What a tangled web we weave when at first our guilt conceives. Interestingly one the groups named in Prof Nobel’s suit, the Canadian Jewish Congress belongs to The Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy (CIJA) the umbrella organization which provides strategic coordination for a couple of high powered lobby groups in Canada. One of its member groups is the Canada-Israeli Committee of which Mr. Kinsella is listed as a member of the board of directors. Kinsella’s group arrogantly proclaims that it is “the official representative of the organized Canadian Jewish community on matters pertaining to Canada-Israel relations”. I did not know that all the Jews in Canada held a vote on who their “official” voice was! Talk about pandering to anti-semites.
In any event and more importantly it is CIJA which was the target of one of Prof Nobel’s investigations. In his 2005 article which appeared in Canadian Dimension, Nobel argued thus:
This is not about Jews. It is not about race, ethnicity or religion. It is about power. The new Israel lobby in Canada — the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy (CIJA) — has enormous power, derived from abundant resources, corporate connections, political associations, elaborate and able organization and a cadre of dedicated activists. Since its inception several years ago, this hard-line lobby has used its power, first, to gain political hegemony and impose ideological conformity on the matter of Israel within a heretofore diverse Jewish community, and second, to influence government decisions and shape public opinion regarding Israel — ostensibly in the name of all Canadian Jewry. From the outset, a primary focus of this lobby’s attentions has been the university campus, alleged centre of anti-Israel sentiment, conveniently construed as anti-semitism. Over the last two years, the lobby has by various means attempted to pacify these campuses and bring them into line, particularly Concordia and York. While the lobby has made some significant gains, at York their effort has been stalled.
We wonder if Kinsella and his group will have the stones to issue a statement clarifying their position with regard to academic freedom, freedom of speech, and freedom of assembly?
November 22, 2006 at 2:55 pm
Notice that it says “organized Canadian Jewish community”. Again – “organized”.
November 22, 2006 at 5:39 pm
You mean like all jews who are in Unions?
November 22, 2006 at 5:50 pm
See here is the problem when you make claims without limit. All we need is one group of organized Jews who dont think that Warrens’s little committee speaks for them. Or does all this statement amount to the claim that Warrens’s group speaks for CIJA and its three other affiliated organizations? Rather sectarian and van guardists no? Although Kinsella does express an affection for Lenin so it does kinda make sense. Perhaps CIJA Should rename itself the Majority Tendency of Right Thinking Jews: MTRTJ. I can’t wait to see you handing out newspapers on the corner.
November 22, 2006 at 8:02 pm
Oh for God’s sake. They are an advocacy group. Of the type of which thousands exist. Whether they represent the unanimous opinion of every Canadian Jew? Duh, of course not — no advocacy group does. That’s sort of how it works: where there is big dissent among the Jewish community, they form other groups. Then you have multiple groups with competing claims. All of whom have the right to be active in the York University community.
And whose position on democracy is, presumably, that they should be allowed to send out press releases criticizng David Noble, without aforesaid Noble running to the courts to try and muzzle them.
Welcome to democracy.
November 22, 2006 at 9:06 pm
You should do your homework. There are plenty of lobby groups Jewish or otherwise that go about promoting their respective causes without engaging in slander, the ruining of careers (think both inside the liberal party and outside) and through their various activities targeting vocal jewish critics of Israel on Canadian campuses. If you think all is fair in love and war then fine but dont then get all churlish on us.
November 22, 2006 at 11:17 pm
As to slander and ruining of careers … uh, what are you talking about?
As to Jewish lobby groups acting in a unique way that, for instance, none of the various Muslim lobby groups do that claim to speak on behalf of Muslims, unions that claim to speak on behalf of union members, etc. — are you actually serious?
Finally, as to getting churlish — perhaps you can clarify. I’m pointing out the irony that this Noble character is suing other people in order to muzzle them … on the grounds that their criticism of him prevented him from speaking. As we say in French, “deux poids, deux mesures”.
November 23, 2006 at 12:38 am
You have ignored the point.
November 23, 2006 at 3:33 am
Kinsella’s group arrogantly proclaims that it is “the official representative of the organized Canadian Jewish community on matters pertaining to Canada-Israel relations”
……………………………………………..
thats a similar situation as the Assembly First Nation and the Congress of Aboriginal people claiming they represent First Nations peoples.Even though AFN represents 600 chiefs of the Band council system.Which are part of the Indian Act,therefore govt agents.
Funny thing is quit a few Cnds believe such claims(at least in my experience).
You are quit right such claims are arrogant and I will add misleading.
People have a tendency to associate the views of these so called representative groups,as the opinion of the majority of said ethnic group.Which is far from the actual reality.
January 12, 2007 at 9:00 am
You claim: “There are plenty of lobby groups Jewish or otherwise that go about promoting their respective causes without engaging in slander, the ruining of careers (think both inside the liberal party and outside) and through their various activities targeting vocal jewish critics of Israel on Canadian campuses. If you think all is fair in love and war then fine but dont then get all churlish on us.”
This is a most serious charge. Please substantiate it or I believe you owe your readers an apology.
January 14, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Substantiate what? “that there are plenty of Jewish groups that go about promoting their causes without engaging in slander” ? I should think this includes about 85-95% of all Jewish groups. You need to substantiate your implicit counter-claim.