Below are key calendar dates in April related to Canada and the Middle East, especially Palestinian activism and resistance. Please email [email protected] if you would like to suggest other anniversaries or dates for our "On this day" commemorations.
April 3, 2002: Israel launches brutal 10-day assault on Jenin refugee camp
On this day in 2002, the Israeli military began its 10-day bombardment and massacre of the Jenin refugee camp. This was part of Israel’s Operation Defense Shield, which targeted many Palestinian cities, towns and refugee camps, killing over 500 people and injuring 1,500.
April 9, 1948: Palestinian village of Deir Yassin massacred by Zionist paramilitary groups
On this day in 1948, extremist Zionist paramilitary groups attacked the Palestinian village of Deir Yassin, perpetuating one of the most infamous massacres in Palestinian history. Over 100 Palestinians were systematically murdered, many of them women and children.
April 27, 2021: Human Rights Watch concludes that Israel is committing apartheid
On this day in 2021, Human Rights Watch released a 213-page report titled “A Threshold Crossed,” which concluded that Israeli officials were committing the crime against humanity of apartheid. HRW derived its analysis by looking at Israel’s control over Palestinian land for over seventy years. Over those decades, Israeli authorities have consistently privileged Jewish Israelis over Palestinians, and have systematically discriminated against them. HRW determined that many Israeli policies contribute to its system of apartheid... (Read more)