Media Advisory
March 26, 2008
Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians
ACJC
Independent Jewish Canadians meet to form alternative to
Canadian Jewish Congress; Naomi Klein to kick off conference
More than 100 Jewish activists from across Canada will gather March 28-30th in
Toronto at a conference to form a network of anti-occupation groups dedicated
to building real peace and justice in the Middle East.
Convened by the Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians (ACJC), the conference
will gather Canadian Jews belonging to 18 groups who are coming together to
challenge the views of the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Canada-Israel
Committee and Bnai Brith, along with the Stephen Harper governmentall of whom
uncritically support the Israeli governments violations of international and
humanitarian law.
Author Naomi Klein will kick off the conference this Friday evening with a talk
entitled The challenges facing us: Why we need a Canadian Jewish progressive
movement. The meeting is being held at the Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil St. in
Toronto.
Participants share a common opposition to Israels occupation of the West Bank
and siege of Gaza as well as the Harper governments one-sided approach to the
crisis in the region. The meeting will also include non-Jewish allies who share
the ACJCs concern about what is happening in the West Bank and Gaza and who
wish to work together with the ACJC in common pursuit of a lasting peace, based
on justice for all of the peoples of the region. They include Katherine
Nastovsky, Canadian Union of Public Employees; Deborah Bourke, Canadian Union
of Postal Workers; Vicky Obedkoff, United Church; Khaled Moummar, Canadian Arab
Federation; Chris Jones, Canadian Peace Alliance, and Susan Howard-Azzeh.
Media are invited to hear Naomi Klein as well as a panel of representatives
from international Jewish organizations that share ACJCs concerns about the
Middle East including:
· Jewish Voice for Peace from the U.S.
· Brit Tzedek vShalom from the U.S.
· Independent Jewish Voices from the U.K.
· The International Jewish Solidarity Network
· European Jews For Just Peace
Date: Friday March 28, 2008
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Steelworkers Hall
25 Cecil Street, Toronto, Ontario
Conference spokespeople will also be available for interviews on the formation
of the new group at the close of the conference on Sunday March 31st at 2:30
p.m. at the Steelworkers Hall.
For further information, please contact: ACJC Administrative Council Members &
Conference Coordinators:
Diane Ralph: 613-314-1805 Sid Shniad: 604-314-5589
Palestinian Canadian National Voice -
Founding Conference - May 31-June 1, 2008 - Montreal
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