No 891 Posted by fw, October 25, 2013
“TTC spokesman Brad Ross said that the transit body did not accept that Israel’s confiscation of Palestinian land was either ‘unfair’ or ‘illegal.’ …. There is no finding in our legal opinion of illegality around loss of land under international law … no court, no tribunal has ruled on loss of land being illegal,’ Ross added.”—Ali Abunimah
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has rejected a group’s bus ad showing Israel’s expropriation of Palestinian land over time, claiming the ad could incite anti-Jewish discrimination and violence.
The ad, sponsored by Canadians for a Just Peace in the Middle East (sic) (CJPME), is similar to others that have appeared in cities all over North America – including Vancouver.
CJPME has said it is ready to appeal the censorship of the ad all the way to Canada’s Supreme Court.
The centerpiece is a series of four maps that show the loss of control of Palestinian land to the Zionist movement and Israel between 1946 and the present.
The ad also states: “This is unfair. It is also illegal under international law.”
It includes an image of a Palestinian schoolgirl standing amid rubble resulting from an Israeli air attack in Gaza.
The copy of the ad shown above was provided to The Electronic Intifada by CJPME.
“Could advocate for violence.”
But TTC spokesman Brad Ross said that the transit body did not accept that Israel’s confiscation of Palestinian land was either “unfair” or “illegal.”
“Making that statement may cause some … to then target Israelis and/or Jewish people. Some may view it as discriminatory, [and] could advocate for violence or hatred against Israel or the Jewish people,” Ross told The Toronto Star.
“There is no finding in our legal opinion of illegality around loss of land under international law … no court, no tribunal has ruled on loss of land being illegal,” Ross added.
Censors rejoice
B’Nai Brith, one of Canada’s most prominent anti-Palestinian organizations, issued a statement ‘congratulating TTC for banning the ad.
Echoing the language used by the TTC itself, B’Nai Brith claimed that the ad was “misleading and inaccurate and could lead to hatred or violence against supporters of Israel and the Jewish community in particular.”
By conflating criticism of Israel and its policies with criticism of Jews, TTC seems perhaps unwittingly to be promoting anti-Semitic canards that Jews are collectively responsible for Israel’s actions.
B’Nai Brith has a history of censorship and supporting intolerance.
Last summer, Canada’s leading LGBTQ publication Daily Xtra revealed that B’Nai Brith had teamed up with Charles McVety, one of Canada’s most outspoken anti-LGBTQ campaigners, in an effort to persuade the city to defund Toronto Pride.
B’Nai Brith was incensed that Toronto Pride had not banned Queers Against Israeli Apartheid from marching in the parade.
CJPME responds
CJPME has issued an action alert saying that the group “is ready to appeal this decision to the highest levels – including the Supreme Court.”
It urged the public to contact the TTC and send a message protesting the ban of the “Disappearing Palestine” ad:
The ads are both fair and accurate. Israel’s building of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories indeed does clearly violate the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and UN Security Council Resolution 465 (1980). All of these laws forbid occupying powers, such as Israel, to transfer their civilians to the territories that they militarily occupy. Why are TTC staff denying that this is the case?
Ads “lost”
CJPME also alleged that it has faced obstruction and discrimination in trying to place the ads. According to its website, it sent proposed designs of the ads to two transit authorities in June.
“Sadly, through various strategies over the summer, the transit companies and ad agencies have tried to prevent the ads from being posted. Designs were ‘lost,’ employees told to ‘drop the ads,’ emails and calls ignored.”
CJPME said that in September its lawyer “sent a letter to the TTC demanding that the transit authority respect CJPME’s constitutional rights to post the ads,” but instead it was notified on 21 October that the ad was rejected.
The Inconvenient Facts — Illegal and ongoing land confiscation
TTC’s extraordinary finding runs wholly against international law, and even the nominal policies of Canada’s extremely pro-Israel Conservative government.
It also seems to go far beyond the organization’s remit of providing public transport to Toronto.
Forced displacement
These are facts, but they are ones Toronto’s transit authorities do not want riders to know.
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