Museum resignation over Palestinian displacement exhibition
Marc Berlin stepped down from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights board over a Nakba exhibit opening Saturday, citing concerns about antisemitism and missing context.
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Marc Berlin resigned from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights board over a forthcoming exhibition on Palestinians displaced during the Nakba — the period when conflict over control of the region led to the forced displacement of roughly 750,000 Palestinians.
Berlin wrote to federal Culture Minister Marc Miller expressing concern that the exhibition risks fueling antisemitism in Canada and omits the role Arab states played in expelling Jews and their subsequent conflict with those who founded Israel in 1948. The exhibition, opening Saturday, focuses on people affected by the Nakba displacement.
Jewish organizations have said the exhibition lacks adequate context and was not developed with sufficient consultation and transparency. The Winnipeg museum countered that the exhibition addresses an important subject and was never intended to trace the complete history of the region.
Berlin argues the museum is not fulfilling its mandate to unite Canadians and that it is institutionally biased against Zionism. Miller said it is not his role to dictate the museum's policy.