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'Chilling effect': People expressing pro-Palestinian views censured, suspended from work and school | CBC News (www.cbc.ca)

submitted 11 months ago by Silverseren@kbin.social to c/world@lemmy.world

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Restaurant staff losing their jobs for cheering on a pro-Palestinian protest. A Palestinian Canadian journalist fired for her social media posts calling for a #freepalestine. Medical residents flagged to potential hiring committees for their support of Palestinians.

These are just some of the many instances across Canada in which employees and students have faced firings, suspensions or calls for them to not be hired based on their publicly stated political stance on the Israel-Hamas war. It's a trend that has been reported not just in Canada but also in the U.S. and Europe, and across various industries, including media, law, health care and the service sector.

According to three Ontario-based lawyers who spoke to CBC News, some employers and institutions have been quick to take action against employees or students, creating an environment in which many are afraid they will lose their jobs or face consequences to their education if they express a political stance in favour of one side — Palestinians — during this war.

"I can tell you personally, in the last month and a half, I've probably spoken with someone at least once a day [about this]," said Jackie Esmonde, a labour lawyer at Toronto-based firm Cavalluzzo Law. "They're not always cases that we take on, but we do have in the range of eight to 10 cases that we're actively working on at the moment.

"I'm not seeing people making what I would consider hate speech or discriminatory speech."

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[+] LaChaleurDeLaNuit@lemmy.world -60 points 11 months ago

I can understand glorifying terrorism would be a problem.

[-] Silverseren@kbin.social 45 points 11 months ago

How is saying that Israel should stop bombing hospitals the same as glorifying terrorism?

[+] LaChaleurDeLaNuit@lemmy.world -52 points 11 months ago

Hospitals are the very bases of Hamas so yeah, kind of. To the very least if you expect Israel to not bomb the people who attacked them at least give a realistic alternative.

[-] sleep_deprived@lemmy.world 25 points 11 months ago

Here's a field manual that details the rules and has some advice. There are a whole host of rules protecting civillians hospitals, but in the case where Hamas is using them as military bases, I'd say they can be considered primarily as human shields, though I'm no expert, and even if that's not the case they're still civillians and therefore protected. According to paragraph 2-20, "feasible precautions" must be taken to reduce civillian harm. This means bombing is pretty much out of the question, but there are still plenty of other ways to get at Hamas, such as SpecOps, sieges, and diplomacy. It's a difficult situation, but that doesn't mean you get to kill civillians with impunity.

[-] ArchAengelus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 11 months ago

My first thought, when I heard about the Hamas tunnels was: is it a war crime to pump carbon monoxide into the tunnels? Then I heard that they were keeping the hostages in the tunnels. So yes. Yes, it would be.

[+] LaChaleurDeLaNuit@lemmy.world -25 points 11 months ago

In other words "too bad you get bombed with rockets launched from hospitals and schools, now you can't retaliate".

Anyway those moral lessons are given by countries and people who've never been in a similar situation, not by a long shot so they're pretty much worthless.

If you truly wanted to help the Palestinians you would advocate for a real, democratic government to rule them that would actively seek peace with Israel, not a terrorist organisation whose only goal is to annihilate it.

[-] filister@lemmy.world 16 points 11 months ago

What about democratic government in Israel who is truly seeking a peaceful solution of this conflict and not a bunch of far right extremists? Is it too much to ask?

What about a fair treatment of Palestinians, giving them some dignity? The war and the conditions regular Palestinians are put through are only going to radicalize even more people there. Look at yourself, you seem to be hating and generalising them as all being supporters of Hamas, but look at yourself, you seem quite on the far right spectrum without even going through this hell. So how are you seriously expecting any better from them, who for generations have been treated as second class citizens.

And believe me very few people here are antisemites, as you claim. I believe most people are making a difference between your government actions and regular people. And calling everyone who is pro-human rights person antisemite is a common apologist point of view.

And again, if you had managed to find peace with them and was treating them fairly in the past and wasn't conducting violent indiscriminate war against them for decades, yes, I said decades, because it is concerted effort not starting just now but going for a very long time, I am sure the antisemite globally would be a lot lower number.

[+] LaChaleurDeLaNuit@lemmy.world -14 points 11 months ago

Don't call yourself pro-human right if you're unable to condemn terrorism when it's in front of your, when literal peace activists are currently held hostages in gaza. Dont lecture me on human rights when you support a country that executes gay people.

You really think being anti Israel is being pro human rights?

Your speech is very nice and full of hope but it completely erases the fact that children in Palestine are raised to hate Jews, but I guess antisemitism is basic human rights too.

Also I don't mind being called right wing, it's only a slur for you.

"You generalize all palestiniens being supporters of Hamas'" take a look at this poll

bottom line:

Some 60 per cent in Gaza expressed support for the armed struggle against Israel, as did 70 per cent in the West Bank

[-] filister@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

I am condemning terrorism, and any act of aggression towards civilians. I am definitely not pro-Hamas, no matter how you try to twist my words. But I am also not feeling obliged to condemn them in every of my comments, but if you look through my comments you will see a fair bit of me condemning them.

I am also not anti Israel, I know Israeli people, I have visited the country on a couple of occasions and I still believe there are a lot of sane and good hearted people there who also want to find a peaceful solution to this conflict.

You on the other hand didn't say anything good for Palestinians or expressed any human empathy towards their suffering.

How is starving the whole population of Gaza justifiable in your eyes, or the internal displacement? Or crippling their entire health care system?

Why do you think terrorism isn't flourishing during peace and prosperity? By killing them and making them live through this hell you won't achieve anything other than radicalizing those people and giving birth to more Hamas or replacing this with the next terrorist organisation fighters. When did violence have been a basis of long term peace?

[+] LaChaleurDeLaNuit@lemmy.world -7 points 11 months ago

Any killing of civilians is unacceptable obviously. But all you so called pro Palestinian peace activists need to find a solution real quick for Israel to stop being constantly attacked if you keep criticizing the way it reacts.

But the truth is you don't have a better suggestion, because luckily your country is not in this situation. But at least don't be an hypocrite about it and just admit you don't know what Israel should do but what you do know is that it apparently shouldn't eliminate the terrorists next door.

As for the starving of civilians please spare me the Hamas propaganda, there are hundreds of trucks entering Gaza everyday, but Hamas is stealing a lot of the aid unfortunately, as they be been doing since they're in power.

Israel is fighting anti-west Islamism which will ultimately benefit you too but all you are able to do is criticise it with zero valid arguments.

[-] filister@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

Ah yes, all the human rights watch groups, WHO, the UN, and even your closest ally the US who by the way is flying drones over Gaza is admitting that there is a humanitarian catastrophe, why should I believe them if you tell me that this isn't the case. But what do I know.

[-] LaChaleurDeLaNuit@lemmy.world -5 points 11 months ago

I mean when Ismail Haniyeh leader of Hamas thanks the UN for their decision, yeah maybe reconsider your sources, just a wild thought.

[-] groupofcrows@lemmy.ca 14 points 11 months ago

Yes, Hamas the terrorist organisation which was funded by the Israeli government because Netanyahu didn't want to negotiate peace with a unified Palestinian Authority. In what year did the citizens of gaza elect Hamas as their representatives?

[-] sleep_deprived@lemmy.world 10 points 11 months ago

They're welcome to retaliate. They're just not allowed to indiscriminately bomb civillian infrastructure.

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this post was submitted on 22 Dec 2023

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