Vancouver, Unceded Coast Salish Territories — Tuesday April 1, 2025
Jewish residents of the Lower Mainland came together today to voice their outrage at the presence of the Israeli Consul General, operating March 31 to April 2 out of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver.
The Jewish residents staged dramatic “die-in” outside the Centre to highlight Israel’s escalating genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
“Idit Shamir is the Consul General of Israel and represents a government facing trial for genocide at the International Court of Justice, and whose leader is under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for war crimes,” said Anna Lermer, a spokesperson for the group. “We as Jewish people call on the Canadian government to ban the Israeli Consulate. Representatives of governments that have perpetrated war crimes according to the UN cannot be welcome here.”
In their ongoing genocide in Gaza, Israel has murdered at least 50,144 Palestinians and injured at least 113,704 as reported by UN Office of Humanitarian Affairs. Israel’s bombardment has resulted in the displacement of 90% of Gazans, and has resulted in the destruction of 92% of all housing units in Gaza, according to Doctors Without Borders. Gaza is now the most dangerous place in the world to be a child, with one child on average being killed every 35 minutes since October 2023.
In the past year and a half, eleven countries have suspended diplomatic ties with Israel. The organizers called on Canada to strictly enforce a two-way arms embargo, prohibiting weapons sales and military equipment or technology purchases from a country engaged in ethnic cleansing and genocide. They demanded Canada declare Israeli diplomats personae non grata in Canada and to support an immediate comprehensive programme of boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel.
“We are here today as Jewish people, many of whom are decendants of holocaust survivors. The State of Israel has weaponized our identity and our family’s historical trauma to justify ethnic cleansing, displacement and genocide. We say resoundingly that Israel does not act in our name,” said Robert Ages.
“We refuse to welcome government officials representing countries committing war crimes, into our communities,” said mia susan amir. “As long as Israel’s genocide and illegal occupation of Palestine continues, we will continue to fight alongside Palestinians for their self-determination.”