Confronting Heather Reisman

Nice to see Heather Reisman challenged for her financial support for terrorist attacks on Arab peoples in the Middle East. Watch the video and see members of the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid confronting her at a Ralph Nader book-signing, over her financial support for Jews who volunteer to go to Israel to suppress, harass, beat and kill Palestinians.

In 2005 Heather Reisman and Gerry Schwartz, the majority owners of Chapters Indigo Bookstores, established a program called the HESEG Foundation for lone soldiers. HESEG offers grants of financial support to former ‘lone soldiers’ in the Israeli military to pursue post secondary education in Israel. It aims to distribute $3M per year to provide scholarships and other support to former ‘lone soldiers’. Scholarships are to be granted based on need and “military achievement”.

Let’s break this down.

A “lone soldier” is someone not from Israel, who chooses to go to that country in order to join the armed forces. These are young Jews from the diaspora who have bought into Zionist colonialism so deeply that they are willing to volunteer and go to serve in the Israeli “Defense” Forces. As such, they operate on the frontline of genocide in the Middle East, taking part in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

The fact that Reisman and Schwartz can openly encourage Jewish youth to travel across continents in order to fight against Arab people is testimony not only to their own moral bankruptcy, but also to Canada’s complicity in the oppression of the Palestinian people. Just as the Canadian State has participated in the economic blockade of Hamas and the criminalization of Hezbollah – both opponents, albeit reactionary ones, of Israeli aggression – so it gives a wink and a nod to programmes intended to aid and abet Israeli militarism.

The Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid has reiterated its demand that Chapters Indigo should be boycotted until Reisman and Schwartz publicly announce that they will cut all financial ties to Heseg. In regards to this recent action they state, “Reisman’s refusal to answer the questions posed to her is absolutely unacceptable and indicates her culpability in Israeli apartheid. Her vocal support for Israeli war crimes will continue to be challenged whenever she appears publicly in Canada.”

On June 9th 2007, Chapters Indigo stores will be picketed across Canada as part of the national campaign against their ties with Israeli apartheid. These pickets are part of the international week of action commemorating 40 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

To get involved email endapartheid@riseup.net