SFSC Letter: Re: Professor David Klein hosting BDS website

Dear Professor Klein,

I write on behalf of the Seriously Free Speech Committee-Vancouver (SFSC) to support your work in defense of Palestinian human and political rights. We are cheered to see that you have won every challenge from the ultra-zionists so far, and congratulate you on having been so well supported and well defended.

SFSC was founded in 2008 to defend free speech and encourage open debate on matters relating to Palestine and Israel. We were active in exposing attempts by some Canadian parliamentarians to criminalize criticism of Israel as “hate speech” (the attempts failed); we helped organize the Canadian tour of Gazan children’s art, an exhibit whose original Oakland venue was shut down by the Simon Wiesenthal Center and other groups; and we have intervened in various attempts by Zionist organizations to ban a critical presence on Canadian university campuses or in public events such as Toronto Pride. Currently, the well-known “Disappearing Palestine” maps seen in several U.S. cities have been displayed on Vancouver buses and in metro stations; they have now been vandalized twice and remounted by the Palestine Awareness Coalition, of which we are a part.

Although we do not take a position on BDS or one-state/two-state, we firmly believe that criticism of Israel is not anti-semitic and that the Zionists do not speak for all Jews. It is encouraging to note their defeat in such cases as yours; we hope for many more such defeats and that academics who have not been so fortunate in allies will eventually receive the justice we are all working for.

In solidarity,

Sheila Delany
For SFSC –Vancouver

Cc: CSU Chancellor Timothy White
CSU-Northridge Presient Dianne Harrison

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