Group protesting Israel’s participation in Folklorama hopes for a future Palestinian pavilion
A group of Winnipeggers stood outside Israel’s pavilion at Folklorama to protest the country’s participation in the multicultural festival as Israel’s months-long war with Hamas continues.
Protesters waved Palestinian flags across the street from the Asper Jewish Community Campus on Doncaster Street Wednesday evening. A few people held signs such as “Stop the genocide” and “Israel should not be celebrated.”
“Our perspective is that there should not be a moment’s rest for those that support the state of Israel,” said Candice Bodnaruk, an organizer for Peace Alliance Winnipeg. “The state of Israel should be held accountable.”
The organization, which hosts various events to help educate people about injustices around the world, wrote a letter to Folklorama board members in early May, asking them to dissuade organizers of the Israeli Pavilion from participating in Folklorama this year, Bodnaruk said.
“By allowing the Israeli Pavilion to operate this year at Folklorama, the Folk Arts Council is sending a message to the community that it is oblivious with Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinian civilians,” said letter, which was obtained by CBC.
Health officials in Hamas-controlled Gaza say 39,000 people have died since the Israeli invasion began ten months ago. That was in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage.
Jeff Lieberman, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, says the Israel pavilion has no connection with the ongoing war and he hates that innocent people are being killed.
“Folklorama has always been non-political and there’s nothing within our pavilion that shows anything about the politics or anything about the war,” he said.
“It’s all about a way of cultural understanding. We have a great culture to display, we have a fantastic show.”
Folklorama’s board of directors responded to the organization’s letter in early June, saying they acknowledge the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and how it impacts people in the community.
The board members said that all pavilions participate under a licence agreement and Israel’s pavilion hasn’t breached their licensing agreement, which would warrant a withdrawal.
Bodnaruk said Peace Alliance Winnipeg has been protesting at the Israeli pavilion at Folklorama since 2014, during Israel’s 51-day war on Gaza.
Ramsey Zeid, the president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba or CPAM, said he thinks it’s terrible that Israel was able to host a pavilion this year, but he hopes the demonstration will bring awareness to the ongoing violence.
“People that are coming here are average Winnipeggers that want to see different cultures and heritages from across the world. The fact of the matter is that Israel has stolen the Palestinian culture and heritage, so we want to educate the average Winnipegger of what is happening in Palestine,” he said.
Zeid hopes CPAM will lead a Palestinian pavilion where Winnipeggers “will be able to see what the real Palestinian culture is all about.”
Folklorama’s board members also said in the letter there have been “ongoing discussions” with Winnipeg’s Palestinian community about hosting a pavilion. If membership requirements were met and the licence application were to be successful, the board of directors “look forward to celebrating the rich Palestinian culture,” the letter said.
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