Jewish group proud of role in barring Galloway

Mar 25, 2009 07:57 PM
Comments on this story (16)
Alexander Panetta
THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA – The Jewish Defence League of Canada is taking credit for lighting the spark that ultimately burned a British politician's plans to enter the country.

The organization advised the federal government early last week about the impending speaking tour of George Galloway, the controversial British MP who has been a bitter critic of Israel.

A letter – sent March 16 to Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, his cabinet colleague Peter Kent and opposition MPs – asked the government to keep that "hater" out of Canada.

"We asked that he not be allowed in," said Meir Weinstein, national director of the Jewish Defence League of Canada.

"Whether or not that had an effect on anyone – well, he's not in."

Weinstein said the letter "lit a fire" under other Jewish community leaders to protest the visit, to contact Canadian politicians, and write to newspapers about Galloway.

Four days later, Kenney's office confirmed the British MP would not be allowed into the country.

The government's opponents have accused it of political interference and launched two cases in Federal Court over a ban they say has no legal justification.

Kenney's office swatted away suggestions it was directly involved.

A spokesman said he first heard about Galloway's visit from the Defence League letter, and contacted departmental communications staff at Citizenship and Immigration to prepare media lines.

Kenney stressed that his political staff never contacted the Canada Border Services Agency – which made the call that the veteran politician was inadmissible under national-security grounds.

"Neither I nor my office have been in direct touch with CBSA officials about it," Kenney said in an interview.

"But the public servants in both ministries do correspond on a daily basis – on hundreds of files like this."

Officials in various departments did liaise with each other over the course of the week.

Kenney was informed March 17 of the CBSA decision. He decided he wouldn't use his extraordinary powers to overturn the ban. Finally, Canadian diplomats in London sent the five-time MP a letter late March 20 declaring him inadmissible.

British media were already on to the story. The previous day, Galloway's office had received a verbal warning of the Canadian government's decision.

Kenney spokesman Alykhan Velshi – who had begun preparing media lines on Galloway with departmental staff several days earlier – was suddenly fielding phone calls from the British press.

He sent them scurrying to their dictionaries with a memorable slag on Galloway as an "infandous street-corner Cromwell."

Galloway's supporters say the ban has no legal justification and is a politically motivated attack on free speech.

They say the Conservative government concocted an allegation that Galloway supports terrorism simply because they disagree with his pro-Palestinian views.

Lawyers for the Scottish-born MP are filing two separate motions in Federal Court: a request for a judicial review of the government's decision; and a demand for an immediate injunction overturning it.

They say the full judicial review could take months, while the injunction would allow Galloway to enter Canada next week for a four-day speaking tour in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.

One of his lawyers told a Parliament Hill news conference that the government has distorted the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to suit its political purposes.

"The act is being interpreted to restrict certain opinions and voices," said Jamie Liew. "This is a dangerous precedent in terms of how we grant access.

"The decision by the government is rare and unprecedented. It's stretching the interpretation to include humanitarian aid – or activities including humanitarian aid – being described as terrorist activity.

"The legal team is challenging that notion."

The government says Galloway supported the terrorist group Hamas when he led a convoy to help Palestinians following the recent Israeli bombing of Gaza.

Galloway's supporters say the convoy included clothing, diapers, medical supplies, and $45,000 in relief money that he handed to the elected Hamas government.

Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization in Canada.

The Canadian government says the move to bar Galloway was based on the law – not politics.

Velshi said the CBSA informed Kenney's office that – according to Section 34.1 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act – Galloway's material support for Hamas rendered him inadmissible.

That legislation bars entry to anyone "engaging in terrorism," or "being a member of a (terrorist) organization"

Galloway's supporters call that absurd.

One of the organizers of his speaking tour said Galloway has never expressed support for terrorism and merely wanted to help Gaza's suffering civilians.

"He was very clear that this is not about supporting Hamas," said James Clark, who has been planning Galloway's visit.

"This is about providing humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza. Canada . . . remains the only country in the world that is interpreting this gesture as a terrorist act.

"There are grounds for us to challenge this legally and politically."

Kenney said he occasionally uses his power to overrule CBSA security assessments but will not do so in this case.

Galloway is currently on a speaking tour in the U.S. and has suggested he'll still try entering Canada. His supporters plan to meet him at the border.

Amazingly, the final decision in a case that has involved several government offices, two national Parliaments, and drawn media attention on both sides of the Atlantic, will belong to one person.

A uniformed border guard.

"(People trying to enter) have an interview with a CBSA officer," Kenney said.

"Someone who has been flagged with a preliminary assessment of inadmissibility is obviously going to get bigger scrutiny.

"But that border officer . . . makes what's called a fresh decision. That border officer looks at all the information and makes a decision on admissibility."

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Let's paint a target on our foreheads
Jason Kenney said: "But that border officer . . . makes what's called a fresh decision. That border officer looks at all the information and makes a decision on admissibility." Anyone who believes this man's ridiculously fatuous statements is a few bricks short of a load. What these events suggest to me, rather, is that the worst elements of the most radical Jewish organizations in Canada now effectively control our Middle east foreign policy through their manipulation of dissemblers like Mr. Kenny, who, as Mr Walkdom wrote the other day "has lost it". And that should make the 99% of us they do not represent, including many Jews, very nervous.

Submitted by arthurdecco at 7:15 AM Thursday, March 26 2009

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Since when does the Jewish Defence League determine who does or does not get to enter Canada simply because they don't like the message?

Submitted by spiritofwicca at 3:46 AM Thursday, March 26 2009

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Who is the real terrorist?
The JDL keeps Galloway, the "hater" out of Canada. The FBI, among many others, has called the JDL "extremist" and a "terrorist group". How about a story about the JDL, please.

Submitted by pak at 1:44 AM Thursday, March 26 2009

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I do not agree at all with the decision to keep George Galloway out of the Country. There are many in Canada who do not agree with the treatment the Palestinians and the expanding settlements by Israel. This government is taking Canada down the wrong road and it's ruining our reputation as a progressive, fair minded Country. How can this government condone what George Bush did to the people of Iraq and elsewhere and celebrate at 400 bucks a place and not let someone who is a peace activist in to speak on the matter. My Country is being taken away from me by a minority with tunnel vision.

Submitted by bandwagon at 1:23 AM Thursday, March 26 2009

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Plurality is what promotes peace
Did it ever occur to anyone that talking about issues in a frank and open way is actually what keeps them from turning into the very kinds of "us vs. them", "with us or against us", "hero vs. terrorist" reductions that inevitably lead to violence, hatred and conflict? I listen alike to Galloway and the JDLC before making up my mind. No one should have the right to take that choice away from me. The best interest of the citizenry don't come from an artificially selected half-truth from one side of the issues but from hearing a plurality of voices.

Submitted by Easy Writer at 1:21 AM Thursday, March 26 2009

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There are at least two sides to every story.
Freedom of speech doesn't mean only allowing those you agree with to voice their opinions. Disagreeing with Israel doesn't is not the same thing as being anti-semitic. That's a false dichotomy that's been pushed for too long by pro-Israeli groups. When innocent Israeli men, women and children are attacked it's wrong, and I do not hesitate to say so. Similarly, what recently happened in Gaza was an affront to decent people everywhere. No rational person can deny that Hamas have a lot to answer for and are a hinderance to peace in the region, but the majority of people who suffered under the Israeli onslaught were not Hamas militants. Both sides are right and wrong at the same time, but Canada should not bar entry to anyone for simply daring to speak out against the conventional wisdom.

Submitted by j-rock at 1:19 AM Thursday, March 26 2009

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Rights and Freedoms?
whatever happened to freedom of speech?

Submitted by ma__89 at 1:01 AM Thursday, March 26 2009

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A Precedent more Dumb than Dangerous
The Jews still haven't learned, evidently, that this kind of mischief can always be turned against them in the future. Will Canadian muslims and Palestinians now be scrutinizing Israeli citizens coming to Canada, with an eye to barring their entry? Bet on it!

Submitted by Tryon at 12:46 AM Thursday, March 26 2009

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Ridiculous
I'm all for the Jewish people and recognize what they've gone through but is it correct to stifle free speech because we disagree with someone? You'd think these Jewish defence organizations would, after being victimized so long throughout history, realize that they're trying to bully people in a manner somewhat reminiscent of their own persecutors.

Submitted by the_matrix at 12:26 AM Thursday, March 26 2009

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Bad Conscience?
He was quoted as saying that if our country was taken away, we would fight back. Well, if the people of Canada's First Nations started fighting back the way some Palestinians have been doing so, all sympathy the rest of us might have for them would evaporate very quickly; so, since Israel is an open democracy like Canada, I'm surprised there's any sympathy for the Palestinians to be found here.

Submitted by quadibloc at 11:14 PM Wednesday, March 25 2009

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Typical JDL bragging
Typical of the JDL to claim responsibility for something they had nothing to do this... they're not stupid, they know taking credit helps them fundraise. But rest assured, not even the mainstream Canadian Jewish organizations (CJC, CIC, B'nai Brith, UIA, CJPAC, et cetera) take the JDL seriously, let alone the federal governments.

Submitted by artsci10 at 11:13 PM Wednesday, March 25 2009

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nothing like a good muzzel
freedom my arse

Submitted by HerrnGregory at 10:32 PM Wednesday, March 25 2009

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Entire article and comments posted just in case the censors got to it. This is the original link.