Share your voice with PM Trudeau

We are deeply worried about Amira Elghawaby’s comments this week on Anti-Palestinian Racism (APR).

On the surface, APR’s goals seem positive. However, in reality, APR risks undermining protections for Jewish Canadians and letting groups abuse anti-racism policies to silence Jewish voices.

All Canadians, including Palestinian Canadians, are entitled to full protection under Canada’s robust human rights laws, but APR goes beyond addressing discrimination and aims to restrict legitimate expressions of Jewish identity and support for Israel.

APR conflates political opinions about Israel with racism, a stance that goes against the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition, which has been adopted by Trudeau’s government.

APR defines even basic expressions of Jewish identity and support for Israel as discriminatory, which is incompatible with Canada’s commitment to human rights and equality.

In addition, focusing on APR also takes attention away from legitimate concerns about Islamophobia in Canada, instead focusing solely on the conflict in the Middle East.

Endorsing APR will increase division between Jewish and Muslim Canadians, stoke resentment and polarization, and fuel the conflict and hate already plaguing Canada.

Tell Prime Minister Trudeau and Diversity & Inclusion Minister Khera to bring Canadians together, not drive them apart. Tell them not to endorse APR.

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Dear Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Khera,

We are gravely concerned about Special Representative Amira Elghawaby’s comments this week on Anti-Palestinian Racism (APR). While, on the surface, APR’s goals seem laudable, in practice, APR risks undermining protections for Jewish Canadians and allows the misuse anti-racism policies to advance political narratives that silence Jewish voices. All Canadians, including Palestinian Canadians, are entitled to full protection under Canada’s robust human rights laws, but APR goes beyond addressing discrimination and aims to restrict legitimate expressions of Jewish identity and support for Israel. A term promoted by groups with well-known anti-Jewish agendas, APR conflates political opinions about Israel with racism, a stance that goes against the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism adopted by your own Canadian government and multiple provinces. APR defines even basic expressions of Jewish identity and support for Israel as discriminatory, which is incompatible with Canada’s commitment to human rights and equality. In recent months, the concept of APR has appeared in institutional settings, including the Toronto District School Board and the House of Commons Justice Committee. It has been used each time to stigmatize and to exclude Jews, to attack them and their Jewish identity. This is especially true in areas where Jews are vulnerable, such as K-12, on university campuses, and in unions, where it has led to toxic environments in which Jews and those who support Israel’s right to exist and defend itself no longer feel safe. APR not only overlaps with existing protections for Arab and Muslim Canadians but also attempts to establish a specific political stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a human rights standard. Focusing on APR also takes away attention from legitimate concerns about Islamophobia in Canada, which affects all Canadian Muslims. Endorsing APR will increase division between Jewish and Muslim Canadians, stoke resentment and polarization, and fuel the conflict and hate already plaguing Canada. Prime Minister, Minister Khera, please bring Canadians together rather than drive them apart – do not endorse APR.

Sincerely,
[your name will go here]
[your email address will go here]