Below are key calendar dates in June 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.
June 5, 1967: Israel launches 1967 war, seizing and occupying the entirety of Palestine
On this day in 1967, Israel launched a war on the Arab states of Jordan, Syria, and Egypt. The war began when Israel launched an aggressive surprise attack on Egypt, undermining mediation efforts and provoking a war... (Read More)
June 7, 1981: Israel bombs Iraqi nuclear facility
On this day in 1981, Israeli Air Forces launched a surprise airstrike on Iraq’s nuclear facility near Baghdad, destroying the Osirak nuclear reactor which had been purchased from France. This was the first attack in the world against a nuclear reactor... (Read More)
On this day in 2019, Canada undermined free speech on Palestine by adopting the discredited International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which conflates antisemitism with criticism and protest of Israeli policies against the Palestinians. The definition was adopted without a vote as part of the government’s federal anti-racism strategy. Many civil society organizations have warned that IHRA poses a threat to free expression, including anti-racist activism... (Read More)
