Hey there, Canadians. Remember November 2012, those heady days of post-U.S. election fever and Israeli-Palestinian fighting? Let’s think back to that time together. Are we there?
Now, do we all remember that great moment in Canadian peacemaking history when Canada was one of only nine countries to oppose Palestinian statehood in a UN vote? Wow, that sure was a feather for all of us to put in our collective caps. Because as we all know, the Canadian government generally, and the current Harper government especially, have always been closely allied with the Israeli government. As it should be, right? Israel is the perennial underdog in the Middle East! Help the helpless, that’s our motto.
Well…
On Sunday, the Israeli government officially acknowledged that it had systematically coerced Ethiopian immigrants into accepting long-acting birth control shots like Depo-Provera. Thankfully, the admission came with an order to end the practice.
The policy first came to light in 2008, and is especially troubling because Depo-Provera is linked to side effects like decreased bone density. Dark-skinned women are especially prone to such side effects, and are at higher risk of developing osteoporosis in later life. Many women said they were not told what the shots were, let alone the serious risks associated.
Some women who had undergone the “treatment” said they were not informed of the risks associated with the shots.
It’s hard to understand what motivations could underscore a policy of pressuring immigrants of Ethiopian descent into taking long-acting birth control and not properly explaining what it is or the possible side effects. Other than, say, systemic, government-sanctioned racism.
Indeed, Hedva Eyal, the author of a 2010 report by Israeli women’s group Woman to Woman, described the government’s response to questions thus:
The answers we received from officials demonstrated overt racism. They suggested that Ethiopian women should be treated not as individuals but as a collective group whose reproduction needs controlling.
Moreover, the Israeli government has a history of questioning Ethiopian Jews’ legitimacy, and is no stranger to racist policies and rhetoric.
Some people compare the current situation in Palestine to apartheid South Africa.
This certainly sounds like an extreme comparison. Until, that is, you find out that workers bused from Palestinian territory to Israel for work are sometimes pulled off buses when Israelis also onboard complain about them, and forced to walk miles home. The solution to this problem is apparently segregated bus lines to make Israelis more comfortable with their riding experience.
And when Palestinians take work building the illegal settlements encroaching on their territory out of necessity, they are often either paid less or even refused payment outright.
Given all this, perhaps Canada should rethink Israel’s Super Duper All-Time BFFs, No Questions Asked! status. Because we’re still dealing with our own systemic racial inequalities which have also garnered apartheid comparisons, and one of those in a friendship is probably enough, no?
via:Haaretz image: Andres Rueda/Flickr
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