The Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation (CAEF) has formally requested that the Canadian Museum of Human Rights (CMHR) reconsider its upcoming exhibition, Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present, scheduled to open this Saturday in Winnipeg. In a letter to CMHR CEO Isha Khan, CAEF executive director Andria Spindel stated that the exhibit “seeks to further a narrative, not teach historical facts,” and warned it could exacerbate antisemitism in Canada.
Exhibit content and concerns
The permanent exhibition focuses on Palestinian experiences during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and the subsequent creation of the state of Israel. CAEF argues that the museum, a federally funded institution, has a duty to present contested historical topics with fairness and intellectual integrity. The foundation claims the exhibit primarily emphasizes Palestinian displacement while omitting key historical events, such as the United Nations Partition Plan, the invasion of Israel by Arab armies in 1948, and the displacement of Jewish populations from Arab countries.
“We were correct,” Spindel wrote, referencing concerns first raised in 2023. “This exhibition seeks to further a narrative, not teach historical facts, and therefore only serves to invite more pain and suffering to all parties concerned.”
Questions raised by CAEF
The foundation has posed several questions to the museum, asking whether the exhibit will address the origins of the term “Nakba,” the role of Jerusalem Grand Mufti al-Husseini during World War II, and peace efforts such as the Oslo and Abraham Accords. “These are not peripheral questions,” Spindel wrote. “They are central to understanding the history being presented.”
According to the United Nations, “Nakba” means “catastrophe” in Arabic and refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 war. CAEF contends that the museum is presenting the story as a human rights violation committed by Israel, thereby “choosing to deny facts, misrepresent or ignore history, and deny legal aspects of the War initiated by the Arabs against the nascent Jewish state.”
Rising antisemitism context
The foundation further argues that the exhibit is being launched amid rising antisemitism in Canada, which should compel public institutions to avoid narratives that could fuel tensions. “This exhibit cannot claim to acknowledge human rights of one group while creating human rights violations towards another group,” Spindel wrote.
The CMHR has not yet publicly responded to the letter. The exhibition is set to open as scheduled, drawing both support and criticism from various community groups.
