Collected Data
"This is about trying to scare people."
In January, Canada's then foreign affairs minister, John Baird, signed a "memorandum of understanding" with Israeli authorities in Jerusalem, pledging to combat BDS.
It described the movement as "the new face of anti-Semitism."
A few days later, at the UN, Canadian Public Security Minister Steven Blaney went much further.
He conflated boycotts of Israel with anti-Semitic hate speech and violence, including the deadly attacks that had just taken place in Paris on the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a kosher supermarket.
Blaney then said the government is taking a "zero tolerance" approach to BDS.
Coming as it did from the minister responsible for federal law enforcement, the speech alarmed groups that have, to varying degrees, supported boycotts, believing them an effective tool to bring about an end to Israel's occupation and colonization of the West Bank, and its tight grip on Gaza.
Some of these groups had noted that the government changed the Criminal Code definition of hate speech last year, adding the criterion of "national origin" to race and religion.
This change could, they feared, effectively lump people who speak against Israel in with those who speak against Jews.
Micheal Vonn, a lawyer for the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, says the expanded definition is clearly "a tool to go after critics of Israel."
Ottawa cites hate crime laws when asked about its 'zero tolerance' for Israel boycotters
I have no opinion about BDS but I don’t need to have one to know that protest is not a crime in a free and democratic country. Making boycotts and protests against governments a hate crime is Fascist level shit.
What next? Protesting the Canadian government is ‘Anti-Canadian’ hate speech?
Tories deny plan to use hate crime laws against Israel boycotters
Of course they do. Thank goodness they are so trustworthy. Oh wait…
But the response from the Tories appears to contradict the email comments by a public safety ministry spokeswoman, who cited Canada's hate crime laws when asked specifically by CBC News about the government's "zero tolerance" for Israel boycotters.
EMAIL EXCHANGE BETWEEN CBC AND PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON ON BDS PROSECUTIONS
Also read Glenn Greenwald’s take…
CANADIAN GOVERNMENT SAYS FREE SPEECH IS FOR OFFENDING MUSLIMS — NOT OPPOSING ISRAEL
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