Stop Nakba 2.0!

by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East / October 16th, 2023

Words cannot express our worry and fear for the two million civilians of Gaza.  Over the weekend, Israel has ordered half the population of Gaza to move to the south of the territory, and has taken actions that suggest they plan to dispossess millions of Palestinians from Gaza – literally a Nakba 2.0.  Seemingly indifferent, the Trudeau government refuses to push for a ceasefire even after more than 2500 Palestinians have been killed. Let it be said that you did not sit idly by while our political leaders watched Israel turn Gaza to dust, slaughter its people, and commit another mass atrocity.   

This provides 1) an option for political action for Gaza, 2) an option for humanitarian aid to Gaza, 3) an option for media action for Gaza, 4) an option to ramp up your knowledge on the situation, and 5) an option to express your anger and frustration with the government and media.

1. STOP NAKBA 2.0

Be on record to show that you did all you could to stop Israel from committing another mass atrocity agains Palestinians.  Even if you’ve already sent our indifferent leaders emails in the past, send another!  Show them we will not be silent!

2. Send humanitarian aid for Gaza

As we all know, Israel has ignored international law and is preventing food, water, fuel, medicines and other supplies from entering Gaza this past week.  Nevertheless, the CJPME Foundation has been communicating with its partners, and is in a position to pass aid to Gaza as soon as the territory is open again.  Please donate to its Gaza Emergency Appeal: the money will be used to provide 1) food aid, in the form of rations and vouchers, 2) fuel, and 3) medical supplies, in the form of medical consumables and medicines.  For Canadians, these gifts are tax deductible, and 100% of the gift gets to the field.

3. Join our fight against media bias

Earlier today, we sent a 3-page statement highlighting the many ways the media is disserving Canadians, especially Palestinian-Canadians.  We hightlight the many problems we have observed as they interview Palestinians and present the events.  Our task is to fight against the bias and expand the story.  CJPME, its reps and its statements have been quoted or cited by media in well over 100 media spots since Oct. 7, including CBC, CTV, Global News, TVA, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and the Canadian Press.  Many of our friends and allies have also been articulate with the media. Many media outlets have been forced to update and edit their coverage as a result of our media advocacy.  Since Saturday, we have contacted media about poor coverage in over 60 different instances. But we need your help!

• We need greater participation on our media alerts, so please sign up as a CJPME Media Responders if you can.
• And if you’re Palestinian and are willing to talk to the media about your experiences and feelings, please get in touch.  We’re constantly contacted by media who want to hear from Palestinians.
• Email or send us links to articles with poor journalistic coverage.  We’ll try to incorporate them into our media response if we can.
• Send us letters or articles that you’ve written that were never published.

4. Ramp up your ability to speak to the issues

CJPME recently published some key talking points about the current crisis, with supporting principles. See our points 1) on Hamas’ recent violence, 2) on Israel’s recent violence, 3) on Canada’s response, and 4) on the ongoing conflict. But there’s more:

• Stay up-to-date with what’s happening in Canada related to the crisis on our “Crisis Tracker” Webpage
• Check out the five press statements that we’ve published since last Saturday. Among other things, we challenge Canadian leaders to call for a ceasefire, end their double-standard, and define their endgame with respect to Israel.  Share these thoughts and recommendations with friends and co-workers.

5. Share your frustration and anger

Last week, hundreds of our supporters shared their anger and frustration with us.  We are reviewing the feedback, and hope to present much of it to media and politicians as a reflection of how upset and anxious many Canadians are.  It’s not too late to participate.  We need to help the media and politicians understand how Palestinians and their allies are struggling in the current climate.

• Please use this form to write a few sentences about your frustration, anger, or worries, whether about the escalating violence in Gaza or the response in Canada. Use the form’s checkbox to control permission over how the feedback may be used.
• Protect yourself emotionally.  Take a break from the news if you’re feeling overwhelmed or overly frustrated.  Don’t get pulled into political discussions with friends or co-workers unless you’ve decided ahead of time that you’re comfortable and ready.

CJPME’s mission is to enable Canadians of all backgrounds to promote justice, development and peace in the Middle East, and here at home in Canada. Read other articles by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, or visit Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East's website.