate ceasefire while the Communists have condemned Israel’s attack as a “barbarian attack on sovereign Palestinian territory,” demanding an immediate reversal of Canada’s position on the conflict.