Globe: Slurs will not silence us
Post
July 7, Globe, Slurs will not silence us, (Source).
Globe Letters on the subject.
July 7 2006, Globe, Slurs will not silence us, Sid Ryan, (Back).
When our union recently passed a resolution critical of policies of the government of Israel, it was savagely attacked in several quarters and labelled by many as anti-Semitic.
When the Toronto Conference of the United Church of Canada, the largest Protestant church in the country, called for a limited boycott and divestment strategy toward Israel, it, too, faced a barrage of baseless allegations of anti-Semitism (though little was said about the two Jewish organizations, the Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians and Jewish Women to End the Occupation, who joined in the church group's action).
Canadian media, with few exceptions, refuse to report on the plight of innocent Palestinians not involved in terrorist activities. They insist on focusing on the minority of Palestinians who inflict despicable violence on innocent civilians. Media refuse to address Israel's violation of international law, the Geneva Conventions, the rulings of the International Court in The Hague and a number of United Nations resolutions. This lack of reporting leaves the Canadian population with a one-sided view.
Israel's recent bombing campaign and incursion in Gaza has destroyed schools and universities, demolished bridges and roads, and killed several Palestinians. The sonic-boom bombardments wreak havoc on a civilian population, smashing windows and doors and terrorizing children. More damaging, there is no electricity for more than 700,000 people -- no lights, no refrigerators, and no fans in the suffocating heat. It means no clean water -- the public water supply uses electricity -- leading to disease, possibly cholera. It means limited services in hospitals and clinics dependant on electricity.
Were this Northern Ireland, the wrath of the international community would be swift and harsh. Yet when we criticize this behaviour, we are labelled anti-Semites -- a convenient tactic used to shut down debate and silence us from any criticism of the state of Israel.
Even Switzerland, renowned for its neutrality, criticized Israel this week. "There is no doubt that Israel has not taken the precautions required of it in international law to protect the civilian population and infrastructure," said a statement issued by the Swiss Foreign Ministry.
The strongest condemnation for the irresponsible Gaza campaign came Tuesday from the editorial page of one of Israel's most respected newspapers, Haaretz.
In an astonishing moment of frankness and brevity, the newspaper called for the permanent withdrawal of the Israeli Defence Forces from the occupied territories.
"The right always proposes the same recipe, but in ever-increasing doses: If we did not manage to deter them by using force, we need to use more force; and if that fails, then we need to use even more force. The establishment of the settlements was, and remains, a form of using force, as is construction of the fence along a route that harms Palestinian life more than necessary for security purposes," the editorial stated.
"The attempt to topple an elected government by means of tanks and to remove members of an elected parliament by arresting them also constitutes a policy of aggression."
"At this time, it must be reiterated," the newspaper said, "and it would be appropriate for the Prime Minister to find the time and the strength of will to do so -- that Israel has no option in the long run other than withdrawing from the territories and from the occupation."
There you have it in a nutshell, the essence of CUPE Ontario's resolution spoken from the pages of Israel's influential newspaper.
I now expect to hear B'nai Brith, the Canadian Jewish Congress and Simon Wiesenthal Centre, together with all their cronies, scream and hurl accusations of anti-Semitism at the editorial board of Haaretz.
Or is that treatment is reserved for CUPE and the United Church?
Sid Ryan is president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (Ontario).
Globe Letters on the subject, (Back).
Alan Baker, Israeli ambassador
Ottawa -- The persistent fixation by Sid Ryan in finding every opportunity to attack Israel and Canadian Jewish organizations at the evident expense of his responsibilities via-à-vis those whom he purports to represent -- Ontario's public employees in their relationships with their employers -- is curious, to say the least.
In his attempt to justify CUPE Ontario's boycott resolution against Israel, he quotes from an editorial in Haaretz that criticizes Israeli policy in the standoff with the Hamas administration in Gaza. The fact that open criticism of government policy is aired on the editorial pages of Haaretz, widely considered to be Israel's most authoritative and influential paper, is in itself indicative of the free and open nature of Israel's liberal democracy. Would that were the case among Israel's Arab neighbours -- but such is not in the purview of Mr. Ryan, whose fixation is limited strictly to Israel.
Let me repeat the offer I made immediately after the adoption of CUPE Ontario's anti-Israel resolution, an offer that was ignored by Mr. Ryan. Let CUPE exchange this resolution with a constructive one inviting the public employee unions from Israel and the Palestinian territory to come to Ontario and to learn from Canadians how to cope with their mutual challenges in an atmosphere of diversity and respect. This would enable CUPE to play a positive and peace-building role, as befits a Canadian labour union.
Smadar Meiri-Ordynans
Thornhill, Ont. -- Sid Ryan is right to highlight Haaretz, "one of Israel's most respected newspapers," and its editorial advocating negotiations, withdrawal from Gaza, and criticism of the current policies of the Israeli government (Slurs Will Not Silence Us -- July 7). I am in his camp, and have been for decades.
But CUPE Ontario's resolution labelling Israel an apartheid-like state is most unconscionable and untimely when Israel bravely disengaged from Gaza; elected a moderate political administration while stating that it intends to make significant territorial concessions; permitted the extremist Hamas movement to participate in Palestinian elections; and continually calls on all extremist factions to renounce violence.
Calling Israel, the only democracy in a region of unbelievable strife, apartheid-like totally misconstrues all the efforts to bring about a fair solution. It is understandable, given our past history of persecution amongst all nations, immeasurable to that of any other, that this CUPE resolution expounds the hypersensitivity of the Jewish community here and abroad.
Kenneth Wiener
Toronto -- Sid Ryan portrays CUPE Ontario as standing up bravely to attacks on it by supporters of Israel. He quotes an editorial in Haaretz that calls for Israel to withdraw from Gaza. Mr. Ryan then says: "There you have it in a nutshell, the essence of CUPE Ontario's resolution spoken from the pages of Israel's influential newspaper."
Mr. Ryan is being less than forthright. The CUPE resolution calls for sanctions against Israel until, among other things, Israel recognizes the "right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties." CUPE Ontario is thus proposing a one-state solution, not a two-state one, to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is this aspect of its resolution -- which, in effect, calls for the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state -- that has led many to see CUPE Ontario as anti-Semitic. Mr. Ryan might want to reread the full text of his resolution before lecturing his critics again.
Arnie Aberman
Toronto -- Israel, as a vibrant democracy, has a free press, so it is not surprising that an Israeli newspaper would oppose certain government policies. Even so, Sid Ryan ignored the important qualification "in the long run" when he quoted from Haaretz's editorial that "Israel has no option in the long run other than withdrawing from the territories and from the occupation." Of course, the inescapable irony is that, unless Mr. Ryan violated his union's proposed boycott of Israel, he would not know of Haaretz's editorial.
Al Lando
Toronto -- Sid Ryan has selected a rather strange example in his defence against the accusation of anti-Semitism. To say Switzerland is "renowned for its neutrality" displays either ignorance or a willful distortion of history. Switzerland, you'll recall, agreed to pay millions of dollars in reparations for its complicity in providing a haven for money derived from property and art stolen from Jews by the Nazis and secreted in Swiss banks. And Switzerland did so only because it was compelled to.
Brian Weiner
Toronto -- Sid Ryan just doesn't get it. At the heart of the matter between Israel and the Palestinians is the fact that the Palestinians are led by a government whose stated objective is the destruction of Israel. Is there another government in the modern world that would have this as its raison d'être? If the Palestinians were to put down their weapons, the turmoil would end. If the Israelis were to put down their weapons, they would be annihilated.
Manuel Matas
Winnipeg -- Haven't we had enough of Sid Ryan? After being accused of one-sided attacks against Israel, he defends himself by writing a column full of one-sided attacks against Israel. If Mr. Ryan truly wishes to speak out on behalf of the oppressed and downtrodden, why does he not turn his attention to Syria, Zimbabwe or China? Why this obsession with Israel?
Ismail Zayid
Halifax -- Congratulations to Sid Ryan for stating the facts with courage and integrity. Anti-Semitism is abhorrent, but criticism of oppressive Israeli policies in the occupied territories must not be allowed to be used as a protective blanket from such criticism. Israel is not above international law.
(Back)
Globe Letters on the subject.
July 7 2006, Globe, Slurs will not silence us, Sid Ryan, (Back).
When our union recently passed a resolution critical of policies of the government of Israel, it was savagely attacked in several quarters and labelled by many as anti-Semitic.
When the Toronto Conference of the United Church of Canada, the largest Protestant church in the country, called for a limited boycott and divestment strategy toward Israel, it, too, faced a barrage of baseless allegations of anti-Semitism (though little was said about the two Jewish organizations, the Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians and Jewish Women to End the Occupation, who joined in the church group's action).
Canadian media, with few exceptions, refuse to report on the plight of innocent Palestinians not involved in terrorist activities. They insist on focusing on the minority of Palestinians who inflict despicable violence on innocent civilians. Media refuse to address Israel's violation of international law, the Geneva Conventions, the rulings of the International Court in The Hague and a number of United Nations resolutions. This lack of reporting leaves the Canadian population with a one-sided view.
Israel's recent bombing campaign and incursion in Gaza has destroyed schools and universities, demolished bridges and roads, and killed several Palestinians. The sonic-boom bombardments wreak havoc on a civilian population, smashing windows and doors and terrorizing children. More damaging, there is no electricity for more than 700,000 people -- no lights, no refrigerators, and no fans in the suffocating heat. It means no clean water -- the public water supply uses electricity -- leading to disease, possibly cholera. It means limited services in hospitals and clinics dependant on electricity.
Were this Northern Ireland, the wrath of the international community would be swift and harsh. Yet when we criticize this behaviour, we are labelled anti-Semites -- a convenient tactic used to shut down debate and silence us from any criticism of the state of Israel.
Even Switzerland, renowned for its neutrality, criticized Israel this week. "There is no doubt that Israel has not taken the precautions required of it in international law to protect the civilian population and infrastructure," said a statement issued by the Swiss Foreign Ministry.
The strongest condemnation for the irresponsible Gaza campaign came Tuesday from the editorial page of one of Israel's most respected newspapers, Haaretz.
In an astonishing moment of frankness and brevity, the newspaper called for the permanent withdrawal of the Israeli Defence Forces from the occupied territories.
"The right always proposes the same recipe, but in ever-increasing doses: If we did not manage to deter them by using force, we need to use more force; and if that fails, then we need to use even more force. The establishment of the settlements was, and remains, a form of using force, as is construction of the fence along a route that harms Palestinian life more than necessary for security purposes," the editorial stated.
"The attempt to topple an elected government by means of tanks and to remove members of an elected parliament by arresting them also constitutes a policy of aggression."
"At this time, it must be reiterated," the newspaper said, "and it would be appropriate for the Prime Minister to find the time and the strength of will to do so -- that Israel has no option in the long run other than withdrawing from the territories and from the occupation."
There you have it in a nutshell, the essence of CUPE Ontario's resolution spoken from the pages of Israel's influential newspaper.
I now expect to hear B'nai Brith, the Canadian Jewish Congress and Simon Wiesenthal Centre, together with all their cronies, scream and hurl accusations of anti-Semitism at the editorial board of Haaretz.
Or is that treatment is reserved for CUPE and the United Church?
Sid Ryan is president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (Ontario).
Globe Letters on the subject, (Back).
Alan Baker, Israeli ambassador
Ottawa -- The persistent fixation by Sid Ryan in finding every opportunity to attack Israel and Canadian Jewish organizations at the evident expense of his responsibilities via-à-vis those whom he purports to represent -- Ontario's public employees in their relationships with their employers -- is curious, to say the least.
In his attempt to justify CUPE Ontario's boycott resolution against Israel, he quotes from an editorial in Haaretz that criticizes Israeli policy in the standoff with the Hamas administration in Gaza. The fact that open criticism of government policy is aired on the editorial pages of Haaretz, widely considered to be Israel's most authoritative and influential paper, is in itself indicative of the free and open nature of Israel's liberal democracy. Would that were the case among Israel's Arab neighbours -- but such is not in the purview of Mr. Ryan, whose fixation is limited strictly to Israel.
Let me repeat the offer I made immediately after the adoption of CUPE Ontario's anti-Israel resolution, an offer that was ignored by Mr. Ryan. Let CUPE exchange this resolution with a constructive one inviting the public employee unions from Israel and the Palestinian territory to come to Ontario and to learn from Canadians how to cope with their mutual challenges in an atmosphere of diversity and respect. This would enable CUPE to play a positive and peace-building role, as befits a Canadian labour union.
Smadar Meiri-Ordynans
Thornhill, Ont. -- Sid Ryan is right to highlight Haaretz, "one of Israel's most respected newspapers," and its editorial advocating negotiations, withdrawal from Gaza, and criticism of the current policies of the Israeli government (Slurs Will Not Silence Us -- July 7). I am in his camp, and have been for decades.
But CUPE Ontario's resolution labelling Israel an apartheid-like state is most unconscionable and untimely when Israel bravely disengaged from Gaza; elected a moderate political administration while stating that it intends to make significant territorial concessions; permitted the extremist Hamas movement to participate in Palestinian elections; and continually calls on all extremist factions to renounce violence.
Calling Israel, the only democracy in a region of unbelievable strife, apartheid-like totally misconstrues all the efforts to bring about a fair solution. It is understandable, given our past history of persecution amongst all nations, immeasurable to that of any other, that this CUPE resolution expounds the hypersensitivity of the Jewish community here and abroad.
Kenneth Wiener
Toronto -- Sid Ryan portrays CUPE Ontario as standing up bravely to attacks on it by supporters of Israel. He quotes an editorial in Haaretz that calls for Israel to withdraw from Gaza. Mr. Ryan then says: "There you have it in a nutshell, the essence of CUPE Ontario's resolution spoken from the pages of Israel's influential newspaper."
Mr. Ryan is being less than forthright. The CUPE resolution calls for sanctions against Israel until, among other things, Israel recognizes the "right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties." CUPE Ontario is thus proposing a one-state solution, not a two-state one, to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is this aspect of its resolution -- which, in effect, calls for the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state -- that has led many to see CUPE Ontario as anti-Semitic. Mr. Ryan might want to reread the full text of his resolution before lecturing his critics again.
Arnie Aberman
Toronto -- Israel, as a vibrant democracy, has a free press, so it is not surprising that an Israeli newspaper would oppose certain government policies. Even so, Sid Ryan ignored the important qualification "in the long run" when he quoted from Haaretz's editorial that "Israel has no option in the long run other than withdrawing from the territories and from the occupation." Of course, the inescapable irony is that, unless Mr. Ryan violated his union's proposed boycott of Israel, he would not know of Haaretz's editorial.
Al Lando
Toronto -- Sid Ryan has selected a rather strange example in his defence against the accusation of anti-Semitism. To say Switzerland is "renowned for its neutrality" displays either ignorance or a willful distortion of history. Switzerland, you'll recall, agreed to pay millions of dollars in reparations for its complicity in providing a haven for money derived from property and art stolen from Jews by the Nazis and secreted in Swiss banks. And Switzerland did so only because it was compelled to.
Brian Weiner
Toronto -- Sid Ryan just doesn't get it. At the heart of the matter between Israel and the Palestinians is the fact that the Palestinians are led by a government whose stated objective is the destruction of Israel. Is there another government in the modern world that would have this as its raison d'être? If the Palestinians were to put down their weapons, the turmoil would end. If the Israelis were to put down their weapons, they would be annihilated.
Manuel Matas
Winnipeg -- Haven't we had enough of Sid Ryan? After being accused of one-sided attacks against Israel, he defends himself by writing a column full of one-sided attacks against Israel. If Mr. Ryan truly wishes to speak out on behalf of the oppressed and downtrodden, why does he not turn his attention to Syria, Zimbabwe or China? Why this obsession with Israel?
Ismail Zayid
Halifax -- Congratulations to Sid Ryan for stating the facts with courage and integrity. Anti-Semitism is abhorrent, but criticism of oppressive Israeli policies in the occupied territories must not be allowed to be used as a protective blanket from such criticism. Israel is not above international law.
(Back)
Home