Defending Palestinian Civil Society: Understanding Canada’s Role

Legal and policy experts from prominent Palestinian human rights organizations discuss the threat by Israel to terminate their work and silence others. They talk about how Canada has enabled the Israeli war on Palestinian Civil Society and how Canadian civil society can respond.

Background:

In the early morning hours of August 18, the Israeli military raided the offices of seven prominent Palestinian civil society organizations, destroying property, seizing files and office equipment, and welding the entrances to the offices shut. Since then, the Israeli Security Agency, the Shin Bet, has interrogated or called in for questioning representatives of the organizations who have refused to abide the closure of their offices.

A year ago the Israeli Knesset passed legislation designating six of these organizations as “terrorist organizations” and the Israeli military issued regulations determining them to be “unlawful associations.”

Ottawa has refused to condemn Israel’s actions. Canada continues to say it is waiting for information from Israel.

Panel includes:

• Shawan Jabarin, General Director of Al-Haq
• Sahar Francis, General Director of Ramallah-based Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association
• Michael Lynk, legal academic, associate professor at the University of Western Ontario and former United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories
• Yavar Hameed, lawyer in Ontario with a focus on racial profiling, lawful expression, equality rights, prisoner rights and migrant protection

Co-convened by the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute and Just Peace Advocates.