We write to urge you not to cancel a joint conference by Comité d’action pour la lutte étudiante boulonnaise (CALEB) and Tadamon! April 21 on Israel and Palestine. Behind this censorship attempt appears to be a false belief that critics of Israel are anti-Semitic, or anti-Jewish to be precise. The Jewish people in Quebec and Canada are divided on the issues of Israel and Palestine. There are many Jewish people like us who support open discussion and activities for Palestinian human rights, and oppose the Israeli occupation and suppression of the Palestinian people.
We have heard that there is pressure from a few Jewish students to cancel this event. We have heard the the Israeli consulate told the Cegep administration that Tadamon! is sponsored by foreign powers. This is reminiscent of McCarthyism ‘Red Baiting’ during the Cold War - silencing domestic critics, unionists, social justice militants and organizations by associating them with the Soviet Union. We note that another stated objection is that the workshop happens during the Jewish holiday of Passover, but yet there are no restrictions on other Cegep classes and exams. If the conference is closed down, it reinforces anti-Jewish sentiment by suggesting the belief that Jews are against free speech, repress critics, and control our public institutions.
We strongly urge you to let the event on April 21 proceed as planned. As an educational institution, your Cegep should be encouraging open discussion of all issues and supporting freedom of speech – not closing down critical voices. As concerned Jews, we particularly urge you to uphold democratic traditions that we share - free speech and the right to organize. It is imperative that CEGEP Bois-de-Bologne permit the CALEB-Tadamon! conference proceed unhindered.
Abby Lipman, PhD
Professor, McGill University (for identification purposes only)
member Independent Jewish Voices Montreal
Cy Gonic, Sid Shniad, Andy Lehrer, Mia Amir, Mark Etkin (M.D. FRCPC)
members Administrative Council, Association of Concerned Jewish Canadians
Greg Robinson
Professeur UQAM
Eric Shragge, Associate Professor and Principal,
School of Community and Public Affairs,
Concordia University
Bruce Katz, professeur d’anglais
member Independent Jewish Voices Montreal
Scott Weinstein
member Independent Jewish Voices Montreal
Mira Khazzam
member Independent Jewish Voices Montreal
Freda Gutman
Tadamon! Montréal
Robert Silverman
member Independent Jewish Voices Montreal
Ben Saifer
Not In Our Name - Jewish Voices Against Israel’s Wars - Ottawa
Judith Deutsch, M.S.W., R.S.W.,
Toronto
Devora Neumark
Independent Jewish Voices Montreal
Darrel Legge
Independent Jewish Voices Montreal
Martin Lukacs
McGill University
member Independent Jewish Voices Montreal
Judith Weisman
Not in Our Name: Jewish Voices Against Israel’s Wars
Aaron Lakoff
Lynda Lemberg
Educators for Peace and Justice
Nchamah Miller & Elizabeth Block
Not In Our Name (NION) Toronto
Smadar Carmon
NION Toronto
Judith Weisman
Not in Our Name: Jewish Voices Against Israel’s Wars
Richard Marcuse, M.A., Cand. Phil.
Member, Jews for a Just Peace Vancouver
Helga Mankovitz
Kingston
Mordecai Briemberg (Vancouver)
Shulamit Lechtman
Montreal
Natalie Polonsky LaRoche
ACJC
Ellen Shifrin
Dr. Sam Noumoff
Retired
McGill University
Karin Friedemann
Editor, World View News Service
Fabienne Presentey
member Independent Jewish Voices Montreal
David Mandelzys
Member of NION,Concerned Jew, and Concerned Canadian Citizen
Matthew Brett is an anti-war activist and freelance journalist based in Montreal. Read other posts by Matthew Brett.
