A few talks given to Thousands of Toronto Supporters of Palestine Liberation
October to December 2023.
CEASE FIRE! IMMEDIATE END TO THE GENOCIDE1
Spring Socialist conference: Red October
October 13, 2023
I am a survivor of Adolph Hitler’s holocaust. As a Jew I was marked down for death. I was saved by the solidarity of many individuals and a whole community who believed in humanity.
Today I look at Israel’s unspeakable barbarism, above all, against the Palestinian people, and ask: is it for this that we survived? When Nazism was smashed in 1945, we as Jews cried out, “Never again!” We meant never again for all humanity.
In the struggle against the Nazis, the Jewish resistance worked with anybody and everybody who stood with them. In the same way, the Palestinians have a right to use every means to defend themselves against the blockade, the daily bombings of Gaza, and to resist the occupation and oppression. The Palestinians have a right to accept the aid and solidarity of anyone who wishes to see Palestinians free from Israel’s brutal occupation.
We despise apartheid –that is, legally imposed racial oppression. This is not hatred of Jewish people. It is hatred of apartheid, criminally falsely carried out in the name of the Jewish people.
We stand with the Palestinian and their quest to live in freedom, dignity and equal rights and opportunity with others who share the land.
We in Canada cannot and should not accept the incessant whitewash and lies that defend the genocide of apartheid Israel. We must seek the truth and speak the truth against colonialist oppression and systemic racism.
What is our duty as defenders of humanity, as seekers of justice and peace?
We must unite just as, in Nazi occupied France, when a community saved my life from the Nazis who sought to kill all Jews and others they deemed as subhuman.
So today, we must demand that our governments, who are complicit in these crimes, act for justice and compel Israel to obey international law which stands opposed to occupation.
The Canadian government must act immediately and unconditionally to end the blockade on Gaza.
Canada must demand that Israel End the occupation!
We must find ways to defend the Palestinian freedom struggle, and to use the tools of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)!
Freedom and justice often appear to be unattainable. But ultimately the resistance must win and will win.
With all our hearts, Victory to the Palestinians!
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To Jewish groups: Not in My Name!
Rally, 8 a.m. at Israeli Consulate, Toronto
October 23, 2023
Jewish organizations here are in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance; against the Israeli government’s aim to kill them as “animals.”
What is our duty as defenders of Palestinian resistance; as defenders of all humanity who seek justice and peace?
We must do all we can, and also demand that our governments, although themselves complicit, act immediately and unconditionally to stop and block the genocide, to end the blockade on Gaza, and to send food, and medical aid to the besieged Palestinians in war torn Gaza.
I am a survivor of Adolph Hitler’s holocaust. As Jews we were marked down for death as a sub-humans. I was saved by the solidarity of many individuals and a whole community who believed in humanity and justice.
Let us recall that the Holocaust was carried out by the Nazi regime with the indifference of the governments of the world. Not one intervened to aid the insurgents in the Warsaw ghetto, no one sought to put an end to the Nazi massacre.
Similarly today, the indifference of the governments is repeated as the Palestinians valiantly defend themselves. They have done so with sticks and stones, against the Israeli war machine, for 75 years.
In the struggle against the Nazis, the Jewish resistance worked with anybody and everybody who stood with them. In the same way, the Palestinians have a right to use every means to defend themselves from Israel’s war on them and to end the occupation.
Today I look at Israel’s unspeakable barbarism, against the Palestinian people, and ask: is it for this that we survived? When Nazism was smashed in 1945, we Jews cried out, “Never again!” We meant never again for all humanity. Yet, we see a new Naqba. An attempt to eradicate a whole people.
We proudly say as defenders of Judaism, “Not in our name.” What do we mean by that?
The government of Israel does not speak for the Jewish people. Judaism is not Zionism. Judaism does not stand for racism. Yet, the occupation, the systematic war of recrimination is done in our name.
Israel apartheid drags the Jewish people through the mud, smears us with the blood of the Palestinians denouncing us as self-hating Jews, and as anti-Semitic.
How do we combat this lie against Judaism?
Hold on tight to the Palestinian flag! Palestine freedom is our freedom too; and it is freedom for humanity.
PLO Chairman Yasir Arafat once said:
‘We were saying “no” to the Zionist state, but we were saying “yes” to the Jewish people of Palestine. To them we were saying: “You are welcome to live in our land, but on one condition. You must be prepared to live among us as equals, not as dominators.” (biography by journalist Alan Hart)
These same words are repeated today by the Palestinians in their struggle for freedom.
This is worth our allegiance. Victory to the Palestinians!
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In Solidary With York University Students
October 26, 2023
Zoom message by Suzanne Weiss
The valiant Palestinians are calling out to us. If you listen, you will hear. An enslaved people, a dominated people, will never cease to rise again and rise again until they win their freedom.
We in Canada know about racist colonialism and stand with the Indigenous peoples in their long struggle for equality and peace.
I am a survivor of Adolph Hitler’s holocaust. As a Jew I was marked down for death. The solidarity of many individuals and a whole community who believed in humanity saved me and thousands of others. When Nazism was smashed in 1945, Jews cried out, “Never again!” We meant never again for all humanity.
Israel’s Zionist colonialist ideology is the source of their unspeakable bestiality. Judaism is opposed to racism. Yet, the occupation, the systematic war of destruction is done in our name. That is an unforgiveable crime against the Jewish people.
Defending Palestinian freedom, we are denounced as self-hating Jews, and as anti-Semitic. In fact, anyone speaking against the racist program of Zionism is slandered as anti-Semitic. Zionism is not Judaism.
We ask, what can we do to halt the genocidal military machine of Israel’s apartheid government.
We do what we can. And York University students do what they must to educate themselves and others on the history of Palestine and the development of Zionism. We must find ways to use the tools of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions!
What is our duty as supporters of Palestinian resistance; as defenders of all humanity who seek justice and peace?
We must demand that our Canadian governments, although themselves complicit, act immediately cease fire and unconditionally to stop and block the genocide, to end the blockade on Gaza, and to send food, and medical aid to the besieged Palestinians in war torn Gaza. We demand that apartheid Israel stop its murderous rampage in the West Bank. We ask this of the York University administration as well.
We here this evening stand in solidarity with you, courageous university students and staff. The administration must stop their suppression of free expression and repeal the oppressive Regulation that hinders student organizations.
With all our love, with all our might, we struggle to end the occupation. Palestine freedom is our freedom too; and it is freedom for humanity.
Freedom and justice for Palestine!
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Stop the genocide – Cease Fire Now!
November 4 rally, Toronto
Talk by Suzanne Weiss
We are gathered here today in unity and solidarity to demand that the Canadian governments act immediately for cease fire — to unconditionally stop the genocide — Canada should send food, and medical aid to the besieged Palestinian in Gaza!
What is the Palestinian struggle about! The Palestinian people have a right to return to their homes with dignity and equality, and peace. That is what the Palestinian resistance is about!
The Palestinian struggle is against Israel’s Zionist political program which was established in 1947 when Israel took full control and occupied of the land and subjugated the Palestinians.
It is called settler colonialism and carries at the basis of its program, racism – hatred of the other. Palestinians are called animals. – We Jews were called sub-humans by the racist Nazis.
I am a survivor of Adolph Hitler’s Holocaust. As a Jew I was marked down for death. I was saved by the unity, the solidarity of many individuals, and of a whole community who hid me and thousands of others from Hitler’s mass murders.
Hitler’s war against the Jews aimed to irradicate their history and the Jewish people themselves. Nazism is hatred of the other – It is racism. Colonialism was Hitler’s program to conquer land for Germany.
Gas chambers and the hundreds of concentration camps which starved, tortured, and eliminated Jews by disease, is repeated today in the Gaza concentration camp. –The largest concentration camp in the world! Death chambers and ovens have been replaced in Gaza with tons of bombs that destroys all in their path. Gaza has become a death camp.
The government of Israel does not speak for the Jewish people. Zionism is a racist ideology. Judaism does not stand for racism. Conflating Zionism and Judaism is an unforgiveable crime to the Jewish people, to the Palestinians and to humanity.
There is a witch-hunt in Canada today against the defenders of Palestinian freedom. Courageous people are losing their jobs and reputations because they speak for the Freedom of Palestine. We must stand with them and their right to speak freely for freedom and against the hate and racism of Israel’s government.
The Palestinian leaders of the world movement for Boycott Divestment and Sanctions platform state, “Full equality for Palestinians, and respecting, protecting, and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes.” The Palestinians have a right to live on the land with others in equality, dignity, and peace. That is what their struggle is about.
We here today, insist that the Canada’s so-called leaders, including Justin Trudeau, take immediate action for a cease fire — and to unconditionally stop the genocide. End the Occupation!
Palestinian freedom is our freedom and the freedom of Humanity!
End the Occupation, the root of this evil!
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US/Israel resumption of the Genocide on Palestine
December 2, 2023 Rally, Toronto
Called by Toronto4Palestine
Talk by Suzanne Weiss
*For an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza
* Trudeau, End Canadian complicity in Israel’s genocide
* Lift the siege on Gaza – End the Occupation!
We gather here today in great distress because US/Israel has resumed their full-scale genocide of the Palestinian people. The Israeli government goal, as they have repeated stated, is to rid the land of the Palestinian people.
Shamefully, Israel is led and financed by the US government. And Canada is complicit.
Why is the US government bankrolling Israel with $3.8 billion per year and now $14.5 billion more for the genocide this year?
Is it because American big business seeks control of the middle east to reap profits from the land’s natural resources such as oil, and natural gas? Are genocide Israel and the big business US working together each for its own goals?
I am a survivor of another genocide. Adolph Hitler killed six million Jews in Europe with the similar goals. It was to secure colonial conquests and to rid the land of Jewish people.
The Nazis were racists much like the Zionists of the Israeli government.
My mother died in the death camp of Auschwitz. I was saved by the Jewish Resistance. Many individuals helped me with acts of kindness, and a whole community hid me.
It was world solidarity that defeated the Nazis.
World solidarity of the world’s peoples will also help liberate the Palestinians.
Now that the genocide has resumed with bombardments equivalent to two nuclear bombs since October 7; and the denial of electricity, fuel, medications, food, water, and assassinations – to starve the Palestinians.
What should we do?
We must redouble our efforts. We should organize peaceful disruptions, sit-ins, occupations and other projects that educate and are inclusive of the masses who wish to unite for Palestinian freedom.
We must end government, corporate, and institutional complicity with Israel’s 75-year-old regime of apartheid. We must give meaningful solidarity to stop Israel’s genocide.
We should support the campaign for world boycott, divestment and sanctions. BDS gives us examples of meaningful actions that can make a difference on apartheid Israel’s economy and have an impact on genocide Israel.
* Major trade unions in India, in Belgium, in Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey have called on workers to boycott Israel products and refuse to handle Israeli cargo.
* Trade unions in Canada have signed on the Canadian Cease Fire Now statement.
* In the US, the United Auto Workers, a very large union, joined the call for ceasefire now.
We call on Canada to stand for peace and for the protection of fundamental freedoms. Muslims are suffering violent acts of hate in their neighborhoods because of the US/Israeli genocide. They need our solidarity.
Judaism is not Zionism. Israel claims to represent the Jewish people. That is a lie! Criticism of Israel’s genocidal policies is deceitfully labeled anti Jewish or anti Semitic. In fact, many demonstrations are led by the Jews who defend the Palestinians and for their rights to share the land in equality, dignity and peace.
We are all under attack by big business government and its institutions, including big business media. We are not safe to freely discuss or express opposing opinions on Israel’s genocidal policies. We are not able to freely say that we support Palestinian freedom without risk of losing jobs.
We must point to this world-wide witch-hunt, and identify it as part of the governmental attack on Palestinian freedom. Let’s meet it head on and insist on free discussion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. University students and faculty are leading the way. Many highs school students are participating.
* We demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
*Trudeau, End Canadian complicity in Israel’s genocide
* Lift the siege on Gaza – End the Occupation!
Palestinian freedom is our freedom. It is freedom for Humanity.
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