A British court recently heard disturbing details about the activities of Palestine Action, a group that has been designated a terrorist organization in the United Kingdom but not in Canada. This discrepancy has raised concerns among Jewish advocacy groups in Canada.
Attack on Police Officer
On August 6, 2024, members of Palestine Action broke into Israeli-owned Elbit Systems in Bristol, England, using a decommissioned prison van as a battering ram. Once inside, they used crowbars and hammers to damage computers, equipment, drones, and other products. When police arrived, one member, Samuel Corner, attacked Sergeant Kate Evans with a sledgehammer while she was on the ground attempting to make an arrest. Corner struck her twice, crushing her spine. Evans survived but remains in constant pain and unable to perform her duties as before.
Convictions and Pride
Corner and other members were convicted of criminal damage, and Corner was found guilty of grievous bodily harm. During the trial, one member told the jury, "I can say with absolute certainty that this is the best thing I have ever done," showing no remorse for their actions.
Canada's Inaction
In the United Kingdom, Palestine Action has been designated a terror group. However, in Canada, the group operates freely, and the Carney Liberal government has shown no inclination to designate them as a terrorist entity. This has alarmed groups like B'nai Brith Canada and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA).
Concerns from Advocacy Groups
Rich Robertson, Director of Research and Advocacy at B'nai Brith Canada, stated, "Palestine Action Canada are engaging in much of the same anarchist tactics that the group in the United Kingdom were engaging in. They're sharing a manual of how to commit anarchistic sabotage, destruction of property. And they're identifying targets around the world where they are encouraging individuals to commit these acts, including against institutions." He added, "Here in Canada, this clearly meets the definition for terrorist activity, and B'nai B'rith is calling on the Canadian government to list Palestine Action Canada as a terrorist entity."
Manual Promoting Violence
In his book The Hidden Hand, Warren Kinsella describes Palestine Action's manual, which instructs members to form clandestine "cells" to carry out crimes and acts of violence. The manual encourages "smashing windows and exterior equipment" and to "cause disruption to the target" – often Jewish-owned institutions. It also tells members to leave behind "PAINT AND DESTRUCTION." The authenticity of the manual was confirmed by a member of the British group.
Open Promotion of Anarchistic Activity
Robertson noted that Palestine Action Canada is quite open in its promotion of anarchistic activity and has recently created a map of targets in Canada and elsewhere. He said, "Their manual reads like a terror manifesto. It is encouraging individuals to form cells, to conduct reconnaissance, to identify targets and to engage in criminal activity against those targets. This is not graffiti, this is not vandalism. This is not protest. This is organized domestic terror."
The question remains: why is Palestine Action allowed to operate in Canada without being designated a terror group? As Kinsella writes, "For those who have chanted 'globalize the Intifada'? Well, this is what that means. You got what you asked for. Ask Sgt. Kate Evans."
