Protesters gathered in downtown on Ottawa Aug. 17 to march in support of the current situation in the Gaza strip.
Those marching included Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) Carleton and several other community organizations and members. The march started at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and wound around the Byward Market area to end with a sit-in at the Israeli Embassy on 50 O’Connor St.
Shabad Saini, accountant and self-described community activist, said the main purpose of the march was to raise awareness and educate people.
“The purpose of this march is to shed light on the status of our current Canadian Harper government in terms of how they have been very one-sided in their views,” Saini said. “People just see us marching in the street all the time, and they don’t realize what we are marching for.”
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The march focused on encouraging boycotts, divestments, and sanctions and was particularly concerned with Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s comment earlier this summer that Canada would “respond accordingly” if faced with the same circumstances as Israel.
Nadia Abu-Zahra is a professor in the school of international development and global studies at University of Ottawa. According to her, the main problem is with Canada’s political leadership.
“We have very strong and principled Canadians, who are willing to do the right thing,” Abu-Ahra said. “But the problem is we have Canadian politicians who do not represent all of Canada.”
Rana Nazzal, a member of SAIA-Carleton also said the problem lies with the Canadian government.
“The Harper government has stood unwaveringly beside Israel and its ongoing violations of international law,” Nazzal said. “Over 2110 Palestinians have been killed [as of] today, the 51st day of Israel’s attack, the vast majority civilians, and including almost 500 children. This is an attack of extermination and there is no room for silence.”
Nazzal said that given Canada’s history of colonialism and apartheid, it is not surprising Canada supports Israel. SAIAC is calling on the government to change that.
“It is not surprising that Canada has failed to act immediately to end the massacres in Gaza or ongoing Israeli apartheid policies,” Nazzal said. “Canada needs to hold Israel accountable under international law—beginning with immediately condemning the attacks on Gaza—and then moving forward to dismantle the Israeli apartheid system.”
On July 13, 2014 Prime Minister Stephen Harper released a statement in response to the situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
“Canada is unequivocally behind Israel. We support its right to defend itself, by itself, against these terror attacks,” the statement said. “Canada reiterates its call for the Palestinian government to disarm Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups operating in Gaza, including the Iranian proxy, Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”
Saini said Canadians need to think outside the established norms and critically evaluate the situation.
“You know, as Canadian citizens we are not supposed to just take this status quo position, our government should be a bit more critical of what is happening there,” Saini said.
Rabbi David Feldman, a representative from Jews United Against Zionism, said that the Jewish faith does not support the current “tragedy” in Palestine.
“This occupation in Palestine was and is totally opposed by Jews around the world who are true to Judaism and follow Jewish teaching,” Feldman said. “As Jewish people we say that we are embarrassed since this is supposedly being done in our name and sometimes is presented as being condoned by Jewish religion.”
Feldman said the help of the Jewish population is generally welcomed.
“We questioned whether it was going to be safe for us. We ended up visiting Gaza twice, and we did not have even one incident,” Feldman said.
Abu-Zahra said the best Canadians can do is wait for politicians to take notice.
“What is really disheartening is that as an individual Canadian, there is nothing any one of us can do,” she said. “We have to wait for our politicians to understand what all of us across Canada want to see happen as Canadians and as voters.”
What it comes down to, Saini said, is a humanitarian issue, regardless of race or religion.
“People are systematically being segregated, having their human rights and their human dignity violated, and this cannot be allowed to stand.”
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