Netanyahu is Not Welcome in Canada!

- Statement of the Manitoba Regional Committee of CPC(M-L), September 9, 2002

Former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is speaking in Winnipeg on Monday, September 9 as part of a multi-city Canadian tour organized by the Asper Foundation. As a spokesman for the occupation and ethnic-cleansing of Palestinians, Netanyahu is not welcome in Canada. His visit is a provocation to all peace and justice-loving Canadians and will contribute only to the further inflamation of passions on the subject of the Middle East.

What is required in Canada at this time is a rational and dispassionate discussion of the problems of the Middle East, especially the Israel-Palestine conflict, with a view towards assisting the peoples of the region to find solutions to those problems. Before, during and after his term in office, Netanyahu has distinguished himself, not as a voice of reason and peace, but as a voice of hatred, racism, xenophobia and war. Not only has he devoted the past decade to the destruction of the peace process, he was also the architect of a Likud Party resolution opposing any form of statehood for Palestine. In addition, he has been one of the loudest voices demanding that the Bush administration launch a war against Iraq, a war which is guaranteed to set the entire Middle East on fire. He and others like him believe that such a war would provide Israel with the justification for the ethnic-cleansing of Palestinians from all of the occupied territories and the annexation of even more Arab territories.

Those within Canada who support Mr. Netanyahu and his brand of politics are determined to block any rational discussion on the situation in the Middle East. They have created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation in an effort to prevent anyone from speaking out against the Israeli occupation of Palestine, against the ongoing violations of human rights by the Israeli government, or against the murder of Palestinian civilians by the Israeli Defence Forces. Those who do speak up are labelled anti-Semites or self-hating Jews and supporters of terrorism and suicide bombings. This is the same method that was used by the McCarthyites to prevent any public discussion or examination of their crimes.

There is a good reason that Netanyahu and his supporters prefer jingoism and hysteria to rational discussion and debate; neither their words nor there deeds will survive the scrutiny of the light of day. How else can they convince people to support ethnic cleansing and other crimes against humanity? How else can they convince people to support the colonial occupation of territories belonging to another people and the treatment of those people as sub-humans? How else can they convince people that their acts of terrorism are any different from the terrorist acts of their enemies?

We do not accept either the blackmail or the hysteria of Netanyahu and his supporters. Their behaviour is alien to the traditions of the Canadian people, as well as to those great enlightened traditions of the Jewish community of opposition to oppression and injustice and support for the struggles of all peoples for emancipation and dignity. Netanyahu and his ilk must be sent a clear message that they and their politics are not welcome in Canada.