Formed in March 2009, the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism (CPCCA) is a group of Canadian parliamentarians organized for the stated purpose of confronting and combating antisemitism in Canada.[1] In particular, the CPCCA focuses on what it calls the "new antisemitism," which it sees as the revival of classically antisemitic beliefs in the guise of anti-Zionism.
The CPCCA comprises former and sitting Members of Parliament from the Conservative Party of Canada, Liberal Party of Canada, New Democratic Party and initially Bloc Québécois, but is not an official committee and was not established by the Canadian government or Parliament as a whole.[2][3]
On July 7, 2011, the CPCCA released its final report on antisemitism in Canada.[4]
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The CPCCA was founded in association with the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism (ICCA) which had its innaugral conference in London, England in 2009. The ICCA released a Declaration on Combating Antisemitism, which lead to the formation of the CPCCA.[5][6]
Noting that while antisemitism is not a new phenomenon, there has been recently a resurgence of antisemitism both internationally and in Canada, so much so that, according to the CPCCA, "Jewish students...are fearful to wear a Jewish skull cap or Jewish star of David around their necks" on Canadian university campuses.[7]
On 9 March 2010, the Bloc Québécois decided to withdraw from the CPCCA because the CPCCA refused to meet with many groups and individuals who opposed the view that criticism of Zionism of the Israeli government is not antisemitism. The Bloc Québécois claimed that the Coalition was biased in favor of Israeli policies and noted that they "consider that the Coalition is tainted, partisan and presents a single side of the coin. We desired a much more moderate approach, more consensual, and still with the outlook to find peace."[8]
The CPCCA hosted the Second Annual Inter-parliamentary Conference to Combat Antisemitism which was held in November 2010 in Ottawa, Canada.[9]
The steering committee of the CPCCA consists of the following current or former Canadian Members of Parliament:
The Bloc Québécois has accused the unofficial parliamentary committee of an unwillingness to hear diverse voices. When the party withdrew from the committee, it criticized "the inequality of opinions presented before the coalition" and "the refusal of the steering committee to hear groups with opposing viewpoints."[10] Bloc parliamentarian Michel Guimond has said that the committee's approach "was not sufficiently balanced."[11]
A number of critics have asserted that the Coalition's goal is to conflate criticism of Israeli policy with antisemitism. For example:
The CPCCA has denied any intention to limit legitimate criticism of Israel. In particular, it has stated that, while it affirms others' alarm at "the resurrection of the old language of prejudice and its modern manifestations – in rhetoric and political action – against Jews, Jewish belief and practice and the State of Israel", nonetheless "dissent and opposition to individual actions of the Israeli government are both permitted and encouraged in and outside of Israel, just as political dissent is permitted and encouraged with respect to any democratic nation."[19]
Steering Committee chair Scott Reid rejected the suggestion that the group's focus on antisemitism is misdirected, since he argued that these will not use up all of the goodwill that exists on the part of Canadians for resolving issues related hate directed at minority groups: “I think the best way to think of this is [that as a result of our hearings into antisemitism, Canada's] anti-xenophobic, anti-racist, anti-bigotry muscle gets exercised and the more it gets exercised, the stronger it is for dealing with all of those other forms of racism, xenophobia and bigotry.”[20]
On July 7, 2011, Conservative MP Scott Reid and former Liberal MP Mario Silva announced the release of the CPCCA Final Report.[21] The Final Report was the product of the Inquiry Panel of the CPPCA.[22] The committee recommended that police forces across Canada be better trained to deal with anti-Semitism; that universities host conferences to counter events such as "Israeli Apartheid Week” which fell under the Panel's definition of antisemitism; and that there should be a clear definition of what anti-Semitism entails. The panel also recommended that Canada curtail immigration from African, Middle Eastern and South Asian countries deemed too critical of the state of Israel; that Canada engage the international community within various UN institutions to reduce criticisms directed against the State of Israel; and that the Canadian government cut funding to human rights organizations which are critical of the state of Israel. [23] [24]