Category Archives: Other Campaigns

Open Letter Critiquing the Report of Carleton’s Commission on Inter-Cultural, Inter-Religious and Inter-Racial Relations on Campus

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on Open Letter Critiquing the Report of Carleton’s Commission on Inter-Cultural, Inter-Religious and Inter-Racial Relations on Campus

Please sign this open letter here.

On Oct. 10, 2012, President Runte released the Report (with appendices) of Carleton’s Commission on Inter-Cultural, Inter-Religious and Inter-Racial Relations on Campus.

The Report rightly acknowledges Aboriginal peoples’ marginalization on campus, but it ignores the problems other racialized groups face, and focuses primarily on a small fraction of Jewish students and employees. This selectivity of focus and response suggests that the Report is not the neutral, inclusive document it purports to be. Closer examination of the Report and how it was produced confirm the opposite: that it is a partisan intervention.  Continue reading →

Comments Off on Open Letter Critiquing the Report of Carleton’s Commission on Inter-Cultural, Inter-Religious and Inter-Racial Relations on Campus

Posted in Other Campaigns

Tagged , ,

National Post: Jewish alumni ‘distressed, disappointed’ over Queen’s University plan to give Jimmy Carter honourary degree

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on National Post: Jewish alumni ‘distressed, disappointed’ over Queen’s University plan to give Jimmy Carter honourary degree

Sarah Boesveld, Nov 15, 2012, National Post

Queen’s University is facing a backlash from Jewish alumni over its decision to award former U.S. president Jimmy Carter — a strong critic of Israel — an honourary degree next week.

Shimon Fogel, chief executive of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said his organization has received about 50 “angry and frustrated inquiries” over the past month from graduates of the respected Canadian university, worried their school will be tarnished by Mr. Carter’s view of Israel as an apartheid state and his controversial relationships in the Arab world. Continue reading →

Comments Off on National Post: Jewish alumni ‘distressed, disappointed’ over Queen’s University plan to give Jimmy Carter honourary degree

Posted in Media, Other Campaigns

Tagged ,

Human Rights and Solidarity Groups in Canada support Richard Falk

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on Human Rights and Solidarity Groups in Canada support Richard Falk

Boycott Israeli Apartheid Campaign, Nov 3, 2012

If you would like to sign on to this statement, please email boycottapartheid@gmail.com or click here to use our online form.

Statement on Richard Falk

We, the undersigned, write today to make clear our strong opposition to the recent Canadian government call for the resignation of Richard Falk, UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The attack came following comments by Richard Falk on October 24 that highlighted corporate complicity in illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank and Jerusalem. He noted that the settlements are in clear violation of international law, and warned that civil and criminal liability may be extended to companies acting in contravention of international human rights. Falk called for boycott of corporations engaging in such business practices, drawing particular attention to the activities of Caterpillar Incorporated (USA); Veolia Environment (France); G4S (United Kingdom); The Dexia Group (Belgium); Ahava (Israel); the Volvo Group (Sweden); the Riwal Holding Group (the Netherlands); Elbit Systems (Israel); Hewlett Packard (USA); Mehadrin (Israel); Motorola (USA); Assa Abloy (Sweden); and Cemex (Mexico) in establishing and maintaining settlements. Continue reading →

Comments Off on Human Rights and Solidarity Groups in Canada support Richard Falk

Posted in Media, Other Campaigns

Tagged , , , ,

Electronic Intifada: The full story behind the war against free speech in Israel’s universities

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on Electronic Intifada: The full story behind the war against free speech in Israel’s universities

Jonathan Cook, The Electronic Intifada – 22 October 2012

A sustained battle by the Israeli right to stifle academic freedom at the country’s universities is close to claiming its first major scalp.

In an unprecedented move last month, officials from Israel’s Council for Higher Education (CHE) — a government-appointed body overseeing universities and colleges — recommended the effective closure of the politics department of Ben Gurion University, based in the Negev/Naqab city of Beersheva.  Continue reading →

Comments Off on Electronic Intifada: The full story behind the war against free speech in Israel’s universities

Posted in Media, Other Campaigns

Tagged , , ,

Richard Silverstein: Israel Lobby Threatens Church Groups With Congressional Investigation Over Call for Restricting U.S. Military Aid

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on Richard Silverstein: Israel Lobby Threatens Church Groups With Congressional Investigation Over Call for Restricting U.S. Military Aid

by RICHARD SILVERSTEIN on Oct 18, 2012

A coalition of U.S. church groups recently made public a letter which called upon the U.S. government to condition future military aid to Israel on its fulfillment of obligations under U.S. law.  The statement was intended to express criticism of Israel’s use of U.S. weapons like cluster bombs in violation of our law and noted that U.S. military assistance provided Israel a buffer against undertaking any actions to advance a just and lasting peace.  For example, its settlement policy, refusal to return to 1967 borders, and refusal to share Jerusalem, all directly contradict international law and stated U.S. policy.

Though these church groups have been critical of Israeli policy in the past, threatening to lobby for withholding military aid would really cut the Israel lobby to the quick,  as it’s a position held by a number of anti-Zionist groups that are much farther to the left.  The fact that mainline Christian denominations, who generally support liberal Zionist positions, would be moving in a more critical direction has to be deeply concerning to the lobby.  Continue reading →

Comments Off on Richard Silverstein: Israel Lobby Threatens Church Groups With Congressional Investigation Over Call for Restricting U.S. Military Aid

Posted in Media, Other Campaigns

Tagged ,

Harvard Crimson: Israel vs. No. 2 Pencils

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on Harvard Crimson: Israel vs. No. 2 Pencils

Harvard Crimson, By Lena K. Awwad and Shatha I. Hussein

As countless students around the world took the SAT a week ago, Palestinians from the West Bank could not join their ranks. The October SAT exam was cancelled for students in the West Bank: The Israeli authorities held the exams sent by the College Board for weeks, not releasing the tests to AMIDEAST’s office in Ramallah.  Continue reading →

Comments Off on Harvard Crimson: Israel vs. No. 2 Pencils

Posted in Media, Other Campaigns

Tagged ,

University World News: Official move to close Israeli politics department threatens academic freedom

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on University World News: Official move to close Israeli politics department threatens academic freedom

By Helena Flusfeder, University World News Global Edition, Issue 242, 07 October 2012

“I thought academic freedom in Israel was very certain,” said Professor Rivka Carmi, president of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and chair of the Committee of University Heads. But Israel is treading a fine line on academic freedom following a controversial move by the Council for Higher Education to close the university’s politics and government department.

The council recently recommended that the department of politics and government at Ben-Gurion should not be allowed to register students for the 2013-14 academic year, a move that would virtually close the department, some of whose faculty have been accused of being left-wing.

Continue reading →

Comments Off on University World News: Official move to close Israeli politics department threatens academic freedom

Posted in Media, Other Campaigns

Tagged , , ,

SFSC Letter: Support for University of California Student Association resolution defending free speech

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on SFSC Letter: Support for University of California Student Association resolution defending free speech

Ms. Angelica Saleceda, President, 2012-2013, University of California Student Association

Dear Ms. Saleceda

On behalf of the Seriously Free Speech Committee (SFSC) – Vancouver, Canada, we congratulate you and your fellow Board members on the resolution passed on Sept. 15, 2012 opposing the California Assembly Bill HR 35.

Attempts to conflate criticism of Israel and/or solidarity with Palestinian human rights with antisemitism, and therefore hate speech, is a tactic used by Israel supporters for the last forty years. The last five years have seen the usefulness of this tactic diminished as many courageous individuals and organizations have fought back against such claims. HR 35 demonstrates that attempts to use the false charge of antisemitism to smear and frighten Israel´s critics is still an ongoing strategy. Your resolution, and the unanimity of the UCSA Board, is an important step in opposing these attempts and diminishing their credibility.  Continue reading →

Comments Off on SFSC Letter: Support for University of California Student Association resolution defending free speech

Posted in Other Campaigns, SFSC

Tagged , , ,

Electronic Intifada: Israel lobby uses discredited anti-Semitism definition to muzzle debate

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on Electronic Intifada: Israel lobby uses discredited anti-Semitism definition to muzzle debate
Ben White, The Electronic Intifada. 28 September 2012

Top administrators at the University of California are considering what action to take against speech and activities alleged to be anti-Semitic. As part of their discussions, the university may endorse a seven-year-old document, which — despite not having an official status — is often called the European Union’s“working definition” of anti-Semitism.

Although the administrators have indicated that their motive is to protect Jewish students, a careful examination of the definition indicates that the real agenda may be to stifle Palestine solidarity activism and criticism of Israel in the classroom.  Continue reading →

Comments Off on Electronic Intifada: Israel lobby uses discredited anti-Semitism definition to muzzle debate

Posted in Media, Other Campaigns

Tagged , , , , ,

CS4AF: An Open Letter From California Scholars for Academic Freedom on Resolution 35

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on CS4AF: An Open Letter From California Scholars for Academic Freedom on Resolution 35

To California Assemblymembers Linda Halderman, Bonnie Lowenthal, and 66 Co-authors of California House Resolution 35:

Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Beall, Block, Blumenfield, Butler, Cook, Fong, Furutani, Galgiani, Gatto, Gordon, Hagman, Mansoor, Miller, Monning, Portantino, and Williams, Alejo, Allen, Atkins, Bill Berryhill, Bonilla, Brownley, Buchanan, Charles Calderon, Campos, Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Conway, Davis, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eng, Feuer, Fletcher, Fuentes, Beth Gaines, Garrick, Gorell, Harkey, Hayashi, Roger Hernández, Hueso, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Lara, Ma, Mendoza, Mitchell, Morrell, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Perea, John A. Pérez, V. Manuel Pérez, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Swanson, Torres, Valadao, and Wagner

Dear California Assembly Representatives;

California Scholars for Academic Freedom** opposes in the strongest possible terms House Resolution 35, a resolution which lists each of you as introducers or co-authors, and which was approved, with no debate, by the California State Assembly on August 28, 2012 [1]. The resolution poses a clear threat to academic freedom in the University of California and the California State University systems.  Continue reading →

Comments Off on CS4AF: An Open Letter From California Scholars for Academic Freedom on Resolution 35

Posted in Other Campaigns

Tagged , ,