"I appreciate how you describe CUPW’s support of a boycott of Israeli products, but the description is limited in a couple of ways. The campaign that CUPW endorsed is more than a boycott, and it is a response to the mistreatment that Palestinians face as a whole, including refugees and Palestinian citizens of Israel (not just those in the occupied Palestinian territories)."
May 25, 2023
To:
Andrea Baillie, Editor-in-Chief, The Canadian Press
Dylan Robertson, Journalist, The Canadian Press
Joanna Smith, Ottawa Bureau Chief, The Canadian Press
Dear Ms. Baillie, Mr. Robertson, and Ms. Smith,
I’m writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) about your recent article entitled “Postal workers' union settles defamation lawsuit with B'nai Brith” published May 24, 2023.
First, I request that the Canadian Press should reconsider how it describes B’nai Brith Canada as an organization. As it stands, the article describes them as a “Jewish activist group,” which is true, but isn’t entirely relevant to this article and is only one aspect of their work. B’nai Brith Canada does significant pro-Israel advocacy work as a registered lobbyist group. On their website’s About Us page, B’nai Brith describes itself as a “staunch defender of the State of Israel.” This aspect of their work is much more relevant to your story and should be mentioned.
Second, I appreciate how you describe CUPW’s support of a boycott of Israeli products, but the description is limited in a couple of ways. The campaign that CUPW endorsed is more than a boycott, and it is a response to the mistreatment that Palestinians face as a whole, including refugees and Palestinian citizens of Israel (not just those in the occupied Palestinian territories).
Below is some additional information on the topic of the BDS Movement and its supporters in Canada, which may help to inform future coverage. We’d appreciate if the existing article could be updated with some of this information as well, as it would help to contextualize the story.
From CJPME’s BDS Hub: In 2005, over 170 Palestinian civil society organizations appealed to the international community to impose a strategy of boycotts, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) as a way to pressure the Israeli government to respect Palestinian rights and international law. The BDS movement will end once Israel complies with these three demands: 1) End its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantle the Wall; 2) Recognize the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and 3) Respect, protect and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.
CUPW endorsed the BDS movement in 2008, and was one of the earliest Canadian unions to do so. In fact, BDS has wide support in the labour movement. BDS has been endorsed by other unions and labour groups in Canada including CUPE-ON, CSN, CSQ, PSAC, and Unifor. Relatedly, the Canadian Labour Congress and Ontario Federation of Labour both support components of BDS, including bans on goods from Israeli illegal settlements, divestment from Israeli military companies, and an arms embargo on Israel. Find more information, including additional Canadian endorsers of BDS, on CJPME’s BDS Hub.
If you would like to discuss this matter further, please contact me at 438-380-5410.
Sincerely,
Jason Toney
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Director of Media Advocacy