[IPSM] A Year Against Apartheid: CAIA in Review

[aaron at resist.ca]

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A YEAR AGAINST APARTHEID
Report on Coalition Against Israeli
Apartheid (CAIA) activities during 2007
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2007 has been a busy and exciting year for the Palestine solidarity movement.
While Mahmoud Abbas and Ehud Olmert attempt to hide Israel's crimes behind
the
lie of 'peace negotiations', thousands of individuals and organizations
around
the world are building a real and effective alternative centered on boycott,
divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israeli apartheid. Here in Toronto,
the
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) has been a proud participant in
this
global movement. This brief report captures some of our activities over 2007.

ON CAMPUSES AND HIGH SCHOOLS...

Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) has finished another successful
year.
In February, SAIA coordinated the annual Israeli Apartheid Week that took
place
in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Hamilton, New York, Oxford, Cambridge and
London
(UK). Guest speakers from Canada and abroad, including Jamal Zahalka,
Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset, spoke powerfully against the
apartheid nature of the Israeli state and the growing movement of Palestinian
citizens of Israel. Jamal's visit was widely commented upon in the Israeli
media.

In 2008, Apartheid Week will take place from Feb. 4-10 and will occur in even
more cities and campuses across the globe. Stay tuned for a schedule of
speakers and events at: www.endisraeliapartheid.net or email saia at caiaweb.org

SAIA also regularly hosted speakers and films on campuses throughout the
year,
most recently a well-attended event in November entitled Apartheid: From
South
Africa to Palestine with South African anti-apartheid activist, Salim
Vally at
the University of Toronto.

On 28 November, SAIA was proud to support the Ryerson Students Union in
organizing an historic public debate on academic boycott (see:
http://www.caiaweb.org/node/411). The debate came in response to an
anti-boycott statement issued by university presidents across Canada over the
summer. In response, the RSU convinced the University administration and
President's Office to hold a debate on the issue. The pro-boycott position
was
argued by prominent South African anti-apartheid activist and academic, Salim
Vally, along with Ryerson academic Alan Sears. The opposition to boycott was
argued by, John Caruana (Philosophy) and Stuart Murray (English). Over 400
people attended the debate that was convincingly won by the pro-boycott
position.

Finally, in December, CAIA was proud to announce the formation of High
Schools
Against Apartheid (HAIA). HAIA is a cross-high school network of students
organizing in their schools against Israeli apartheid. They have shown films
and given talks in schools across the city, and will be holding an inaugural
conference against Israeli apartheid in early February 2008. For more
information email haia at caiaweb.org.

IN UNIONS AND WORKPLACES...

The CAIA Labour committee, Labour for Palestine, is a network of rank and
file
labour activists involved in building the BDS movement within Canadian
unions.
Following the historic resolution of the Canadian Union of Public Employees,
Ontario (CUPE Ontario) in support of boycott in May 2006, Labour for
Palestine
has worked to support the CUPE resolution and help CUPE members carry out
rank-and-file education within the union.

During 2007, over 25 training sessions were carried out in workplaces,
conventions and council meetings across the province. Thousands of CUPE
members
have received educational materials on Israeli apartheid and participated in
these training workshops.

In March 2007, Labour for Palestine published a 100-page book entitled Labour
For Palestine: A Reader for Unionists and Activists. The book was launched at
the Steelworkers Hall in Toronto, and contains discussion on the CUPE
resolution, educational material for unionists and workers on the history of
the Palestinian struggle and the situation of Palestinian workers. Over 300
copies of the book were sold within the first six months of its release and a
new edition is planned. The book can be purchased online from the Toronto
Women's Bookstore at www.womensbookstore.com.

In July 2007, Labour for Palestine issued an open response to a pro-Israel
statement made by a group of US labour leaders (see
http://www.caiaweb.org/node/339). The Labour for Palestine response was
well-received around the world. Activists from Labour for Palestine spoke at
conferences in San Francisco, New York, and London in order to strengthen
these
links with unionists in other countries.

On 3 September 2007, Labour for Palestine led a lively Palestine
contingent in
the 20,000 strong annual Labour Day parade in Toronto. To mark the 20th
anniversary of the assassination of Palestinian artist Naji El-Ali
(creator of
the character Handala) organizers build an eight-foot Handala and marched
through the streets of Toronto chanting "Freedom for Palestine, Justice for
Palestine" and distributed 5000 postcards about Labour for Palestine.

Also during 2007, Labour for Palestine organized a series of panels at
significant labour conferences including the Toronto-North York District
Labour
Council, the CUPE National Convention, and the Ontario Federation of
Labour. To
contact Labour for Palestine, email labour at caiaweb.org

AGAINST CANADIAN SUPPORT FOR ISRAELI APARTHEID …

December 2007 marked the one-year anniversary of the campaign to boycott
Chapters Indigo. The campaign demands an end to the financial support offered
by the majority owners of Chapters and Indigo bookstores to Heseg - the
Foundation for Lone Soldiers. This is a program of financial support for
former
'lone soldiers' in the Israeli military.

During the year, pickets organized by the Jewish Women's Committee to End the
Occupation have been held every Friday afternoon outside the Bay/Bloor Indigo
store in downtown Toronto. Across Canada, pickets happen regularly in five
cities. In September, CAIA launched a regular once-a-month Saturday picket at
different Chapters/Indigo  stores across the city in addition to the regular
Friday pickets. These pickets have been an integral part of CAIA's grassroots
campaign to educate shoppers and passers-by on Israel apartheid and the
support
offered by Canadian businesspeople. In Toronto alone, over 40,000 information
flyers have been distributed during the past year.

On Feb. 17, to mark the end of Israeli Apartheid week, CAIA organized a march
from the Israeli consulate to the nearest Chapters/Indigo  store (video
available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-W8GAHsDU8).  On 10 May, CAIA
confronted Heather Reisman at a book signing for Ralph Nader's new book, The
Seventeen Traditions. In the question and answer period, CAIA activists
questioned Reisman about her support for the Heseg Foundation for Lone
Soldiers. Reisman refused to answer the questions posed to her and instead,
shut down the event and walked out. Watch the video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-f_iKKIBUQ&NR=1

On 9 June, pickets were held nationwide in front of Chapters/Indigo
outlets in
Ottawa, Halifax, Fredericton, Montreal, Toronto, Mississauga, St. Catharines,
Hamilton, London, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria. This nationwide
day of action was part of the commemoration of forty years of Israeli
military
occupation and was covered in Now newspaper (see:
http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2007-06-07/news_story5.php). Other important
media coverage on the campaign included the widely-distributed ‘THIS
Magazine’ article by Sue Ferguson “Tear Down That Wall” (read
article at:
http://www.thismagazine.ca/issues/2007/09/teardownthatwall.php).

On 21 June, CAIA members picketed the Indigo Books and Music Inc. annual
shareholders meeting and passed out leaflets to shareholders. One shareholder
informed CAIA picketers afterwards that the involvement of majority owners
Heather Reisman and Gerry Schwartz in Heseg was a topic of concern raised by
shareholders during the meeting.

On 20 July, CAIA members attended the Chapters/Indigo festivities for the new
Harry Potter book. Dressed up in costume - and with a special Harry Potter
leaflet - CAIA distributed leaflets to the crowd and made sure to explain to
those buying books about the Heseg foundation for Lone Soldiers. Many young
Harry Potter fans asked for photographs alongside costumed CAIA members!

CAIA has received many letters of encouragement for the campaign from
concerned
book-lovers across the country. In Toronto, students at one high school have
passed a motion not to purchase any books from Chapters/Indigo until the
majority owners sever all links with the Heseg Foundation. CAIA has also been
working with independent bookshops to carry material about the campaign,
and is
looking at ways to encourage people to buy books from these stores. As
part of
the campaign, CAIA has distributed thousands of attractive bookmarks
across the
province. These are available for download at
http://www.caiaweb.org/indigoboycott

AGAINST JNF SUPPORT FOR ISRAELI APARTHEID ...

On 2 December, CAIA initiated a broad committee of Palestinian, Arab and
Jewish
organizations to protest the Jewish National Fund (JNF) annual Negev Dinner
held at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Toronto. Over two hundred people
from a
host of community organizations braved the first snowstorm of the winter to
protest the dinner. This year's JNF dinner aimed to raise 7 million
dollars for
the refurbishment of the illegal "Canada Park". Short video of the protest
available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-B57JRbwn4.

Protesters denounced fund raising for the park, which is built on the
destroyed
Palestinian villages of Beit Nuba, Yallu and  Imwas seized and destroyed
by the
Israeli military in 1967. The 10,000 Palestinian residents of these villages
were expelled and have been denied the right to return to their homes for the
past 40-years.

The protest helped to break the media silence surrounding the JNF as one
of the
major institutions of Israeli apartheid. Two articles about the demonstration
and the JNF were published in the Christmas edition of	NOW newspaper, a
widely
circulated entertainment and news magazine in Toronto.	See:
http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=161037 and
http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=161040

ON THE SCREEN...

A major success of CAIA's work over the last year has been a large number of
film screenings at the downtown Brunswick Theatre. Over 1300 people have
attended these film showings, which have included the following:

16 March: Rachel Corrie – An American Conscience. This film was shown to
mark
the fourth anniversary of the death of Rachel Corrie, a young US activist
killed by an Israeli military bulldozer while attempting to block the
demolition of a Palestinian home in Gaza.

17 April: The Iron Wall. Screened on the occasion of April 17, Palestinian
Political Prisoners Day.

15 May: Route 181. Screenings of Michel Khleifi and Eyal Sivan's critically
acclaimed documentary and three other short documentary films by the  Balata
Film Collective were shown as part of the commemoration of the 59th
Anniversary
of Al Nakba, the expulsion of Palestinians from  their homeland in 1947-1948.

28-29 July: Occupation 101. This popular introductory documentary to the
nature
of Israeli rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip was screened to three
consecutive full-houses.

31 August: Naji Al Ali – An Artist with Vision. Screened in conjunction
with
the immigrant and refugee rights organization, No One Is Illegal, this film
commemorated the assassination of Palestinian artist Naji Al Ali.

17 September: Massaker. This award winning film was premiered by CAIA to mark
the 25th anniversary of the massacres in the Palestinian refugee camps of
Sabra
and Shatila in 1982.

31 October: Goal Dreams. A film about the Palestinian national soccer team
and
the difficulties faced by them in contesting the world cup qualifying
matches.

9 November: The Iron Wall. This film screening was part of the International
Week of Action Against the Apartheid Wall.

The CAIA film collective will continue to screen films in the coming year. We
are also looking to branch out and organize screenings in different parts of
the city. If you are interested in helping out with this work, please email:
endapartheid at riseup.net

PUBLIC FORUMS AND CULTURAL EVENTS...

Throughout 2007, CAIA organized and co-sponsored a number of educational
public
forums and arts/cultural community events.

On 4 April, CAIA organized the Toronto-leg of a tour by renowned US-based
activist, media commentator and professor, Joel Kovel. At the talk, Kovel
launched his highly acclaimed book, 'Overcoming Zionism', which pro-Israeli
organizations in the US have subsequently attempted to prevent from being
distributed.

In May, CAIA participated in the Mayworks Festival of Working People and the
Arts with an exhibit titled: 40 Years of Israeli Occupation.  The show ran
from
 Tuesday May 1 - Saturday June 16 @ the Toronto Free Gallery.This visual arts
show was both a documentation and confrontation of the lives and
experiences of
Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation.	It was truly inspiring
to see a large collection of art-work being produced by the anti-apartheid
movement and to witness the tangible interaction between art and activism in
the BDS campaign.

On 17 May, CAIA commemorated the 59th Anniversary of Al Nakba with a
successful
cultural event and dinner at the Steelworkers Hall. Survivors of Al Nakba and
indigenous activists in Toronto addressed the community dinner. Greetings
were
given by solidarity groups across the city.

On 4 October, CAIA co-organized a public forum and book launch of "Palestine:
The Canadian Connection in the Current Crisis". The event was held at the
Steelworkers Hall. It drew 130 people including supporters across a broad
spectrum of organizations and communities.

AND ON THE STREETS...

On 5 May, CAIA participated in the highly successful Day of Action for Status
for All, organized by the Toronto activist group No One Is Illegal. This
important demonstration called for an end to displacement, deportation and
detention and for full regularization of all non-status people.

The month of June marked the 40-year anniversary of Israel's occupation of
East
Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the Syrian Golan Heights. On 10
June,
CAIA marched with Palestine House in a rally to mark the 40 year
anniversary of
the occupation.

On 29 June, CAIA participated in a demonstration at Queen's Park as part of a
national day of action in support of indigenous rights and
self-determination.
CAIA places support for indigenous sovereignty as central to its basis of
unity. A statement issued in response to attacks by the Canadian
government on
indigenous rights can be seen at http://www.caiaweb.org/node/366

CAIA also joined a loud contingent of activist groups in two anti-war
demonstrations organized by Toronto Coalition to Stop War in March and
October.
A CAIA speaker addressed the rallies and spoke about the links between the
wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan with Canadian support for Israeli apartheid.

INTO 2008...

The coming 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of Al Nakba, the ethnic
cleansing of
the Palestinian population from their homes and lands in 1947-1948. CAIA
is an
active participant in the Ontario Committee to Commemorate 60 Years of Al
Nakba. We are convinced that this year will mark an important milestone in
the
Palestinian struggle for the right of return and an end to Israeli apartheid.

CAIA wishes to thank you for all your support and encouragement over 2007.
Without this support, we could not have achieved so many successes this year.

Please help us in making 2008 another successful year of struggle:

1. Purchase CAIA Educational and Outreach Material: T-shirts, Posters, and
the
Labour for Palestine book. This is a great way to support grassroots activism
and educate friends about Palestine. Material can be purchased online or in
person from the Women's Bookstore  (www.womensbookstore.com) or email us at
endapartheid at riseup.net.

2. Sign up to our e-bulletin to learn about our upcoming activities and
receive
action alerts. Email us at endapartheid at riseup.net to sign up. This is a
low-volume list only for announcements.

3. Donate to CAIA: all monies are used to organize educational events
about the
Palestinian struggle and the nature of Israeli Apartheid. Please write
cheques
in the name of Peace and Justice Committee and mail to:
PO Box 494 STN 'P'
Toronto ON
M5S 2T1
Canada

4. Host a CAIA Speaker. The CAIA Speakers Bureau is always available to speak
on a variety of topics pertaining to Palestine, Israeli Apartheid and the BDS
campaign, we also have a list of educational documentaries that can be
screened. Visit: http://www.caiaweb.org/speakerbureausummary for a list of
topics or email speakers at caiaweb.org to arrange for a speaker.

For questions, more information or to get involved in CAIA please email us
at:
endapartheid at riseup.net

In Solidarity,
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA)