By Joel Winter
As a teacher, I found myself in hot water for protesting a bookstore chain’s support of the Israeli Defense Force. Recently, the Canadian government has been pressured by the Israel lobby to develop a handbook on antisemitism, potentially stifling our rights to criticize Israel. This handbook, influenced by a controversial definition of antisemitism, threatens to label any dissent against Israel as antisemitic.
While some may view this handbook as a trivial government project, the power of the Israel lobby cannot be underestimated. Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East have started a petition to remove the biased individual behind this guidebook. It is essential to distinguish between antisemitism and valid criticism of Israel’s actions towards Palestinians.
An alternative definition of antisemitism, the Jerusalem Declaration, offers a more balanced approach to combatting hatred while allowing criticism of Israel. As someone who faced repercussions for protesting against Israel, I fear that rational discourse may be further silenced if this biased guidebook is enforced.