Under pressure from Zionists, church cancels Palestinian youth event

Ghassan Kanafani at his desk, behind him are political posters and fliers — Ghassan Kanafani at his Beirut office. (*Assafir*)

Under pressure from Israel lobby groups, a Canadian church canceled an event celebrating a scholarship award in honor of the iconic Palestinian writer Ghassan Kanafani.

The event, organized by the US-based Palestinian Youth Movement, was scheduled to be held at Trinity St. Paul’s United Church in Toronto on 13 July.

Kanafani, a communist, intellectual and novelist, was a spokesperson for the Marxist-Leninist PFLP party. He was murdered by an Israeli Mossad car bomb in Lebanon in July 1972.

Along with the extremist Jewish Defense League, which has a long history of violent threats, racism and harassment against Palestinian activists in Canada, Israel advocacy group B’nai Brith Canada bragged about its role in the cancellation and smeared Kanafani as a “terrorist.”

B’nai Brith said it would “continue to investigate” PYM’s scholarship program and threatened that it will “take all possible steps to thwart it.”

The church said the event was “inconsistent” with its policy and canceled the booking.

Its spiritual leader, Reverend Cheri DiNovo – a former politician – stated she “unequivocally supports the cancellation of the event.”

DiNovo indicated she would meet with B’nai Brith and other Jewish communal groups in August, after returning from her vacation in South Africa.

Activists slammed the church’s decision while others pointed out the irony of DiNovo’s denunciation of South Africa’s apartheid history while capitulating to anti-Palestinian organizations that support Israel’s apartheid system:

The history of #Apartheid copied from our own reservation system #cdnpoli @trinitystpauls pic.twitter.com/Zgzy6DJPqJ
— Cheri DiNovo (@CheriDiNovo) July 2, 2019

The cancellation of a youth event is unbecoming of a progressive church and its reverend @CheriDiNovo. Our youth want answers. Accusing them of condoning violence is an anti-Arab trope. The racialization of Palestinian community members does not belong in our church spaces.
— Palestine House (@PalestineHouse) July 9, 2019

@CheriDiNovo Let me guess: you received scores of calls, letters and emails from prominent members of the Canadian #IsraelLobby (including MPs and Senators) stating that any form of resistance to Israeli occupation and oppression was terrorism and decided retreat was safer ?
— Gilles (@GilouPil) July 10, 2019

.@bnaibrithcanada’s attack based on the vilification of Kanafani, a leading Palestinian figure assassinated by Mossad in 1972, is beyond insulting to Palestinians who have been struggling against Zionist settler-colonialism since 1948. #cdnpoli @CheriDiNovo
— SAIA York (@SaiaYork) July 9, 2019

As Yves Engler, an activist and contributor to The Electronic Intifada notes, DiNovo has regularly appeared at events hosted by the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, even attending the right-wing organization’s 2015 presentation on combating the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian rights.

She supported a 2010 resolution condemning Israeli Apartheid Week, a global series of events meant to draw attention to Israel’s systematic policies of racism, discrimination and occupation.

Following the unanimous vote in favor of the resolution, DiNovo told the Toronto Star that the word apartheid is “inflammatory” and claimed it is “particularly used inappropriately in the case of Israel.”

Organizers with the Palestinian Youth Movement stated on 9 July that “the desperation that leads Zionist organizations and individuals to continuously challenge even the most modest attempts to promote the struggle and stories of the Palestinian people should be taken as a sign of just how powerful our words and stories really are.”

The group says it has found another venue for the event.

Comments

Zionist Lobby

Permalink Gennaro Pasquale replied on Sat, 07/13/2019 - 15:34

Thank you Electronic Intifada and Nora for all you do in support of the Palestinian People. Theodore Roosevelt said "FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT IS THE GREATEST SPORT THE WORLD AFFORDS"'
But for the Palestinians its no sport.

All bow to Israel

Permalink Occams replied on Sat, 07/13/2019 - 23:49

Amazing. Murder, genocide, torture......but all must bow

false politics

Permalink Eric replied on Sun, 07/14/2019 - 02:43

When DiNovo "supported a 2010 resolution condemning Israeli Apartheid Week" (which originated in Toronto), the resolution was in the Ontario legislature and she was representing the provincial New Democratic Party. Despite some pretensions to being progressive, the NDP and other mainstream parties resolutely support Israel. Quite a few of her constituents were appalled.

Under pressure from Zionists, church cancels Palestinian youth e

Permalink First Name Franco Crazzi replied on Sun, 07/14/2019 - 06:59

You call you're self's a Church ? What kind of Church are Yous ? ? Just a bunch of THIEFS and PROPAGANDISTS . . . . . Shame on you for calling you're self's Church , SHAME

Kanafani - a writer to read ! - formal cancellation

Permalink Carol Scheller replied on Sun, 07/14/2019 - 08:45

What a pity. But this foolish decision will only increase interest in his works.

NDP 'Spirtual Leader' DiNovo

Permalink John Gilberts replied on Tue, 07/16/2019 - 21:21

DiNovo is the epitome of the faux 'progressive', collaborationist nature of much of Canadian liberalism. She was also well known for her unqualified support for Right Sector and Ukrainian fascism. No surprise she apparently now speaks for god in heaven as well.