Samidoun: Why Jewish leaders and Pierre Poilievre want it declared a terrorist squad

You may have heard recently about Samidoun, an extremist, anti-Israel, organization with a branch in Vancouver, ostensibly working to liberate Palestinian prisoners convicted of terrorism in Israel and elsewhere. This week, Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the federal Conservatives, demanded the government declare Samidoun a terrorist organization—as several other countries have already done. Doing so would block Samidoun’s ability to fundraise and would make it a crime for anyone to support it. Jewish leaders have long urged the same thing, citing evidence that Samidoun’s Canadian-based founders are members of a militant anarchist terrorist group known as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The PFLP is outlawed in Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Israel and many other countries for carrying out dozens of suicide bombings, assassinations and airplane hijackings. But Samidoun’s status in Canada fell under scrutiny this week, after the group organized protests to coincide with the anniversary of Oct. 7. Some supporters tried to set fire to a Canadian flag, calling, “Death to Canada, death to USA and death to Israel.” Meanwhile, authorities in British Columbia were forced to lift bail conditions that had prevented Samidoun’s Vancouver-based director, Charlotte Kates, from participating in any protests for a period of six months. Kates was arrested in April after giving an antisemitic speech that praised the Oct. 7 massacre. But charges had not yet been laid before the bail deadline expired on Oct. 8. Kates is married to Khaled Barakat, suspected of being a high-ranking member of the PFLP, who also was granted Canadian citizenship. On today’s episode of The CJN Daily, we’re joined by Gerald Steinberg, who founded the pro-Israel research institute NGO Monitor, to explain more about Samidoun’s terrorist ties and outline its operations on Canadian campuses.

What we talked about

• Read when Vancouver police arrested Charlotte Kates of Samidoun in May 1, 2024 after she praised the Oct. 7 massacre during a public rally in Vancouver, in The CJN.
• Read NGO Monitor’s fact sheet about Samidoun in Canada.
• Watch B’nai Brith’s video compilation of Samidoun director Charlotte Kates speeches in Toronto and elsewhere supporting convicted terrorists and suicide bombers, and sign a petition demanding Ottawa act.

Credits

• Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner)
• Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer)
• Music: Dov Beck-Levine

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