“Anti-Palestinian racism is real,” declared Nihad Basser of the Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians, warning of discrimination “in our classrooms and workplaces.” His comments coincided with the release of a new York University report on “anti-Palestinian racism” (APR) that has been uncritically amplified by major Canadian media outlets. The Globe and Mail framed it as documenting “anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism,” while CityNews described it as exposing “chilling speech around Palestine.”CBC’s coverage featured the report’s author, Nadia Hasan, urging governments to officially recognize Nakba Day and adopt APR nationwide.

What sounds like a call for fairness is, in reality, a dangerous attempt to smuggle political advocacy into Canada’s laws, schools, and institutions. The APR framework, originally created by the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association in 2022, goes far beyond protecting against discrimination. It redefines criticism of Palestinian narratives as “racism.” If adopted, it would muzzle legitimate debate, entrench one-sided propaganda, and silence Canadians who speak up for Israel.

Canada already has robust protections against anti-Arab racism and anti-Muslim hate, which address genuine discrimination without assaulting free expression. APR isn’t about combating hatred, but rather about imposing a hardline anti-Israel ideology under the guise of anti-racism.

That’s why HonestReporting Canada has produced a major new investigation: “Unmasking Anti-Palestinian Racism: An HRC Report.” Our report exposes how APR is being pushed into the mainstream, the risks it poses to the core Canadian value of free expression, and how it could undermine democratic values. It’s a must-read for policymakers, educators, journalists, and every Canadian concerned about safeguarding open debate.

Please read our entire report below. To download your own copy, please click here.