Ideological Shock at Rights & Democracy Le Devoir 3 Feb 2010
[Tranlation]
The links of the chair with a militant of the Israeli cause is the source of conflict that led yesterday to the suspension of three directors
Ottawa - The storm at Rights & Democracy continues. Yesterday, three of its principals have been suspended "indefinitely" because these are the brains behind the rebellion to the President of the Board, Aurel Braun. At the root of the conflict: the relationship of Mr. Braun, the strongman of Ottawa, with a fierce campaigner for the Israeli cause, Gerald Steinberg, and the influence thereof on the ideological orientation of Rights and Democracy.
Rights & Democracy, an advocacy organization Human Rights established by the Canadian Parliament in 1988, is in crisis leadership. 47 employees called for the departure of Mr. Braun in a letter. He has managed to remain because Ottawa has appointed new members of the Board that are favorable to him.
Aurel Braun was in conflict with the president of the organization, now deceased, Rémy Beauregard, about three grants of $ 10 000 awarded to each group al-Haq, et al Bt'selem Mazan engaged in the Middle East. Mr. Braun believes it is organizations that, under the guise of humanitarian rights of Palestinians, attacked the legitimacy of the State of Israel.
"These organizations are very, very vicious and are implicated in nefarious activities," he said last week the National Post. "Even with imagination, they can not be described as humanitarian organizations. [...] There is no ambiguity about al Haq et al Mazan. "He added that Al Mazan is located in Gaza," we have no way of knowing "if the money does eventually end up in the hands of Hamas. As for Bt'selem, it is an Israeli organization "in name only. The fact that Remy Beauregard has awarded these grants according to Mr. Braun shows his lack of judgement.
The influence of Steinberg to Rights & Democracy
What few know is Aurel Braun is a "close friend" of Gerald Steinberg, professor of University in Ramat Gan, Israel. Mr. Steinberg founded the group NGO Monitor, which, as its name suggests, dissects the political discourse by NGOs working in the Middle East. His argument is: these NGOs use the screen of humanitarian aid to criticize and undermine Israel's very right to exist. International agencies such as CIDA and Rights and Democracy grant them, regrets he, legitimacy in the financing. (Le Devoir published an interview with Gerald Steinberg September 22, 2008.)
On behalf of this theory, Mr. Steinberg has also criticized agencies as esteemed as Oxfam. Coincidentally, his site contains a comprehensive section on Bt'selem and why it should not receive international funding. Ditto for Al Haq and President Shawan Jabarin. Recently, he was pleased that the Canadian agencies and KAIROS Alternatives have seen their federal funding cut. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Jason Kenney, had mentioned the anti-Israel positions of KAIROS.
Aurel Braun and Gerald Steinberg are crusaders (not sure if this is right) of the organization Scholars for Peace in the Middle-East. Mr. Braun gives such importance to the ideas of Mr. Steinberg that he invited him to present them to the Montreal Board of Directors of Rights and Democracy, told Le Devoir. The board refused.
Aurel Braun himself is campaigning for the Israeli cause, having previously served on the Board of Directors of B'nai Brith. At a meeting of the Board of Rights & Democracy last June, he said he was "proud to be Jewish and support the State of Israel," says the report.
If the positions of Aurel Braun and Gerald Steinberg are so similar, this does not mean they are shared by the international community. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) pay grants to Al Haq: $ 30 000 in 1995, $ 50 000 in 2004 and over $ 8,000 in 2005 (the inventory is not exhaustive). The Netherlands had publicly condemned Israel when it refused to issue a travel document to President al-Haq, preventing the quick pick himself a prestigious prize for human rights.
Other measures
The Chairman of the Board of Directors is a part-time position. Aurel Braun continues to teach at the University of Toronto. He will be in Montreal today to meet the team Rights & Democracy. Employees expect other measures in addition to the three suspensions with pay announced yesterday.
The three persons are suspended communications director, Charles Vallerand, Director for Administration and Resources, Marie-France Cloutier, and the Director of Policy, Programs and Planning, Razmik Panossian. No reason was provided. Behind the scenes, they say they will be suspended for the length of an investigation on their role in the rebellion against Aurel Braun and the president he appointed to replace fire Rémy Beauregard, Jacques Gauthier.
The NDP said yesterday he would ask the Parliamentary Committee of Foreign Affairs to investigate Rights and Democracy to return to the House of Commons.
