CHAPTERS & SECTORS

IJAN's Participation in the World Social Forum Free Palestine

The WorldSocial Forum Free Palestine is approaching fast. In just a couple of weeks, more than 10,000 Palestinianand solidarity activists from at least 36 different countries will arrive in PortoAlegre to learn from each other and organize together to build a strongmovement to confront Israel and Zionism and the broader injustices theyrepresent and support.

The International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network has beenbuilding with activists in the US, Canada and around the world to build and bringa joint struggleframework to the WSF FP. Thanks tothe support from everyone who has donated, we have been able to organize adelegation more than 15 strong. We were honored as a delegation to be invitedto have a representative on a major panel.

The US-Canada Joint Struggle Delegation is in the process offinalizing ourworkshop offerings covering a wide range of topics including Israel's rolein repression in the US and around the world, mass incarceration, environmentalinjustice, labor alliances with Palestine, and asserting an anti-colonialfeminism and combating anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racism.

In addition to working on many of the delegation workshops,IJAN is organizing a workshop on the Caseof Jews Against Zionism and participating in workshops focused on Zionistbacklash and the Campaign to Stop the Jewish National Fund.

There are opportunities for participation in the exciting momentum andbuilding happening at the WSF FP from your locations! The organizing committee of the World Social Forum Free Palestine has calledfor international actions and media initiatives aligned with the socialforum.

Finally, please continue to support IJAN's participation with your donations.

Workshop: Occupy Anti-Semitism

On March 25th IJAN's Chicago chapter delivered a workshop entitled Occupy Anti-Semitism: Distinguishing Anti-Semitism from Opposition to Zionismat Occupy Chicago. Over the course of two hours, four of our members gave a presentation covering the history of Anti-semitism, its present manifestations, its manipulation and exploitation by groups across the political spectrum, the function of Israel/Zionism within global systems of oppression and exploitation and specifically the use of charges of Anti-Semitism to undermine the Durban World Conference Against Racism initiatives and more recently Occupy Chicago. We examined how Zionist institutions have attempted to marginalize, not only Palestinian and solidarity organizations, but also the broader movement while simultaneously attempting to drive a wedge into the movement.

Following the presentation there was a lively discussion amongst thethirty participants exploring the nature and material consequences of oppression and discrimination as it exists in this historical moment and where Anti-Semitism falls in relation to this. Participants also discussed the similarities and differences between how oppression manifests for those groups targeted and how to confront it.

Overall the presentation was well received and we look forward to futurecollaborations with Occupy Chicago. The full presentation is available to listen to on www.radio4all.net

IJAN's Haggadah reaches Hamilton

A Liberation Seder was held in Hamilton, Ontario on the second night of Pesach. IJAN's Haggadah was used and each family received at least one printed copy. 22 people attended including members of Independent Jewish Voices (IJV, Hamilton and Toronto) and Not in Our Name: Jews Opposing Zionism (NION, Hamilton and Toronto), as well as Christian clergy and anti-war organizers. The food was amazing (Vegan Sepharadic Kosher for Pesach style), and we sang all the songs! (We had difficulty trying to change the words of the most traditional ones but we will continue to try to do so next year). Guests were so grateful for the opportunity to celebrate Passover outside of a Zionist environment that they ended up shouting "Next Year in Hamilton!"

This was the first activity of IJAN in Hamilton with one of the goals being to get to know the activists in the area and form long term relationships. If the reaction to the Seder is any indication, we've succeeded on both counts. The Seder was extremely successful and we intend to hold it every year.

We are already planning our next event. We hope to coordinate this event with IJV Hamilton, IJAN Toronto and IJV Toronto.

We feel very grateful for IJAN's Haggadah and for the opportunity of talking about Jewish anti-Zionism with Jews, Christians and Muslims, opening doors and discussions that will go beyond the second night of Pesach.