Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) deplores Anthony Housefather, a Member of Parliament representing the Liberal Party in Canada, for supporting the Israeli occupation.
Housefather recently held a meeting with Simcha Rothman, a member of Israel’s far-right extremist government.
Rothman, known for leading Israel’s “judicial coup,” has defended racial discrimination and supported acts of violence by settlers against Palestinians.
Housefather shared a picture of himself with Rothman during their joint ‘Task Force’ meeting, where Rothman claims to be a co-chair while Housefather is listed as a Steering Committee member.
CJPME is urging the Canadian government and the Liberal caucus to denounce Housefather for collaborating with Rothman and to condemn all forms of far-right extremism.
Michael Bueckert, Vice President of CJPME, stated, “It is deplorable that a Canadian MP would work alongside a far-right, extremist Israeli lawmaker like Rothman, who justifies racial discrimination and settler terrorism against Palestinians.”
CJPME highlights that the purpose of Housefather and Rothman’s meeting was to garner support for the controversial International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which has been used to suppress criticism of Israel and support for Palestinian rights.
Bueckert added, “The involvement of a far-right extremist in this initiative further demonstrates that IHRA is not about countering hate and discrimination, but about suppressing speech on Israeli apartheid.”
Following recent acts of terrorism by Israeli settler, who attempted to burn down Palestinian villages, Rothman referred to the attacks as a “protest” and questioned their condemnation.
He is a member of the fascist Religious Zionism coalition, along with extremist ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, who have used genocidal language to endorse settler violence against Palestinians.
Smotrich previously advocated for the complete destruction of the Palestinian town of Huwara, while Ben-Gvir recently referred to settler terrorists as “sweet boys.”
CJPME stated that the ‘Task Force’ led by Housefather and Rothman aims to pressure social media companies into adopting the controversial and discredited IHRA definition of antisemitism, which has been utilized to curtail advocacy for Palestinian rights.
Over 100 Palestinian, Israeli, and international human rights NGOs have recently written to the United Nations opposing the IHRA definition. Leading Israeli NGOs warn that IHRA is already being weaponized against human rights work.
CJPME added that, in Canada, a wide array of civil society voices, including the BC Civil Liberties Association, the Canadian Labour Congress, the Canadian Association of University Teachers, the Jewish Faculty Network, and over 40 academic unions and associations, stand in opposition to the adoption of IHRA.
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