"Jama’s retweet was not fringe or extreme, as her critics want to suggest, but consistent with key voices in the human rights community. The ONDP should stand up against the smears."
May 4, 2023
This article focuses on the backlash to MPP Sarah Jama for retweeting a statement by legal scholar Noura Erakat on the death of Palestinian hunger striker Khader Adnan. However, the story failed to mention that Adnan’s death was widely condemned by human rights groups and UN experts, giving the false impression of a controversy.
Amnesty International said that Adnan’s death “is a reminder of the deadly cost that Palestinians pay for challenging Israel’s apartheid and a military justice system rigged against them.” UN experts said his death “is a tragic testament to Israel’s cruel and inhumane detention policy and practices.” More than a dozen Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups said that “Khader undertook his hunger strike — one of the few non-violent tools that remain for Palestinians — to oppose Israel’s long-term occupation and apartheid regime.”
Jama’s retweet was not fringe or extreme, as her critics want to suggest, but consistent with key voices in the human rights community. The ONDP should stand up against the smears.
Michael Bueckert
Vice President, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME)
Montreal, Quebec
613-315-7947