On November 20, 2019 Hillel Ontario issued the following statement: ·
Hillel Ontario condemns tonight’s violent protest at York University which has no place on campus and is not an authentic depiction of York’s campus environment. Hillel York, alongside the entire Jewish campus community, stands together against incidences like these and will continue to work together toward respect and inclusivity. We are thankful that York’s administration and campus security worked with us to ensure the safety of our students and our space. We encourage any student who was affected by tonight’s protest to reach out to the York Hillel staff and be part of the larger conversation to move towards a safer and more peaceful campus community for everyone.
Protesters affiliated with Students Against Israeli Apartheid at York University (SAIA York) alongside far-left activists demonstrated against Herut Canada’s event in campus featuring former IDF soldiers to discuss BDS and refute false allegations aimed at the IDF.
Stephen Ellis, a Barrister and Solicitor and a senior activist with the Canadian BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, Moe [Mohammed] Alqasem, a pro-Palestinian student activist, Nazih Khatatba, the editor of Meshwar newspaper, Hammam Farah, a board member of the Palestine House, Sabrina Fuqhaa, a former board member of the Palestine House and Sue Goldstein, an activist with the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, among others, participated in the protest.
The protesters chanted “Viva, Viva Intifada” and “Free, Free Palestine.” Some of them who tried to disrupt the event were escorted by the security out of the room.
Stephen Ellis posted on November 20, 2019 a “PALESTINE CHANT LIST” for the anti-Israel protest at York University:
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
Justice is our demand! No peace on stolen land!
End the aggression, stop the crimes! Israel out of Palestine!
We want justice, you say how? End the siege on Gaza now! [Alt: End the occupation now! / Divest, divest from Israel now!]
Resistance is justified when people are occupied!
Netanyahu, you can’t hide! We charge you with apartheid! [Alt: Genocide]
Hey Trudeau [Alt: Netanyahu], you will see, Palestine will be free!
Hey Trudeau, don’t you know? The siege of Gaza’s got to go! [Alt: The occupation’s got to go!]
Fight the power, turn the tide! End Israeli Apartheid!
Free, free Palestine! (x2) Long live Palestine! (x2) Long live the Intifada (x2) Intifada, intifada! (x2)
Gaza, Gaza, don’t you cry! Palestine will never die!
Netanyahu, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?
Hey hey, ho ho, the occupation’s got to go!
Hey hey, ho ho, apartheid has got to go!
Brick by brick, wall by wall, apartheid has to fall!
Palestine to Mexico, border walls have got to go! [Alt: Ireland to Palestine, border walls are a crime!]
From Iraq to Palestine, occupation is a crime!
In our millions, in our billions, we are all Palestinians!
Stop the killing, stop the hate! Israel’s an apartheid state/terror state/racist state!
The occupation? Shut it down! The border walls? Shut them down! The siege of Gaza? Shut it down! The whole damn system? Shut it down!
Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crimes!
How do you spell justice? B-D-S!
Gaza must have food and water! Israel, Israel stop the slaughter!
1 2 3 4, Occupation no more! 5 6 7 8, Israel is a terror state!
From (insert name of city/town) to Gaza, Globalise the Intifada!
From the belly of the beast, no justice, no peace!
Viva, viva Palestina!
For confronting Zionists:
We know what that rally’s for! Occupation and War!
We know what that building’s for! Occupation and war!
Displacing lives since 48. There’s nothing here to celebrate!
Racists go home!
Background on the Palestinian “Intifada”
The First Intifada (aka the Stone Intifada) started in December 1987 and included violent confrontations with Israeli forces, roadblocks, ambushes, throwing stones/ rocks/ metal rods/ Molotov cocktails at Israeli military and civilian vehicles, stabbing attacks, sabotage operations, setting fires to forests, agricultural and industrial facilities, shooting attacks.
The Second Intifada (aka al-Aqsa Intifada) which started in September 2000) included among other violent activities many hundreds of suicide bombing attacks, thousands of shooting attacks, launching rockets and mortar shells at Israeli communities, firing RPG rockets, planting explosives charges and mines.
The Third Intifada (aka the al-Quds Intifada or the Knife Intifada) started in autumn 2015. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides the following data on the the ongoing wave of violence (13 September 2015 – 07 May 2017):
The recent series of attacks against Israelis is the direct result of incitement by radical Islamist and terrorist elements, calling on Palestinian youth to murder Jews. Twenty months of terror – to the present. In 2016, 12 vehicular ramming attacks and 100 stabbing attacks were thwarted by security forces. Since 13 September 2015, 49 people have been killed in terrorist attacks and 731 people (including 4 Palestinians) injured. There have been 177 stabbing attacks and 117 attempted stabbings; 144 shootings; 58 vehicular (ramming) attacks; and one vehicular (bus) bombing.
Palestinian sources provide the following statistical data on the Intifada:
| Third Intifada (October – December 2015) | ||||||
| Shooting attacks | Stabbing attacks | Vehicular ramming attacks | Explosive charges/ Molotiv cocktails | Throwing stones/ rocks/ objects | Launching rockets from Gaza | Launching rockets from Lebanon |
| 73 | 74 attacks and 44 attempts | 19 | 848 | 2840 | 22 | 9 |
| Third Intifada (January – December 2016) | ||||||
| 119 | 50 attacks and 117 attempts | 10 | 871 | 2212 | 44 | 24 |
| Third Intifada (January – May 7, 2017) | ||||||
| 25 | 21 | 8 | 200 | 45 |
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