The Nakba Bill: NDP MP Matthew Green
In December of last year NDP MP Matthew Green took the lead in sponsoring a Private Member’s bill, informally named “the Nakba Bill.” While the text of Green’s bill has not been made public, Green has made clear that his bill will call for Canada to formally acknowledge the Nakba and its tragic consequences for the Palestinian people. We talk private member bills, the Nakba, Parliament's Palestine motion, Canada's culpability, the IOF, the chances of Green's bill passing, and sleeping better at night. It is worth noting that past Nakba bills introduced around the world failed to pass, including those by Rashida Tlaib in the US, and Layla Moran both in the UK, both of whom are Palestinian. Matthew Green is not Palestinian.
Letter to Ambassador Rae: Explain Canada's Boycott of UN Nakba Event
Montreal, May 15, 2023 - Below is a letter to Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, requesting an explanation for Canada’s decision to “boycott” the United Nation’s High-Level Special Committee Meeting on the 75th Commemoration of the Nakba, which was held today at the UN headquarters in New York. Canada’s boycott of the event was reported by the Times of Israel. "Canada’s decision to boycott this UN event commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba is offensive and unacceptable, and it demands an explanation."
Click here to download the letter as a PDF.
Read moreCJPME: Statement on the 75th Anniversary of the Nakba
Montreal, May 15, 2023 — Today we mark the 75th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (‘catastrophe’ in Arabic), the expulsion, destruction, and ethnic cleansing of Palestine associated with the creation of Israel in 1948. The Nakba is a process that has never ended. Today, CJPME stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Canada and around the world, and reaffirms its support for the fundamental and inalienable right of Palestinian refugees to return to the country that they were forced to leave behind.
March 23 - On This Day
March 23, 2011 - Israel passes 'Nakba Bill' to prevent commemorating the Nakba
“Commemoration of the Nakba is being outlawed because it asserts Palestinian political and moral claims to justice, redress and the right of return, exposing a critical contradiction at the heart of Israel’s claim to be exclusively Jewish and ‘democratic.” - Aimee Shalan, Council for Arab British Understanding
On this day in 2011, the Israeli Knesset passed a controversial bill called the ‘Nakba Bill.’ This bill imposes financial sanctions on institutions that commemorate the Nakba, one of the most significant events in modern Palestinian history. Nakba means ‘catastrophe’ in Arabic, and refers to when more than 700,000 Palestinians were forced from their homes during the establishment of the state of Israel, as part of a process of ethnic cleansing.
Nakba day is a day of mourning for Palestinians, who commemorate this day by organizing events within their schools, universities, and other community institutions. However, due to the Nakba Bill, their freedom of expression is now severely restricted. This law causes harm to Palestinians living as citizens of the state of Israel by preventing them from preserving their history and culture. Israeli officials justify this law by falsely accusing those who acknowledge the Nakba of denying the existence of Israel as a Jewish state.
In response to the bill, Adalah, an independent human rights organization, filed a petition to the Supreme Court, claiming that the law is unconstitutional. A year later, the Supreme Court rejected the petition.
Read more:
Knesset Passes Nakba Law Targeted at its Arab Citizens
Israel criminalizes commemoration of the Nakba
CJPME Statement on Anti-Palestinian Violence in Toronto
May 18, 2021 - Below is CJPME's statement on anti-Palestinian violence in Toronto. A false story was distributed by pro-Israel groups, the press, and condemned by journalists, depicting a peaceful Palestinian protest as hateful, while portraying a hate group member as a victim. CJPME calls on officials to apologize to the pro-Palestinian community for their false and demeaning statements.
Download a PDF version of the statement here.
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