CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn Photo credit: Facebook
Today, I’m in conversation with Rabbi David Mivasair.
David has served as a rabbi and spiritual leader for almost 25 years at three different synagogues.
Israel and Palestine have been a central focus of David’s life for over 50 years. In fact, David lived in Israel, at different times, for a total of four years.
For more than 40 years, David was a passionate liberal Zionist. In recent years, he no longer identifies as a Zionist at all and instead supports one democratic state in Palestine.
David reads, writes and speaks Hebrew and is an active member of Independent Jewish Voices Canada and the rabbinic council of Jewish Voice for Peace in the U.S.A
David and I discuss the Canadian Union of public Employees – better known as CUPE – which has been making headlines of late.
CUPE Ontario president, Fred Hahn posted a video to Facebook just before the Olympics that has been the impetus for quite a few very disparate conversations.
Fred has been CUPE Ontario’s president for the past 14 years. In fact, Fred was democratically re-elected in May of this year. At that same convention, CUPE Ontario members voted to maintain solidarity with Palestine and to strengthen their work organizing for a ceasefire.
But because of the Facebook post Fred has been asked by CUPEs National Executive Board to step down as their vice-president.
Doug Ford and his cabinet members have also used this opportunity to decry Fred and double down on undermining unions.
David and I talk about the fallout from Fred’s reposting of what David deems a political cartoon. Then, we unpack Zionism; the difference between a Jewish homeland and a Jewish state; the Nekba in 1948 and Naska in 1967; and the probability of establishing one democratic state.
Ultimately, David’s messaging for a one democratic state can be captured through David’s paraphrasing of the father of Zionism, Theodor Herzl, “If you talk about it, raise funds for it, make people talk about it and get into it, if you lobby for it, if you talk to government, (then) it won’t be a dream. You’ll actually accomplish it.”
David invites you to stand in solidarity with CUPE president Fred Hahn not only in support of Palestinian rights, but also in a show of force against the silencing of free speech and the undermining of democratic union processes.
Take action to support CUPE Ontario president and CUPE National vice-president, Fred Hahn: Stand with Fred Hahn — Send a message to CUPE now.
Folks can also give funds for families in Gaza to enable them to buy food, water and other basic necessities of life through David’s GoFundMe which also provides emotional and social support.
Check out Judy Rebick’s August 22, 2024 article, Defend Fred Hahn.
Information about the One Democratic State Initiative (ODSI) can be found here.
Thanks to everyone who read today’s article and listened to my podcast. With your continued support, a little Nicoll can make a lot of change.
Music: Real Estate by UNIVERSFIELD is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License. freemusicarchive.org.
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Rabbi David Mivasair wants folks to stand in solidarity with Fred Hahn in his fight for human rights, free speech and democracy