In many ways, prisons are foundational to colonialism and apartheid, serving to remove people from their communities and repress movements for self-determination.
Israeli Apartheid Week Montreal | March 15-22, 2018
One week of panels, workshops, film screenings, demonstrations and
cultural events to raise awareness around the Boycott, Divestment and
Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israeli apartheid. Events are taking
place at Concordia, UQÀM, Université de Montréal & McGill, as well as
community venues in Montreal.
In opposition to apartheid and occupation
In solidarity with Palestinian resistance
In support of social justice struggles everywhere
This year marks the 14th year of Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) in
Montreal, joining with similar IAWs around the world. We are hoping to
continue building momentum for the BDS movement.
Israeli Apartheid Week- Montreal 2018 is endorsed by: SDHPP UQAM, SDHPP
U de M, SPHR Concordia, SPHR McGill, Independent Jewish Voices-McGill,
the Centre for Gender Advocacy, QPIRG Concordia, QPIRG-McGill, Tadamon!,
Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU), the Immigrant Workers Centre,
Solidarity Across Borders, CKUT Radio, the Union for Gender Empowerment
and the Midnight Kitchen.
Schedule:
Tadamon invites you to meet Omar Ben Ali at Café Du Pain et Des Roses, a Villeray Café, on February 21th. Omar is from Palestine and lives in Villeray. He arrived in Canada almost 10 years ago but has since then lived in a state of legal limbo.
Following the call of organizations in Palestine and Mexico, Tadamon is joining the Global Day of Action for a World without Walls.
Almost 70 walls across all continents are enforcing state control. They rip through people’s lives and lands – denying their basic freedom of movement, and expanding state violence, causing thousands of deaths every year. Walls fortify borders, separate the rich from the poor, and the powerful from the oppressed. They are monuments of expulsion, of exclusion and of exploitation. November 9th marks fifteen years since construction began on Israel’s apartheid wall, which aims to annex up to 60% of the West Bank and encircle Palestinians on 13% of their territory.
This is a family friendly community gathering.
For nearly a decade, Omar Ben Ali – a stateless Palestinian refugee – has been living and working in Montreal. Despite the very real dangers he faced living under Israeli apartheid, his refugee claim was refused in 2008. Yet, he has been unable to return to Palestine, as Israel has refused to allow his deportation to the occupied West Bank. As such, he has been left in limbo : unable to obtain status, but unable to return to Palestine and reunite with his wife and seven children.
In May 2017, after 100 years of colonization, 70 years since the Nakba, and 50 years of intensified occupation, we salute the victory that the Palestinian prisoners achieved in their recent 40-day hunger strike (#DignityStrike). Let us remember that their struggle is the struggle of all Palestinians for freedom, justice and dignity.
1,500 Palestinian prisoners, out of nearly 6,500 political prisoners held in Israeli apartheid prisons, demanded the reinstatement of family visits, the right to education, access to the media and medical care. They also demanded the installation of public telephones and, more generally, the improvement of conditions of detention in order to reach acceptable standards under international law. In 40 days, the prisoners put their lives in danger, but most of these claims have been reached, and thankfully there were no deaths.
Canadian government must answer to the Eid family and be accountable for its inaction
On Friday, June 30th, Bissan Eid and her infant daughter Sarah returned to Montréal after six months in Gaza. They had previously been unable to leave due to the Israeli military siege over the Palestinian territory.
In January 2017, Bissan and the Eid family first called on the Canadian government to take action in support of Bissan’s right to return to Montréal. Yet, for over six months, the Canadian government failed to act. As a result, Bissan was forced to give birth in Gaza — far away from immediate family and friends and under military blockade.
Canada could have intervened earlier to bring Bissan home — that it failed to do so illustrates the ongoing reality of institutional racism within the Canadian state infrastructure. It is difficult to imagine the Canadian government would have provided so little support and follow-up to any other Canadian citizen trapped abroad. In this sense, Bissan’s experience of Israeli apartheid policies and structural violence were normalized by the Canadian government, who accepted the racist, violent treatment she was subjected to by Israeli authorities as a matter of course.
“Gaza is a real prison for over 2 million Palestinians who live there. During the 2014 Israeli aggression, 20% of the buildings in Gaza were destroyed. Israeli authorities do not allow building materials nor food to enter and there is only 3 to 4 hours of electricity per day. Palestinians don’t have the right to leave Gaza for any reason,” says Hadi Eid, Bissan’s father, also outlining that, “the lack of medical supplies imposed by the Israeli blockade has increased the infant mortality rate and nearly doubled the neonatal mortality rate. In a prison, you can eat, see a doctor when you are sick and have electricity 24/7; Gaza is worse than a prison.”
A Palestinian refugee from Jenin, in the Israeli occupied West Bank, is stateless and living without status in Justin Trudeau’s Montréal riding.
#StatusForOmar
What: Press conference in support of Omar Ben Ali
When: Thursday July 6, 2017 at 10am.
Where: School of Community and Public Affairs
2149 Mackay Street, métro Guy-Concordia
Montréal, Québec.
After more than 6 months of struggling to depart Gaza, Palestine, Bissan, along with her 7-week-old child, Sarah, are now in transit back to Montréal. At this time, the Eid family and their supporters would like to thank the thousands of individuals and many organizations who supported Bissan and Sarah’s fundamental right to freedom of movement throughout this difficult period.
#BringBissanHome
For immediate release:
Montreal community condemn Canadian government’s inaction in supporting Bissan Eid’s struggle to return home
Montreal, June 15, 2017- Dozens of Montreal community members gathered today in front of Concordia University in solidarity with Bissan to demand that Justin Trudeau and the Canadian government support Bissan Eid and facilitate her return home.
