"Award for tolerance" hides story of discrimination

[Tom Joad]

The following letter was sent by Montreal filmmaker Malcolm Guy to the Rendez-Vous du Cinéma Québecois on 12 February:

With this letter I would like to officially withdraw as a member of the jury for the 2008 Prize of the Alex and Ruth Dworkin Foundation for the Promotion of Tolerance through Cinema (2008 Prix annuel de la Fondation Alex et Ruth Dworkin pour la promotion de la tolérance à travers le cinéma) at the Rendez-Vous du Cinéma Québecois....

I accepted the invitation from the Rendez-Vous du Cinéma Québecois to join this year's jury in good faith. But after examining in more detail the political and financial basis of the prize I must refuse to have my name associated with it. Behind this noble sounding "award for tolerance" hides a story of intolerance, division and discrimination.

Firstly, I quit the jury because the Prize of the Alex and Ruth Dworkin Foundation is an initiative of the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC), Quebec Region (Congrès juif canadien, Région du Québec), an organization which I consider to be a vehicle for the Israeli propaganda machine and fundamentally intolerant of dissent and difference, particularly when it comes to Israeli government policies.

One case in point is the refusal of the national leadership of the CJC to accept a recent membership application from the Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians (ACJC).

Secondly, I quit the jury because I have discovered that Alex and Ruth Dworkin are major backers of the Jewish National Fund (JNF). On the JNF website they are listed among a select group of people "who have demonstrated an enduring commitment to Israel and JNF" by contributing $1 million and above to this Zionist institution.....

Much has been written about the role of the JNF, but suffice it to say that this organization, under the guise of reforestation and land purchase, has been used by the Israeli state to cover up and legitimize the massive displacement of the Palestinian people and the occupation of their land. One example is Canada Park, located a short distance from Jerusalem. In a documentary widely shown on Canadian television entitled Park with no Peace, it was revealed that this JNF-sponsored park, using tax-deductible money raised in Canada, was built on the remains of the Palestinian villages of Imwas, Yalu and Beit Nuba......

more at http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9309.shtml

Another story of when "tolerance" is not very inclusive.

[Jim Sagle]

1. Actually it's the sad display of a soulless antisemite dressing up his rank bigotry in the cloth of

dissent.

[Tom Joad]

2. as usual, not a bit of substance to your post. mere name-calling

and venom toward all those who would question Israeli policy.

Do you agree with the CJC's decision to exclude Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians?
Are you ready to call them "soulless Anti-Semites" too?

[Crunchy Frog]

3. The documentary about Canada Park can be seen here.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2500957394773313398&q=%22Park+with+no+Peace%22&total=1&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

It looks like it's from about 20 years ago, but quite interesting.

[gaspee]

4. Interesting documentary

I quite enjoyed it. I'm surprised there aren't more protests in Canada making them change the name of that park.