Canadian Jewish groups called for the federal government to ban Palestine Action on Tuesday, warning that the anti-Israel vandalism group provided a target map and operations manual to commit terrorism in the country.
B'nai Brith Canada warned law enforcement and officials in a press statement that Palestine Action was "inciting its followers to commit criminal acts in furtherance of its radical ideology."
"The conduct promoted in Palestine Action’s materials constitutes a serious risk to Canadian society,” Bnai Brith Canada research and advocacy director Richard Robertson said.
The organization had published a target map of companies ostensibly tied to the Israeli defense industry, according to Popular Resistance, within the four days after the October 7 Massacre. Formerly a list of 50 sites called Elbit Sites UK, the map now lists and details companies and facilities around the world, including 11 sites across Canada.
Bnai Brith also expressed concern about the manual that was published in early October 2023, which taught activists into creating small cells. The Palestine Action Underground Manual guided activists through target acquisition, scoping out security measures like cameras, patrols, and fences, and tactics. The publication suggested spraying red paint with fire extinguishers, smashing windows and equipment, and breaking in. Palestine Action advises vandals to wear disguises and "destroy all evidence," except for data-expunged videos to send to the parent network for propaganda distribution.
“Palestine Action is an example of how extremist movements use digital platforms to weaponize propaganda into acts of intimidation and criminal conduct,” said Robertson. “Publishing target maps, circulating manuals for unlawful activity, and encouraging people to organize in secret cells is akin to the tactics of terrorist entities.”
CIJA calls for Palestine Action ban
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) also called to ban Palestine Action from Canada, as the organization had "openly incited violence against some of the country's leading defense and aerospace companies."
"We urge the Government of Canada to act proactively and add this group to the list of banned terrorist entities," CIJA wrote on X.
CIJA and B'nai Brith noted that Palestine Action had already been designated a terrorist organization in the UK, though the June ban is under appeal following its overturning by the London High Court in February.
According to Reuters, four Palestine Action members were convicted on Tuesday for the damage and harm they caused during a 2024 raid on a Bristol Elbit System UK facility. One of the defendants was found guilty of striking a police officer with a sledgehammer.