Segacs's World I Know |
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Blog about politics (mideast and pro-Israel, Canadian and local Montreal), world events, and random thoughts.
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8.10.04
Horrific bombings in Egypt Yesterday's terrorist attacks in a Sinai resort have left at least 30 dead, including 14 Israelis and hundreds more wounded: Two car bombs exploded at the entrance to the Hilton Taba Hotel and a suicide bomber blew up at the hotel's beach front, an area designated for children maritime activities.Hours later, details are still emerging, because the Egyptian authorities are being somewhat less than forthcoming. The sad thing is, there is likely a large portion of the Egyptian population that doesn't care how many of their own compatriots were killed, but instead is rejoicing that at least some Israelis are among the dead. IsraelInsider reports big celebrations in Gaza (via LGF). Some Israeli bloggers, like Allison and Imshin expressed a bit of surprise that so many Israelis had ignored persistant warnings not to travel to the Egyptian side of Sinai. But these warnings had been going on for so long without incident, probably most people felt that it was at least as safe as going to a crowded Tel Aviv cafe, if not more so. After all, Israel has a peace treaty with Egypt. Why shouldn't Israelis head there on holiday? Well, now we know why. Oddly enough, when I was in Israel in July, a group of people I was travelling with tried to persuade me to go with them to Eilat for a couple of days, and to head to Egypt for a day or so. I had alternate plans so I didn't go with them, but even then, despite everyone telling me it was perfectly safe - and even despite my Canadian passport and citizenship - the idea made me uneasy. I can't explain it. Maybe it's the sense that if something were to go wrong (as it can anywhere), I'd sooner be in a country with a friendly government as opposed to one with a hostile one. (And despite the frosty peace between Israel and Egypt, I don't think anyone can call the Egyptian government - whose state-sponsored television spews antisemitism on a daily basis - friendly). Yes, it can happen anywhere. And it's horrible that so many people are dead, of all nationalities. But this attack was designed to single out Israelis. Unfortunately, it succeeded all too well. | 7.10.04
The most powerful man in Canada It looks like the NDP will vote with the Liberals for the throne speech, and the Tories and the Bloc will vote against. That would cause a tie - 153 votes for, 153 against. Leaving the fate of the government up to Independent MP Chuck Cadman: Independent MP Chuck Cadman's single seat could give a Tory-BQ voting bloc enough votes to overcome a Liberal-NDP partnership. On Tuesday, he told reporters that he is "pretty well neutral" on the issue of bringing down the government at the moment.No pressure, eh? Of course, there's still some horse-trading going on before that point is reached. I sincerely doubt that the government will fall today... if only because any party who causes it to collapse will pay the price dearly in the next election. The Liberals will probably make enough promises to the Conservatives to get them to come on board for the time being. Still, these alliances are indicative of things to come. It could be a rocky few months. | Violence trumps free speech... again Well, we didn't have to wait long to find evidence that the Concordia debacles have affected free speech elsewhere. A planned speech by Premier Jean Charest at Université de Montréal was cancelled due to protests: Protesters rushed into a university building where Quebec Premier Jean Charest was scheduled to speak on Wednesday afternoon, forcing organizers to cancel the speech.The sad thing is, these students didn't even have to let their protest turn violent. They just had to mass and threaten violence... and the university decided they couldn't risk it. Here is solid evidence that violence - or even the mere threat thereof - works like a charm in shutting down any viewpoints they oppose. This isn't just about Israel, it's about any kind of free speech... and the evidence took less than two days to appear. | 6.10.04
Iran moves a step closer to going nuclear... while the useless UN looks idly on: Iran began processing uranium more than a week ago to prepare it for enrichment -- a process that can be used to make nuclear weapons -- in defiance of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, a diplomat said Wednesday.So what will the nice folks at the U.N. do with all the information they're gleaning through this observation? If Tehran fails to heed the demands, the board said it would consider possible "further steps" when it meets next month. Diplomats on the board said this included possibly referring Iran to the U.N. Security Council, which can impose sanctions.In other words, nothing. Something tells me that the IDF has training underway for a repeat of the Osarik strike... | Editorials all over the place today decrying Concordia's decision: From the Gazette: "We were pleased to hear," Lowy told us, "that it was Barak who was invited. Barak is quite different from Netanyahu. We were surprised to learn that there wasn't a distinction made," by some Muslim students and their allies. From the Globe and Mail (subscription required): Concordia University in Montreal has handed a stunning victory to the forces of violence and intimidation. By refusing to allow Ehud Barak, a former Israeli prime minister, to give a speech on campus, it has in effect handed a veto over free speech to those who would riot to make a point. And from Monday's Toronto Star: But forced silence on controversial issues is a much greater threat to the university than protesters ever could be. By supplanting freedom of speech by forced silence, Concordia's administrators have made a mockery of the university's motto: "Real education for the real world." | University stands firm Concordia is defending its decision to refuse to allow Ehud Barak to speak on campus, despite yesterday's free protest attended by a couple of hundred people... and despite the fact that the RCMP contradicts Concordia's assessment of how difficult the security situation really is: They (police and Concordia security) may or not have exaggerated their worry, but they were anticipating a high degree of risk," [rector Frederick] Lowy said in explaining why the university turned down sites on campus for the speech.It's obvious to even the casual observer that the university is hiding behind the security concern... that they're simply not willing to risk another flare-up by the Palestinian students, so they're appeasing them. SPHR, of course, is delighted at their ability to shut down any Israeli speaker it wants now. As a result, free speech at Concordia only exists for those willing to resort to violence. I haven't heard anything about a concentrated letter-writing campaign. But if you'd like to let Concordia know what you think about all this, you can drop them a line:
| In the meantime... In the meantime, Canadian politics has started up again. The throne speech was yesterday - anyone notice? - and really only held significance because of the minority government situation: Prime Minister Paul Martin promised selective tax cuts to boost the economy while renewing commitments to strengthen Canada - U.S. relations and enhance social programs in a Throne Speech designed to keep the opposition parties from defeating the Liberal minority government.The speech promised tax cuts, economic reform, and education programs. It made no mention of investing in the cash-strapped military (our newly-purchased submarine is dead in the water). The NDP will probably vote for. The Conservatives will likely vote against. The Bloc is anyone's guess, though I'm betting they vote for - it's not in their best interest to have another election so quickly. Of course, I could be wrong. | Veep debate I only watched a few minutes of last night's Vice-Presidential debate. I'm fighting a cold and couldn't stay awake through the whole thing. From what I saw, it wasn't a rout, but Cheney had the edge over Edwards by quite a bit. In somewhat of a reversal of the first Presidential debate, it was Cheney who came across as calm, informed, and on the ball, while Edwards stumbled quite a bit. I even saw him repeat Bush's mistake of saying "Saddam Hussein" when he meant "Osama bin Laden". Sheesh. That said, both of these guys seemed like much better leadership material than either Bush or Kerry. Why couldn't the race be between these two? | 5.10.04
"Peaceful protest" at Concordia The Gazette reports that today's Hillel rally outside Concordia was "peaceful": Almost two years after a violent demonstration outside Montreal's Concordia University against former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there was another protest.I'm sure we'll be seeing lots more on the 6 o' clock news. This story was just a placeholder. But even in its brevity, it says a lot. Hillel holds peaceful protests. The right to free speech in Canada incorporates - and in fact, depends on - the right to peaceful protest. But when the line is crossed into violence, protest becomes thuggery. That's what happened when Netanyahu came to speak. And now, Barak is denied his right to speak because of the fear of a repeat of the violence of the 2002 Netanyahu riots. SPHR has succeeded in shutting down any speech it doesn't like at Concordia, through the use of violence. But when speakers came who Hillel disagreed with, they protested peacefully. So speakers continue to come who Hillel disagrees with. In other words, the viewpoint that the violent thugs agree with gets to be heard. But the viewpoint that the peaceful demonstrators agree with gets shut down. Concordia is sending a strong message here: violence works. Who will be the next groups to employ SPHR's tactics to muzzle speech they don't like? That's why this isn't just an issue for pro-Israel or pro-Palestinian students. It's not just an issue for Concordia students. It's an issue for all Montrealers, all Canadians, and all people committed to democracy. We cannot let violence win. | Israel gets leader of Islamic Jihad In a targeted strike, Israel has taken out the top commander of Islamic Jihad, Bashir ad-Dabbash. Of course, we expect the usual cries of revenge. But they're starting to ring hollow, as it's becoming increasingly clear that Israel's campaign of terrorist assassinations is taking its intended toll on the terror groups. | Hillel's rally at Concordia Sadly I couldn't get off work to be there. But Adam Daifallah has pictures. More to follow. | Concordia: What they're saying Hillel: "A small group of thugs are holding an entire university community hostage and deciding who is allowed to speak and who is not. All people who value democratic principles such as freedom of expression and speech should share our outrage with this intolerable situation." - co-Presidents Jason Portnoy and Yacov Fruchter, in a press release. Federation CJA: "This is a day of great sadness for those who value freedom of expression in our universities and in Canadian society. Concordia University has allowed itself to be taken hostage by a small and violent group within its campus. With this decision, Concordia has demonstrated that the right to free speech is only as strong as the institutional will to protect it." - Sylvain Abitbol, President, in a statement. The university administration: "It is unfortunate, but a reality nonetheless, that the safety of its community members and guests must occupy a central position in planning events at an institution dedicated to free speech." - Concordia vice-president Michael Di Grappa, in a press release. SPHR: "It's a matter of Canada respecting its own laws. You don't allow someone into the country who's an accused war criminal. [ . . . ] Bringing (Barak) to campus would have shown a general disregard for a very large number of people who don't want him to speak." - Erik Yingling, SPHR, in today's Gazette The Media: "Freedom of speech is again under assault at Montreal's Concordia University by administrators who seem to value tranquility on campus more than they do the rights of people to debate controversial ideas." - Toronto Star editorial. At large: The contention that a speech by a former Head of State of a democracy can be classified as "provocation" is absurd; rather, it should be seen as a welcome beginning to open dialogue. The stigma associated with a "controversial" speaker represents a disturbing delusion. If a controversial viewpoint is defined as one that many people will disagree with, then controversial speakers are the ones who will most likely advance the course of debate on contentious issues. I'd far prefer to listen to a "controversial" speaker than one who attracts no dissenting opinions. - Josh Fisher, Concordia student in a letter to the Link. | Tommy on Concordia Tommy Schnurmacher, as you might expect, has been all over this story. A few choice quotes (and excuse me for paraphrasing, it's hard to listen to the radio and type simultaneously): "Why doesn't the government say to Concordia, wait a minute, you get government funding and you don't have the right to decide which political viewpoints can be expressed on campus and which ones can't".Tommy spent his hour-long radio show vocally decrying Concordia's decision. Judging by the response he got, he's not alone. | 4.10.04
Concordia: the new big story Concordia's decision to bar Ehud Barak from speaking has now received press coverage in the Toronto Star, the National Post blog, and Ha'aretz. It's been blogged by LGF, Damian Penny, and even Instapundit. And, it made the top stories on the 11 o' clock news. SPHR, of course, is characteristically claiming that freedom of speech does not apply to Barak, because he's a "war criminal". (In SPHR-speak, you see, all Israelis are "war criminals". Therefore, none of them should be allowed to speak. Orwell would be so proud.) Something tells me this is just beginning. | UNRWA: Sure, we employ Hamas The UNRWA, the UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees, has long been accused by Israel of employing terrorists and facilitating. In an interview with CBC on the weekend, the head of the agency, Peter Hansen, admitted this openly: "Oh I am sure that there are Hamas members on the UNRWA payroll and I don't see that as a crime. Hamas as a political organization does not mean that every member is a militant and we do not do political vetting and exclude people from one persuasion as against another," Hanson told CBC TV.That was two days ago. Today, Hansen is singing a different tune. He's demanded an apology from Israel for the latter's call to the U.N. to investigate the former, after Israel accused UNRWA of letting terrorists use one of their ambulances to transport rockets. Kofi Annan is sending a team to investigate. For the uninitiated, this is what is known in diplomatic circles as a "stall tactic". Annan hopes that this show of action will mollify critics long enough for the story to blow over, and in the meantime, his investigators can get a nice falafel dinner and perhaps a soak in the Med. Because, of course, everyone knows that the U.N. is so very even-handed when it comes to mideast politics... | Most Palestinians want peace? According to a new poll, 83% of Palestinians want a "mutual cessation of violence". That's good, right? Not exactly. The poll also says that:
| Concordia University: A timeline Many media outlets, when covering the tensions and flare-ups at Concordia, have tried to construct timelines. Most of them get it wrong, or at least omit many crucial points. Certainly it's hard to be comprehensive, but here's a partial look back at some of the key events of the past five years or so:
And this latest flare-up proves that, while things have cooled down in the last year or two, they haven't been resolved. When Jewish and pro-Israel students have their freedom of speech denied merely because people are afraid of things getting ugly, that's not resolution, that's avoidance. | Federation weighs in Federation CJA has issued a release condemning Concordia's decision on Ehud Barak: "This is a day of great sadness for those who value freedom of expression in our universities and in Canadian society," stated Federation CJA President Sylvain Abitbol. "Concordia University has allowed itself to be taken hostage by a small and violent group within its campus. With this decision, Concordia has demonstrated that the right to free speech is only as strong as the institutional will to protect it."I wonder how long we'll have to wait to see similar condemnations from Muslim community leaders. I wouldn't hold my breath... Update: The Montreal Gazette, the CBC, and Canoe all have the story. Lots more coverage sure to follow. I'm sure the university won't know what hit them. | Gaza U once again at Concordia Another semester, another scandal. This time, Hillel submitted a request to bring Ehud Barak to speak at Concordia, but, according to a press release from Hillel, the university has denied their request for anywhere on both campuses - even Loyola. Now, they're holding a protest: FREEDOM OF SPEECH DENIED AT CONCORDIAWhen the idea was first floated to bring Ehud Barak - a left-wing dovish former Israeli PM who offered Yasser Arafat a historic settlement at Camp David in 2000 - to Concordia, there were mixed opinions. Some students thought he would be an interesting and valuable speaker. Others, however, worried that bringing a "controversial" speaker like Barak (I guess at Concordia, anyone associated with Israel is controversial) would disrupt the relative calm that has returned to students' lives over the past two years, and bring back the chaos and divisiveness of the period before and after the Netanyahu riots. For example, this student: Forget all the bickering over how dovish or hawkish Barak is, or whether he has a right to come to Concordia. He's a legitimate politician of a democratic state, and of course he should be permitted to speak, here or anywhere else. That said, it would be better for all of us if Barak did not come to Concordia. I say this not because I have anything against the man, but because this is the first year in all my time at Concordia where I can go to class without passing people in the Mezz screaming at each other, or reading inflammatory letters about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Link. We're not making national headlines because of riots, moratoriums or arrests; and people now are talking about tuition fee hikes, fair trade coffee, the excellent performance of this year's CSU, and other issues much more relevant to Concordia students at home. I like this kinder, gentler version of Concordia, and would very much resent Hillel, SPHR, or any other organization's attempts to sabotage that simply to make a point. Bring Barak to a synagogue or a community centre, and I'd be the first person to see what he has to say. But for the love of God, not at my school. Not at the cost of setting us back another two years. Signed, -Another Jewish student sick of it all.I am all too aware of what it's like to go to a school that is in the midst of hostile tensions. The atmosphere on campus is finally calmer and friendlier, and I can understand why students wouldn't want to shake things up again. I can understand. But I vehemently disagree. You see, denying Barak's right to speak means letting the people who rioted against Netanyahu win. They used violence to shut down Netanyahu's right to speak. In the process, they ensured that nobody they dislike would ever be allowed to speak on campus again, because the university would be too afraid to let them. So pro-Palestinian speakers are more than welcome at Concordia - there were several last year - but Israeli speakers are shunned. That's victory to thuggery over reason. That's victory to - and no, I'm not exaggerating - terrorism over freedom. Because using violence or the threat of violence to shut down free speech is in fact a form of terrorism. SPHR and their friends have terrorized the university, the student population, and the administration, into Above all, that's a lack of a free, open exchange of ideas, which is what education is supposed to be all about. This isn't really about Barak who - despite his dovish politics, is going to be as demonized by SPHR and the Palestinian lobby as any Israeli. It has nothing to do with whether I liked Barak's policies or Netanyahu's or Ariel Sharon's or anyone else. This is about a competition of ideas, and whether one set of ideas will be allowed to shut down and stifle another. It's about the future of Jewish students at university campuses all over North America, and whether they will have the right to bring in speakers or openly proclaim their views without fear of violence. It's about whether we - as a society - want to accept the notion that anyone can speak at a university campus... except an Israeli. As a Concordia alum, I support Hillel in this call to action. It is my hope - though, sadly, not my expectation - that any reasonable student, regardless of political affiliation or background - who supports the right to free speech, will go out there and join them. I won't be there in person but I'll be there in spirit. Please spread the word. | |
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