...born with the gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad

“Rebranding” balkers: As expected, Israeli Consul General to Toronto Amir Gissin’s plan to “rebrand” Israel so that people with see it as being useful to the world and won’t get behind the OIC’s eliminationist agenda has met with some, er, hostility. The Canadian Arab Federation, for one (an organization that was recently given a whack of cash by the federal government to promote the creative efforts of Canadian Arabs) has some harsh, not to mention hateful and deranged, words about the plan, ones fully in keeping with the eliminationist agenda. Here’s the CAF news release, issued late last month, slamming the branding. Please take note of the usefully idiot/hard lefty organizations that have signed on to serve the Arabs’ agenda:  

COMMUNITY GROUPS DENOUNCE 'BRAND ISRAEL' INAUGURATION

(TORONTO, August 26, 2008) – Yesterday over a hundred Torontonians showed up at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Center (MNJCC) to voice their opposition to the official launch of a 1-million dollar 'Brand Israel' rebranding campaign at that venue. Toronto has been selected as a 'test market' for a year-long public relations campaign launched by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs to improve "Israel's image" – a state who's racism against Palestinians has come under increasing scrutiny by the growing worldwide boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.

During the rally, organized by the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA), speakers from No One is Illegal (NOII), the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), The UofT Reparations Committee, the United Black Students at Ryerson (UBSR) and Women in Solidarity with Palestine (WISP, formerly the Jewish Women's Committee to end the Occupation) addressed the racist nature of the Israeli state and its rebranding campaign. CAIA spokesperson, Kole Kilibarda, noted that, "Just as Torontonians rejected attempts by the South African regime to rebrand apartheid in the 1980s, we will also refuse to 'buy into' this latest attempt to change the subject and divert attention away from Israel's state-sanctioned racism." Hussan of NOII reminded the crowd that, "The world increasingly rejects settler-colonialism, whether here on Turtle Island [North America] or in Israel. Just as apartheid fell in South Africa, it will fall in Turtle Island and Israel!"…

…CAIA members leafleted in the rush hour traffic informing thousands of commuters about the 'Brand Israel' campaign launch and the need to oppose its various manifestations over the next year.

2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, which laid the foundations for the current system of Israeli apartheid. To date the year has been filled with worldwide events marking the ethnic cleansing of over 750,000 Palestinians and the destruction of over 430 Palestinian villages by Israeli militias in 1948. A number of important resolutions in support of BDS have been passed by labour and student unions this year, including a number in Canada. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs' attempts to use Toronto as a 'test market' for its rebranding campaign are seen as a testament to the strength of the growing BDS movement in this city. CAIA has vowed to continue pressing forward with this important campaign until the core demands of the Palestinian-initiated BDS movement are met, including: (1) the end of Israeli military occupation over all Arab lands; (2) the right of return of refugees as stipulate by UN Resolution 194 and (3) the granting of full equality to the Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Sounds reasonable--if your goal is the violent demise of Jewish sovereignty in Israel, that is. I know—let’s ask Assud, Hamas TV’s giant bunny, to help articulate Palestinian hopes and dreams vis a vis “the Jews” once the “refugees” have been given leave to “return”.

Sheesh. Seems to be kind of a disconnect between the bunny's cuddly appearance and his voracious words. No matter. I see no reason why some of that Canadian Heritage coin earmarked for Arab creativity couldn’t be used to bring the fluffy emissary to Canada as a Palestinian “goodwill” ambassador: if there’s anything from which Canadians could benefit, it’s clearer insight into this particular type of “artistry”.

Update: What, you may ask, is "the U of T Reparations Committee? Apparently, it's a group that's attempting to shame the university in forking over mucho diinero to Black Students, "atonement" for university investments in apartheid-era South Africa. As well, the committe demands  "atonement" for slavery, discrimination, and colonialization--none of which, as far as I know, U of T is in any way responsible for. The Committee held a forum recently to air its grievances:  

Forum by the Reparations Committee: U of T Must Atone

September 18, 2008

U OF T MUST ATONE FORUM

September 18, 2008

Doors open at 9:30AM

Forum: 10AM - 1:00PM
Location: OISE of the University of Toronto, Auditorium, 252 Bloor St.

In January of 1988, the University of Toronto after intense pressure from an overwhelming amount of students, grudgingly decided to reverse their policy of continuing to invest in companies doing business in apartheid South Africa. While the University of Toronto divested itself of about $19 million worth of shares in the apartheid regime, it has still remained reticent and inactive on repairing the breach with its Black students. Come hear key witnesses in a landmark case in New York, that seeks millions of dollars in reparations from corporations that supported and profited from South African apartheid.

Make sure you attend the historic forum being hosted by The Reparations Committee at the University of Toronto, that will demand U of T and other institutions to pay reparations to Black students for their complicity in the crimes of slavery, colonization, and apartheid...

Doesn't anyone in the U of T administration have the cohoonies to tell these grievance junkies, these shake-down artists, to take a hike? (The Committe could also use the services of a good copy editor since, in that last sentence, it sounds like the Black students, not the institutions, are complicit. One the guilt money starts rolling in, hiring an editor should be easy-peasy.)

Posted by: scaramouche at 19:40 | link | comments (1)

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