Palestinian-Canadians getting fired for voicing support for Palestine

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: CounterPunch
13 Nov 2023 23:17
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Pro-Palestine activists voicing their support for Gaza is costing them their jobs. What does this tell about the state of democracy in Canada?

A Justice for Palestine rally on George Street in Ottawa's ByWard Market. Oct. 15, 2023 (Ted Raymond/CTV News Ottawa)

An article by CounterPunch on Monday detailed some cases where pro-Palestine activists in Canada have suffered the unfair consequence of getting penalized or losing their jobs as a result of voicing their support for Gaza.

Palestinian activist Wesam Khaled was charged a hate crime charge in Calgary for leading a chant perceived as antisemitic. As part of his bail terms, he was barred from attending pro-Palestinian protests.

Mostafa Ezzo, an Air Canada pilot, likewise participated in a pro-Palestinian rally in Montreal, an event that was mischaracterized by politicians as "pro-Hamas," despite its intention to support Palestinians in Gaza.

Two days later, the X account Stopantisemitism targeted Ezzo, posting a photo of him in his pilot uniform wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh.

Air Canada took action against Ezzo, grounding him, and condemning his social media commentary. Even Ezzo's union aligned with the airline's denunciation.

The incident raised concerns about fairness and representation by Ezzo's union, especially given their obligation to support members in disputes with their employers.

We can confirm the pilot in question no longer works for Air Canada, following the process initiated on Monday. https://t.co/U9rTkBM7Z2
— Air Canada (@AirCanada) October 11, 2023

The cases shed light on the challenges faced by Palestinian-Canadian journalists, such as Zahraa Al-Akhrass, who was fired by Global News while on maternity leave due to her social media posts expressing opposition to Israeli actions in Gaza.

"A policy that tells me to shut up about the killing of my own people is unethical. I cannot possibly stay silent while witnessing this injustice," says Zahraa al-Akhrass who was fired from Global News because of her pro-#Palestinian social media posts.#Palestine #Gaza… pic.twitter.com/J7sDzeJfPy
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 1, 2023

Yara Jamal, a CTV News reporter, was also dismissed after speaking at a Palestine solidarity march. Her remarks, which criticized the political ideology of Zionism while distinguishing it from Judaisim, led to allegations of antisemitism and her termination.

Comparisons to Islamic ideology were contested, suggesting Jamal's comments were unfairly interpreted.

Despite journalists' rights to civic engagement, Jamal's firing raised questions, especially in contrast to instances where reporters engage in other activities without consequence.

The response from her journalist union and a pro-Israeli media watchdog further fueled the debate around media biases and professional conduct.

We stand in solidarity with Yara Jamal 🤍🕊️@CTVAtlantic stop reporting lies, stop supporting genocide. Firing a Palestinian employee tells us exactly where you stand.#FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/N1gDM6RuiF
— Rebecca Hartery (@rebeccahartery4) October 29, 2023