CJPME's Debrief Podcast

Last spring, Fernwood Publishing announced a new book, Advocating for Palestine in Canada: one of the first-ever books about Palestinian solidarity work in Canada.  Michael Bueckert, one of Debrief’s regular hosts wrote a chapter in the book looking at how Israel seeks to deflect and dismiss criticisms of its oppressive and apartheid practices.  This subject matter is also the focus of Michael’s PhD dissertation.  Join us as Michael discusses his chapter, and learn how today’s apologists for Israel take an approach eerily similar to that taken by apologists for apartheid South Africa. If you can, rate us and write a nice review if you like what you hear. It helps other people find our podcast and learn about the issues. Here are the instructions on how to find, rate, review and share the podcast on eight different platforms: Apple, Spotify, Google, TuneIn, Deezer, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, and iHeartRadio. Continue reading

Is Canadian media biased towards Israel and against Palestinians? Where does bias come from, and how can we challenge it? On this episode, Michael and Tom are joined by Passage’s Davide Mastracci, author of a chapter on Canadian media and pro-Israel bias in the book Advocating for Palestine in Canada (Fernwood, 2022). We talk about the role of journalists, editors, corporate owners, and lobby groups in pushing media coverage to be favourable to Israel, and how these factors undermine reporting on Israel’s human rights abuses. If you can, rate us and write a nice review if you like what you hear. It helps other people find our podcast and learn about the issues. Here are the instructions on how to find, rate, review and share the podcast on eight different platforms: Apple, Spotify, Google, TuneIn, Deezer, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, and iHeartRadio. Continue reading

Tom and Michael discuss a recent report authored by Michael and its implications for upcoming votes on Palestinian human rights at the United Nations General Assembly. The report, based on documents obtained through an access to information request, found that Canada’s career foreign affairs officials are highly critical of Canada’s staunchly pro-Israel record, and have been pushing for a change in the government’s approach. We break down the report’s findings and what they say about Canada and its reputation on the international stage. If you can, rate us and write a nice review if you like what you hear. It helps other people find our podcast and learn about the issues. Here are the instructions on how to find, rate, review and share the podcast on eight different platforms: Apple, Spotify, Google, TuneIn, Deezer, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, and iHeartRadio. Continue reading

On this episode, Michael and Tom are joined by Sheryl Nestel and Rowan Gaudet of Independent Jewish Voices Canada to talk about their new report on the suppression of speech on Palestine on Canadian campuses. We look at how pro-Israel groups have used harassment and intimidation against pro-Palestine academics to create a “chilly” atmosphere for debate. We talk about how students have been affected by these attacks and discuss the role of the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism in suppressing speech. If you can, rate us and write a nice review if you like what you hear. It helps other people find our podcast and learn about the issues. Here are the instructions on how to find, rate, review and share the podcast on eight different platforms: Apple, Spotify, Google, TuneIn, Deezer, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, and iHeartRadio. Continue reading

Two months ago, Fernwood Publishing announced a new book, Advocating for Palestine in Canada: one of the first-ever books about Palestinian solidarity work in Canada.  Tom Woodley, one of Debrief’s regular hosts wrote a chapter in the book discussing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that lie before the Palestinian solidarity movement in Canada.  With Michael on vacation, our podcast engineer Madeleine Moffatt takes the microphone to interview Tom about his chapter, and to explore the potential opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for the movement. If you can, rate us and write a nice review if you like what you hear. It helps other people find our podcast and learn about the issues. Here are the instructions on how to find, rate, review and share the podcast on eight different platforms: Apple, Spotify, Google, TuneIn, Deezer, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, and iHeartRadio. Continue reading

On this episode, Michael and Tom are joined by Jasmin Zine to talk about her new book on Islamophobia and the 9/11 generation. We discuss how Islamophobia is more than just “fear” or “hate” towards Muslims, and why we should understand it as a “structure of oppression.” We also talk about the surveillance that Muslims students face on campus, the gendered nature of Islamophobia, and evaluate whether Canada is doing enough to address white supremacist and anti-Muslim violence. If you can, rate us and write a nice review if you like what you hear. It helps other people find our podcast and learn about the issues. Here are the instructions on how to find, rate, review and share the podcast on eight different platforms: Apple, Spotify, Google, TuneIn, Deezer, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, and iHeartRadio. Continue reading

Earlier this year, McGill students won a major victory when a campus referendum passed by 71% to adopt a Palestine Solidarity Policy. Almost immediately, however, this decision was suppressed by university administrators and the student association. On this episode, Michael is joined by members of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR McGill) to discuss their recent victory, and how they are dealing with McGill’s attempts to crush student activism. If you can, rate us and write a nice review if you like what you hear. It helps other people find our podcast and learn about the issues. Here are the instructions on how to find, rate, review and share the podcast on eight different platforms: Apple, Spotify, Google, TuneIn, Deezer, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, and iHeartRadio. Continue reading

In a legal victory this month, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) ruled that “Product of Israel” labels on wine from illegal Israeli settlements are “false” and violate Canadian consumer protection law. On this episode, Michael is joined by David Kattenburg and lawyer Dimitri Lascaris, who have led this multiple-year legal battle against settlement wine. We talk about what the legal decision means, the challenges ahead to get accurate labelling, and the importance of ending trade with illegal settlements altogether. If you can, rate us and write a nice review if you like what you hear. It helps other people find our podcast and learn about the issues. Here are the instructions on how to find, rate, review and share the podcast on eight different platforms: Apple, Spotify, Google, TuneIn, Deezer, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, and iHeartRadio. Continue reading

One year ago, Human Rights Watch published a landmark report on Israeli apartheid. On this episode Michael is joined by Omar Shakir, HRW’s Israel and Palestine director, to reflect on the reactions to that report and the growing international consensus on apartheid. In addition, we talk about his experience of being deported by Israel, documenting Israeli war crimes in Gaza, and the how killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh demonstrates Israel’s pattern of violence against journalists. If you can, rate us and write a nice review if you like what you hear. It helps other people find our podcast and learn about the issues. Here are the instructions on how to find, rate, review and share the podcast on eight different platforms: Apple, Spotify, Google, TuneIn, Deezer, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, and iHeartRadio. Continue reading

Among Canadian politicians, NDP MP Niki Ashton has been one of the most consistent voices in support of Palestinian rights. Ashton joins Michael and Tom to talk about why it is important for her to challenge Canada’s complicity in Israeli apartheid. We also discuss what it was like trying to advocate for Palestine under the pro-Israel leadership of Tom Mulcair, assess whether the position of the NDP has improved in recent years, and hear why international solidarity is so necessary. If you can, rate us and write a nice review if you like what you hear. It helps other people find our podcast and learn about the issues. Here are the instructions on how to find, rate, review and share the podcast on eight different platforms: Apple, Spotify, Google, TuneIn, Deezer, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, and iHeartRadio. Continue reading