The Canadian fight against Israeli apartheid: As Trudeau fails to resist further annexation of Palestinian land, what can activists learn from resistance to South African apartheid?
Photo Credit: (Mondoweiss / Google Images)
Written by: Ruhi Rizvi
It has been over 72 years since majority of Palestinian land was occupied by Israeli settlers. Year after year, land has been seized and Palestinian territories have seen a massive reduction in size. For the Palestinians in the West Bank, humiliation and violence at the hands of Israeli soldiers and settlers are literally the everyday preoccupation. In this period, the Israeli Government has received much support from its alliance with many countries across the world. United States and United Kingdom are key allies in providing overwhelming support for the Israeli government.
Where is Canada in this equation? Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s policies towards Israel included support for a two-state solution, anti-settlements and reference to UN resolution 194 for refugees etc. In 2011, Harper blocked a G8 communiqué, which was aimed at restarting Israeli / Palestinian talks against American wishes, calling for Israelis return to 1967 borders. Since his visit to Israel, his rhetoric was firmly with Israel. "Canada supports Israel, fundamentally, because it is right to do so," said the Prime Minister in his speech to the Knesset. To date, Canada’s highest-valued exports to Israel in 2013 were newsprint, diamonds and aircraft which accounted for 31.1 per cent, of the value of Canada’s exports to the country. Newsprint alone amounted to $44 million in 2013.
Just to put things into perspective, policies of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are very much identical as that of Harper’s in relation to its support for Israel. After being elected in 2016, Trudeau sent out his Governor General David to Middle East. He was specifically instructed to articulate the government position favouring the creation of an independent Palestine, living in peace next to Israel. Again the focus was on a two-state solution and a just, long standing and comprehensive peace.
What support is the Israeli government receiving from Trudeau’s liberal party government? With Canada-Israel government agreement in place on bi-lateral cooperation in industrial research and development $1 million dollars is contributed annually from both sides. Canada has been sending top merchandise exports to Israel since 2018, (valued at $500 million) which includes aircrafts and parts. There is continued financial support by the Canadian government and it vocally opposes the BDS movement against Israeli goods.
In November 2019, Trudeau received backlash for breaking promise to stand by Israel, following a vote on UN resolution. National Post reported, Trudeau went ahead and first voted in support of a controversial UN resolution, co-sponsored by North Korea, Zimbabwe and others. It condemned Israel as the “occupying power in the occupied Palestinian territories“, and said “Israel’s actions impede the right of the Palestinian people to self determination”.
Mr Trudeau then addressed the Jewish community reiterating his commitment for two-state solution, after noticing the “prospects of this coming under threat”. It is thought, that Trudeau’s move was only to secure a Security Council seat and lead Canada’s United Nations Security Council campaign. Many figures, including Nikki Haley, a former ambassador to UN were shocked and irate at Trudeau’s vote. Nikki Haley vented, “Canada voting for the resolution, was an example of “cultural corruption playing out in real time” and was “trading its integrity” for a seat on the council. Nikki Haley’s comments were made as she put it bluntly, “This is a resolution that Canadian governments for years have voted against”. Canada became one of 164 countries supporting the motion, and U.S, Israel, Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Nauru opposed it.
While observing the decade of Canadian policies, one is inclined to question why there are overlapping contradictions, as the Canadian government also announced that it would provide $66 million as a sign of new support for Palestinians, in addition to $30 million last year (a total that is half of previous commitments on a yearly basis).
A level of double standards has not shifted in Canadian politics, one only has to look back historically to see, where Canada stood in relation to South Africa’s apartheid. Pierre Trudeau’s government (1968-1984) sympathised with the apartheid regime. Canadian companies were heavily invested in South Africa enjoying the benefits of cheap black labour.
Trudeau’s government supported the international arms embargo against South Africa. It was only after decades of protest by unions, churches, students and others that Brian Mulroney’s conservative government finally succumbed to pressure after observing other countries and joined by implementing economic sanctions against the regime. Ottawa’s relationship with Mandela’s African National Congress (ANC) was initially hostile and unpleasant.
Decades and decades of continued talks to seek resolution to the conflict has mounted to nothing. Premiers of both Israeli and Palestinian governments have changed in last few decades. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the Israeli attitude towards the Palestinian people. It seems as if there is a lacking of seriousness towards a “peace process”. The unjust status quo continues to be steadily reinforced. Prime Minister Netanyahu has adamantly stated, he will never accept an independent Palestinian state.
Cohen Roger Cohen, the New York Times columnist, wrote on the same subject. “Constantly increasing numbers of Israeli settlers have moved into Palestinian lands that Israel has been occupying for more than half a century. In the past decade or so, their number has increased from 249,000 to 370,000. “A two-state resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict is more distant than ever," Cohen writes. In other words, Ben Ehrenreich concludes in his powerful new book, The Way to the Spring: Life and Death in Palestine, "inflicting humiliation" on Palestinians is an integral part of the soldiers' assignment. The occupation is a "giant humiliation machine" meant to produce "human despair."
Last week, following President Donald Trump’s backing for Israeli’s to annexe West Bank, in what he calls the “The deal of the century”. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, immediately withdrew from further all peace talk, stating, “Palestinian authorities will no longer abide by security arrangements with Israel, that he was breaking all ties with U.S while holding U.S fully responsible for injustices towards all Palestinian people.” Abbas insisted that “U.S is a key partner in Israeli actions against the Palestinian authority and they will be cutting all ties with the U.S”.
Canadian government may continue contradictory measures of desiring a two-state solution, but it has to recognise that Israeli government never intended on this solution. Secondly, similar to South Africa, apartheid must be seen for what it is. The Palestinian land has been stolen and occupied for seven long decades and Israeli settlers are illegal occupants. South Africa was run by racially motivated white people who treated the rightful black citizens as second-class or worse. There is no justification for violence and aggression perpetrated on innocent people. The Canadian government has a duty to humanity to overturn its decision by supporting the oppressed.
A famous quote by Eldridge Cleaver can be attributed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.”
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