Action is necessary to fight antisemitism. CIJA has initiated a petition and Media Action Group has added a dimension for personal letters.
READ AND TAKE ACTION TODAY, THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR COMPLACENCY
There are two ways to easily write to our provincial government to tell them to vote yes to approve Bill 168, the Combating Antisemitism Act. You can either use 1) the automated process created by CIJA or 2) write your own letter using the sample letter below.
If you do not live in Ontario, please send to friends and family who do...
1) CIJA has created an easy way for us to write to our MPPs - by filling in their form, letters are automatically sent from you to all MPPs - it would be great if many of us could send letters to the Ontario government to support the signing of Bill 168 which supports the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
The voting will take place this week and I can personally confirm that a number of anti-Israel groups are sending letters to MPPs to not sign the Bill.
WHAT IS THE IHRA?
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, IHRA, has adopted a working definition of antisemitism which has been accepted by Canada as well as 34 other countries and the EU and UN. This definition will greatly help in our fight against the rising antisemitism. The IHRA definition includes anti-Zionism as part of the definition of antisemitism.
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT...
Today, antisemitic attacks have often been directed at Israel, a strategy used by Jew haters to not appear racist. However, the IHRA suggests that treating the Jewish State differently than other states, using other standards, is a form of Jew hatred.
Please take a few minutes to take action, and forward to your friends and contacts.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Missing in Action by Gerald Steinberg explains antisemitism today.
2) YOU CAN ALSO WRITE YOUR OWN LETTER:
It's easy to write a personal letter to YOUR OWN MPP with a copy to Premier Doug Ford - this can have a great impact. Letters should be brief, with a clear message and polite. Use your own words for the SAMPLE LETTER below.
Insert your Postal Code, then click on your MPP's name for email address
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear (MPP),
Please vote yes for Bill 168, the Combating Antisemitism Act, which includes the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
With the alarming increase in antisemitism in the past few years, it is vital that my government take action to help fight against racist attacks on the Jewish community. The IHRA definition of antisemitism will greatly help in curtailing attacks against the Jewish people and Israel since many Jew haters often express their hatred by attacking the Jewish state.
I look forward to hearing back from you soon.
Sincerely,
(Your name, address and riding)
Please forward copies of your letters to andria@caef.ca in order to gauge the impact of our writing.
Many thanks for participating in this important endeavour.
Comments