Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - Ottawa threatening hate charges against those who boycott Israel

Jets4Life · 05-11-2015, 05:05 AM

The Harper government is signalling its intention to use hate crime laws against Canadian advocacy groups that encourage boycotts of Israel. Such a move could target a range of civil society organizations, from the United Church of Canada and the Canadian If carried out, it would be a remarkably aggressive tactic, and another measure of the Conservative government's lockstep support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

While the federal government certainly has the authority to assign priorities, such as pursuing certain types of hate speech, to the RCMP, any resulting prosecution would require an assent from a provincial attorney general. And it would almost certainly be challenged under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, civil liberties groups say. The government's intention was made clear in a response to inquiries from CBC News about statements by federal ministers of a "zero tolerance" approach to groups participating in a loose coalition called Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS), which was begun in 2006 at the request of Palestinian non-governmental organizations.

Asked to explain what zero tolerance means, and what is being done to enforce it, a spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney replied, four days later, with a detailed list of Canada's updated hate laws, noting that Canada has one of the most comprehensive sets of such laws "anywhere in the world."

The BDS tactic has been far more successful for the Palestinians than armed struggle. And it has caught on internationally, angering Israel, which reckons boycotts could cost its economy hundreds of millions of dollars. Just last month, 16 European foreign ministers denounced the "expansion of Israeli illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories," demanding that any imported goods originating in the settlements be distinctly labeled.

But Canada, a country where the federal Liberal and NDP leaders also oppose BDS, appears to have lined up more strongly behind Israel than any other nation. In January, Canada's then foreign affairs minister, John Baird, signed a "memorandum of agreement" with Israeli authorities in Jerusalem, pledging to combat BDS. It described the movement as "the new face of anti-Semitism."

A few days later, at the UN, Canadian Public Security Minister Steven Blaney went much further. He conflated boycotts of Israel with anti-Semitic hate speech and violence, including the deadly attacks that had just taken place in Paris on the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a kosher supermarket. Blaney then said the government is taking a "zero tolerance" approach to BDS.

continued: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/otta...067497?cmp=rss

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Why does it feel like the Conservative Government is slowly turning Canada into a Police state?

05-11-2015, 05:05 AM	#1
Jets4Life Lifetime Suspension Join Date: May 2004 Exp:	Ottawa threatening hate charges against those who boycott Israel The Harper government is signalling its intention to use hate crime laws against Canadian advocacy groups that encourage boycotts of Israel. Such a move could target a range of civil society organizations, from the United Church of Canada and the Canadian If carried out, it would be a remarkably aggressive tactic, and another measure of the Conservative government's lockstep support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While the federal government certainly has the authority to assign priorities, such as pursuing certain types of hate speech, to the RCMP, any resulting prosecution would require an assent from a provincial attorney general. And it would almost certainly be challenged under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, civil liberties groups say. The government's intention was made clear in a response to inquiries from CBC News about statements by federal ministers of a "zero tolerance" approach to groups participating in a loose coalition called Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS), which was begun in 2006 at the request of Palestinian non-governmental organizations. Asked to explain what zero tolerance means, and what is being done to enforce it, a spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney replied, four days later, with a detailed list of Canada's updated hate laws, noting that Canada has one of the most comprehensive sets of such laws "anywhere in the world." The BDS tactic has been far more successful for the Palestinians than armed struggle. And it has caught on internationally, angering Israel, which reckons boycotts could cost its economy hundreds of millions of dollars. Just last month, 16 European foreign ministers denounced the "expansion of Israeli illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories," demanding that any imported goods originating in the settlements be distinctly labeled. But Canada, a country where the federal Liberal and NDP leaders also oppose BDS, appears to have lined up more strongly behind Israel than any other nation. In January, Canada's then foreign affairs minister, John Baird, signed a "memorandum of agreement" with Israeli authorities in Jerusalem, pledging to combat BDS. It described the movement as "the new face of anti-Semitism." A few days later, at the UN, Canadian Public Security Minister Steven Blaney went much further. He conflated boycotts of Israel with anti-Semitic hate speech and violence, including the deadly attacks that had just taken place in Paris on the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a kosher supermarket. Blaney then said the government is taking a "zero tolerance" approach to BDS. continued: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/otta...067497?cmp=rss ------- Why does it feel like the Conservative Government is slowly turning Canada into a Police state? Last edited by Jets4Life; 05-11-2015 at 05:13 AM.