JSpaceCanada

𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧: 𝗝𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗻𝘀 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸

JSpaceCanada condemns the ongoing terror attacks and riots perpetrated by occupied West Bank settlers that escalated in intensity last week.

We mourn the loss of four Israelis who were killed in an attack by a Palestinian gunman near the Jewish settlement of Eli earlier in the week and pray for the recovery of the additional four wounded.

While media outlets and officials have attributed the recent attack outside of Eli as a “trigger” for the escalation in violence, this is just the latest in a series l “revenge attacks” perpetrated by both Israeli settlers and Palestinians. This cycle will not diminish or end without a long-term commitment to a negotiated, just peace.

“We see once again that a hard-line, ultra-nationist right-wing Israeli government does not bring enhanced security or peace for Israel or its neighbours” said JSpaceCanada board chair, Joe Roberts. “We call on the Canadian government, as steadfast allies of Israel, to encourage de-escalation and a restoration of calm. Incitements to further violence - whether civilian or military - coming from the right-wing camp in Israel are counterintuitive to Canada’s foreign policy in the region, of working towards a two-state solution and de-escalation”

Successive Israeli governments' commitment to occupation as a status quo leads only to endless conflict and is devastating for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

We call on the Canadian government to do everything in its power to reduce tensions, deter destructive actions, and prevent further violence and suffering in accordance with its commitment to a just and negotiated two-state solution.

Join us this Sunday, June 18 at 11am EST for a webinar with Rabbis for Human Rights and Yesh Din ييش دين יש דין about the rise in settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

The current Israeli government has taken unilateral steps that have emboldened far-right settlers, such as the authorization to return to the previously-evacuated Northern West Bank, and has promised an increase in settlement expansion in the occupied territories.

Every day, Palestinian farmers and shepherds in the territories face settler harassment, violence, and abuse, and every day, Jewish activists from a variety of NGOs including Rabbis for Human Rights go out into the territories in an attempt to protect and shield the Palestinians from this abuse.

During this webinar, we'll talk about the overall context of settler violence and a view from the ground from both Jewish and Palestinian activists. We'll also hear from Rabbi Stacey Blank about how Jewish values inform the work and efforts on the ground.
https://www.jspacecanada.ca/rabbis_human_rights

Increasing settler violence with Rabbis for Human Rights and Yesh Din RSVP for a webinar with the activists and organizers from Rabbis for Human Rights and Yesh Din who will speak to us about the rise in violence from Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank

Our United in Opposition survey report says that Mr. Shimon Fogel, the President and CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), has publicly defended measures such as segregation in public spaces. Mr. Fogel has informed us that our statement is categorically false. Our statement was based on our honestly held interpretation of an interview of Mr. Fogel during a Canadian Jewish News’ podcast that Mr. Fogel and CIJA say is inaccurate. [https://thecjn.ca/podcasts/this-is-a-hair-on-fire-moment-why-canadian-jewish-leaders-are-worried-about-israels-new-government/] CIJA and Mr. Fogel clarified to us that they do not support gender segregation in public spaces. The New Israel Fund of Canada and JSpace have no hesitation in recognizing that Mr. Fogel is a widely respected professional who has dedicated decades of his life to Canada’s Jewish Community.

'This is a hair-on-fire moment': Why Canadian Jewish leaders are worried about Israel’s new government This week, Israel’s incoming prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will announce the country’s cabinet ministers. It’s all but certain that this will comprise his coalition partners, including Bezalel Smotrich, an extreme right-wing politician who wants to take control of the entire West Bank an...

STATEMENT: Tabling the First Bill of Judicial Reform in the Knesset

The Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to table the first of a series of ‘judicial reform’ bills in the Knesset tomorrow, Monday, February 20th. This bill, and the additional proposed legislation that follows, seeks not to expand democracy and the rule of law for citizens of Israel and those living under its occupation in the Palestinian Territories, but rather limit the independence of Israel’s judiciary, the checks and balances that come with it, and civilian recourse under the law.

On behalf of a plurality of the Canadian Jewish community, and in solidarity with the dozens of Canadian jurists who signed an open letter including seven former Supreme Court Justices and a former Minister of Justice, and the chorus of diplomats from steadfast allies of the State of Israel, JSpaceCanada strongly condemns this legislation.

JSpaceCanada calls on the duly elected government of Canada, representing the fourth largest Jewish community in the world, to issue a statement of condemnation on the attempts to weaken Israeli democracy and erode the shared values between our two nations. An independent judiciary is the bedrock of the rules-based international order, and as a strong ally of Israel and its people, we implore the government of Canada to make its opposition clear.
https://www.jspacecanada.ca/statements/2023/2/19/statement-tabling-the-first-bill-of-judicial-reform-in-the-knesset

Statement: Tabling the First Bill of Judicial Reform in the Knesset — JSpaceCanada The Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to table the first of a series of ‘judicial reform’ bills in the Knesset tomorrow, Monday, February 20th. This bill, and the additional proposed legislation that follows, seeks not to expand democracy and the rule of law for c...