6th Annual Israeli Apartheid Week summary

On behalf of the organizing committee of Israeli Apartheid Week, we would like to thank everyone who attended or supported IAW 2010. This year’s week, the 6th annual edition, was a huge success!



Panelists and presenters at IAW touched on many important themes throughout the week, such as recent successes in the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, the myth of democracy for Palestinians living inside Israel, the situation in the Occupied Territories, queer support for Palestine, aboriginal support for the Palestinian struggle, and Canada’s links to Israeli aparthied. Attendees also learned about the apartheid nature of Israeli policies, and their similarities to South African apartheid, straight from activists who fought directly against South African apartheid.



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rabble.ca by Judy Rebick | March 2, 2010

Photo by Andrea Giudiceandrea. Bullet ridden wall in the Gaza Strip.

Before Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) even began members of the Ontario Legislature and the Canadian Parliament are falling all over each other to denounce it. I can’t remember another time when elected legislators formally denounced a student activity like this. Perhaps during the 1950’s when McCarthyism was rampant but that was before my time.

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Adbusters 9 November 2009

Photo: Palestinian flag admits crowd in Spain.

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign was launched in July 2005 by the Palestinian BDS National Committee and is endorsed by over 170 Palestinian organizations from the occupied Palestinian Territories, from Palestinian citizens of Israel and from the vast diaspora of Palestinian emigrants and refugees. The campaign calls upon “people of conscience all over the world to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era.”

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Globe and Mail by Paul Koring, Friday August 20th.

Photo: Zoriah (c). Palestinian handles necklace at Israeli checkpoint.

A tough Israeli crackdown that discriminates against some American citizens because they are of Palestinian origin has been sharply protested by the Obama administration, but the same treatment curtailing freedom of movement for Canadian citizens has produced no response from the Harper government.

Border guards at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport have been barring entry to arriving Canadian and American citizens with Palestinian-sounding names. They are told they must make a long detour and enter via the Allenby Bridge land-border crossing that connects the West Bank with Jordan. On arrival there, their passports are stamped “Palestinian Authority only” – preventing them from entering Israel, including the annexed parts of East Jerusalem.

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Haartez Tue., August 11, 2009, by Dana Weiler-Polak.

Photo: Hussein Alazaat. Skyline over Amman, Jordan.

If the term “sweatshop” used to be associated with Asian countries and global brands such as Nike, now such methods of production by exploiting workers have made aliyah. Two Israeli entrepreneurs run a sweatshop in Jordan that produces clothes for leading Israeli brands such as Irit, Bonita, Jump and Pashut, Haaretz has learned.

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Protests against the current Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip have swept the world, including major demonstrations across Europe. Major demonstrations have also occurred across Italy, including in Milan. Demonstrations are planned to continue throughout the upcoming days across the world, as Israel is currently refusing to respect a U.N. security council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.

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photo essay by Ehab Lotayef.

Photo: Ehab Lotayef. Palestinian flag flying in old Montreal to mark 2009.

Over one-hundred people gathered in downtown Montreal on December 31st for a new year’s eve vigil to stand against the current Israeli assault on Gaza. As people around the world marked 2009, the Palestinian people in Gaza are being crushed under a massive Israeli bombardment. Israel’s attack on Gaza has sparked major protests around the world, including in Montreal where thousands have gathered to protest the Israeli bombardment throughout the past week.

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Safa Joudeh, Electronic Intifada, 5 January 2009.

The evening of 3 January, we realized that if there was any truth to Israeli war minister Ehud Barak’s words, it’s that this invasion will be a long one. At approximately 9:15pm local time Israeli forces entered the Strip from three locations. From the east of Gaza City and the northern towns of Jabaliya and Beit Lahiya, tanks rolled into the Palestinian residential areas while Israeli F-16s created a cover from the sky. At the same time, Israeli tanks and infantry troops entered Rafah from the southeast, while tanks shelling and artillery fire rained on the Mintar area of Gaza City. Israeli warships were simultaneously barraging Gaza City from the sea. The entire Strip was surrounded and being heavily pounded by Israeli missiles and artillery fire.

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Yet more haunting images of blindfolded, stripped down Palestinian men being contemptuously dragged by soldiers in uniform from one place to another. Yet more footage of bloodied men lying on hospital beds describing their ordeals to television reporters who have heard this story all too often. Yet more news of Palestinian infighting, tit-for-tat arrests, obscene language and embarrassing behaviour from those who have elected themselves — or were elected — to represent the Palestinian people.

Once again, the important story that ought to matter the most — that of a continually imposing and violent Israeli occupation — is lost in favour of Palestinian-infused distractions, deliberate or not.

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Three racist, discriminatory decisions undermine Israel’s democratic character…

One of the clearest rules that distinguishes a democratic state from a non-democratic state is the principle of equality when it comes to rights and obligations. In a democratic country, all citizens regardless of race, religious, gender or origin are entitled to equality when it comes to national assets, services and resources, and all citizens regardless of race, religion, gender or origin are equally obligated by national duties.

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