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Letter writing success

Join David Suzuki and withdraw from climate solutions prize
Last week, several sources linked to a letter appealing to venerable Canadian scientist and nature advocate David Suzuki to withdraw from a supposed climate prize due to its deep ties to an unbashedly colonlialist Israeli organization. The JNF's claim to fame is planting trees in Israel. Pine trees. Non-native trees. Trees that are susceptible to wildfires. Trees intentionally planted atop forcibly-emptied Palestinian villages to try to erase their memory. 

The letters worked. Suzuki withdrew.

I hadn't gotten around to writing before I got the news. So when a follow up letter to other participants in the prize hit my inbox, I rushed to put my own spin on the letter and sign it.


I urge you to join David Suzuki in withdrawing from the upcoming Climate Solutions Prize (CSP) festival. CSP was instigated by the racist Jewish National Fund (JNF) of Canada with support from the Israeli government. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet announced the launch of CSP five years ago and Israeli President Isaac Herzog presented the inaugural prize for an initiative described as “a way for Israel to become a global hub for green tech.”

A country cannot innovate enough efficient or biodegrdable technology to atone for relentless bombing of 365sq km of territory under its own occupation, nor for intentionally bulldozing 100s of ancient olive trees. 

There is a long history of greenwashing through the JNF, which is itself an explicitly racist colonial institution. Even the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has recognized the JNF fails to meeting the standards for Canada’s charitable status due to opaque funding of its Israeli parent organization and support for the Israeli military and illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

David Suzuki decided to withdraw from a CSP event he was scheduled to headline when he became aware of the tie to the JNF. 

“I was unaware that the event was initiated by the Jewish National Fund Canada, a controversial group that has had its Canadian charitable status revoked," he said. "Knowing this, I have declined the invitation to speak.”

Please join David Suzuki in withdrawing from the June 8-9 Climate Solutions Prize Festival.

Read more here about the Canada to Israel Charity Pipeline, including the role of the Bronfmans, funders of the beloved Canadian History Minute.

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