Independent Jewish Voices Vancouver commends Burnaby City Council for declaring Burnaby an apartheid-free community and calling on Canada to impose an arms embargo on Israel. Burnaby’s motion is a first in Canada, demonstrating moral leadership in support of human rights and ending Canadian complicity in genocide. The motion passed unanimously yesterday evening.
As Jews, our history of persecution compels us to oppose oppression no matter where it occurs. For too long, calls to end Israel’s ongoing apartheid and current genocide have been silenced out of fear of being called antisemitic. Burnaby City Council has shown courage in this motion. It sets an example we’d like to see followed by other Canadian cities and organizations.
Through the council motion, Burnaby pledges to be an apartheid-free community, committing to end support to Israel’s apartheid system and military occupation. Burnaby joins a coalition of apartheid-free communities across North America building a movement inspired by the successful campaign that toppled the apartheid regime in South Africa.
Burnaby council’s motion also calls on the federal government to impose an immediate arms embargo on Israel and improve the Gazan families reunification program.
Israel kills Palestinians every day, and the living struggle to survive amid Israel’s blockade of aid and its continued bombing. We need more communities to condemn Israeli war crimes, speak out in defence of Palestinian human rights, and demand Canada take action. Jewish identity is not defined by the state of Israel. We cannot allow the Israeli government’s ongoing apartheid system and the genocide it is carrying out in Gaza to be shielded by bogus smears of antisemitism.
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Media Coverage:
CBC – Burnaby council votes unanimously to ask Ottawa to impose arms embargo on Israel
CityNews – City of Burnaby asks federal government to call for ceasefire in Gaza