🍉 VanGran4Pal Community Newsletter (April 9, 2026)
Neighbours and friends,
It’s an understatement to say that the last two weeks have been difficult. It’s hard to even wrap our heads around the growing barbarism of our society as we witness the continued normalization of genocidal language against a civilization, one of the most aggressive bombardments of Lebanon in recent history, and the passage of a new law imposing a mandatory, non-commutable death penalty on Palestinians through military courts – just to name a few, all of it met with little to no outrage or meaningful action from our elected officials.
An Al Jazeera explainer walks us through what life looks like six months into “ceasefire” in Gaza, laying bare continued attacks, severely restricted aid, and a population still living without safety, stability, or support after experiencing the unimaginable. At the same time, this newly adopted death penalty law marks a profound escalation – applied in occupied territories where Israel has no lawful authority to legislate, it entrenches apartheid, strips away due process, and places nearly 10,000 Palestinian detainees – including hundreds of children – at imminent risk of execution. Even at the height of apartheid in South Africa, no legal framework went this far.
Meanwhile, annexation continues unabated through the ongoing approval of new settlements in the West Bank, as violence unfolds daily and meaningful accountability from the international community remains shockingly absent. It can be easy to feel rage. Despair. Lost even.
While at the art build for Yom Al Ard (Land Day), a helpful reminder was shared: We show up for each other, we create, and we resist.
Right now is a good time to hold that within our bodies and in our hearts.
If you are looking for a space to just exist, there are many great events happening over the next few weeks. Check them out below.
In solidarity,
The VanGran crew*
*our sincere apologies that this newsletter edition is late in being sent out! A few of the events below passed this weekend, but we have kept them in the newsletter in case you would like to follow the event organizers or reach out for post-event content. ~C
Actions you can take
Sanction Israel's E1 Settlement Project Now!
Israel wants to further split Palestine into a series of disconnected enclaves. We have to stop them.
Join us in calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to sanction Israel’s E1 settlement project before it permanently severs the occupied West Bank in two and consolidates Israel’s unlawful control over Palestinian territory.
Sometimes referred to as Israel's “doomsday” settlement, the E1 expansion would sever the north and south of the West Bank, entrenching annexation and foreclosing any viable path to a just political resolution. The project would deliberately reshape the territory's geography and demographics in clear violation of international law, undermining Palestinians' right to self-determination and any state-building efforts.
To underscore the point, Israel's Finance Minister Smotrich has explicitly said that the project is intended to “bury the idea of a Palestinian state.” This plan is a thumb to the nose against Canada’s recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Canada has condemned the E1 plan, but condemnations without consequences will not stop Israel, which has been operating with impunity for too long.
The Israel Land Authority announced the E1 bidding tender in December 2025 and plans to award contracts on July 6, 2026. Once these tenders are issued and construction advances, reversal of the project will be nearly impossible.
That’s why we need you to act now.
Join us and demand that the Prime Minister publicly warn that any person or entity involved in E1 expansion will face economic sanctions from Canada.
Upcoming Events
Lessons from Witnessing the First Intifada to Leading the Apartheid Free Movement | April 11
Date & Location
đź“… Saturday, April 11
⏰ 2:30 - 3:30 pm
📍客家 HAKKA HOUSE (180 Keefer St. #103a, Vancouver)
About
جيدا Ů…ŘµŮ„Ř Jeeda Musleh is a local Palestinian organizer. Originally from Bethlehem, she witnessed the First Intifada as a child. Her love for her homeland and culture, and her strong sense of identity as a Palestinian, continue to drive her advocacy for Palestine today.
With Apartheid Free Communities, Jeeda has helped sign up hundreds of organizations, businesses, communities, and municipalities in BC and Canada to declare their solidarity and make tangible commitments toward an apartheid-free future in Palestine. Often the person leading rhythms at protests with her djembe, she is also the founder and lead of Djembes 4 a Liberated Palestine where she brings together a multicultural group of drummers each month.
Hear from Jeeda about her experiences as a grassroots organizer and what inspires her to keep organizing, how she approaches campaigning, and why she believes in organizing for the long term.
Screening: Gaza: Doctors Under Attack | April 11
Date & Location
đź“… Saturday, April 11
⏰ 4:00 pm
đź“ŤSYRE Theatre (Room 1002), SFU Surrey Campus (102 Avenue, Surrey)
About
IDRF—in partnership with BC Muslim & Arab Professionals, BC Physicians Against Genocide, Independent Jewish Voices, Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies, and The Project on Palestine Studies—invites you to a special screening of Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, an award-winning documentary examining the realities faced by healthcare workers and the extreme conditions under which medical care continues in Gaza. Followed by a panel discussion with local physicians and an audience Q&A.
Screening: Atrocity Inc.: How Israel sells its destruction of Gaza | April 11
Date & Location
đź“… Saturday, April 11
⏰ 6:00 pm
đź“ŤWildfires Bookstore: 712 12th St. (New Westminster, BC)
About
The Apartheid Awareness Movie Nights is one of the initiatives of AFC that aims at spreading awareness about the concept of Apartheid through film. There will be a focus on the Apartheid in South Africa, the Apartheid in Turtle Island, and the Apartheid in Palestine.
Seeding the Commons | April 12
Date & Location
đź“… Sunday, April 12
⏰ 1:00 - 4:00 pm
đź“ŤRussian Hall, 600 Campbell Ave, Vancouver, BC
About
Seeding the Commons brings together friends, neighbours and organizers, to center around a shared adoration of seeds, food, land-based knowledge and community care. From 1-1:45 pm, we welcome the public to join us for a presentation on Political Ecologies & the Role of Seeds in Cultural Memory by Haneen and Alia, followed by a land & food resource fair and seed swap from 2-4pm.
Tatreez Circle! | April 15
Date & Location
đź“… Wednesday, April 15
⏰ 7:00 - 9:00 pm
đź“ŤGrizzly Cafe - 15380 102 A Ave, Surrey
About
Join us for our Tatreez Circle! Come stitch, chat, and honour Palestinian tradition together. All levels welcome. Tatreez Circle is held on a bi-weekly basis, every other Wednesday.
What to bring:
- Your own Tatreez materials
- Any current projects you’re working on
- Beginner kits will be available for sale in limited quantity
🚨ALL OUT FOR PALESTINIAN PRISONERS’ DAY 🚨 | April 17
Date & Location
đź“… Friday, April 17
⏰ 6:30 pm
đź“ŤCreekside Park, 1455 Quebec Street, Vancouver, BC
About
”The one who resists is the one who has the final say and determines what should and should not be done. Resistance is the title of dignity. Anything else is a slaughter of dignity” — Georges Abdallah
Palestinian political prisoners are at the heart of the liberation struggle, and are the leadership of the liberation movement. Inside Zionist prisons, resistance factions continue political education, collective action, and hunger strikes. Prisoners persist as the leaders of the movement not despite their incarcertion, but precisely because of the political clarity forged by their position within the occupations’ legal system and prison walls.
This year, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day carries a new urgency: On March 30, the Knesset passed a genocidal execution law targetting Palestinian prisoners. War criminal Benjamin Netanyahu voted in favor, and Itamar Ben-Gvir celebrated the laws passing by donning a noose pin and opening a bottle of champagne on the Knesset floor.
This law legalizes the execution of Palestinian prisoners convicted of resistance, with executions to occur by hanging within 90 days of sentencing. This law applies to Palestinians tried in military courts in the West Bank and civil courts in Jerusalem, 1948 Palestine, and Gaza, while settler violence is exempt. This law also attempts to block the success of prisoner exchanges by excluding those with severe sentences from future deals.
Their prisons could not break the prisoners’ movement, so they seek new methods. But they will never succeed. The British executed three Palestinian revolutionaries in 1930, and the movement continued to grow. Now, in 2026, the movement will grow and strengthen, too.
The occupation calculates in isolation and fear. We disrupt their calculations by mobilizing, by honouring the prisoners’ steadfastness and leadership with action.
Let us take it to the streets this 17th of April to send a message that we will not forget our prisoners. We are an organized opposition. Silence is not an option.
Free all Palestinian Political Prisoners 🇵🇸
No Tech for Apartheid (Technology for Resistance: Platform Alternatives) | April 18
Date & Location
📆 Saturday, April 18
⏰ 2:00 - 5:00 pm
đź“ŤTrinity Grace United Church, Vancouver
About
Join Apartheid Free Communities BC for our fourth Apartheid Free Cafe. Technology and social media have become integral to our lives, but as the world drastically changes, so do tech platforms. This leads to questions about the ethics of the platforms we use and the companies we support. Many of the companies that are most complicit in apartheid and other human rights violations in Palestine are giant technology companies like Google and Microsoft. So what options do we have?
There are varying consequences that come with our use and engagement, and we do have the power to choose. That is why this month’s AFCafe will focus on Technology for Resistance: Platform Alternatives.
Our speaker Kat, will discuss the complicity of various companies in human rights abuses, identify what ethical choices in technology exist, and present easy alternatives to some of the most commonly used technology platforms and products. While techies are certainly welcome, this presentation is for ALL tech users - whether you love or hate it. Explore with us and leave with a list of easy alternatives that you may not have heard of, as well as tools to make conscious, ethical choices - and share your learning with others.
Practicing Anti-Racism: Approaching Difficult Conversations with Friends and Family | April 12 & 19
Date & Location
đź“… Sunday, April 12 & Sunday, April 19
⏰ 1:00 - 4:00 pm
đź“Ť2283 10th Ave East, Vancouver V5N 1Y3
About
Workshop design is focused predominantly on White identifying folks, but anyone interested in ending White supremacy and oppression is welcome! Written and facilitated by our two amazing core members, @ciarani_21 and Emily Gorham. This is a great way to gain some productive communication tips and build confidence engaging in generative conversation with unaligned folks in our network(s). In these heavy times, turning to each other, especially other White folks around us, feels critical.
TWO PARTS (attend either or both!)
✍🏻 Part I - “lecture & discussion”
👥 Part II - “review & small group practice”
Drag for Palestine | May 3
Date & Location
đź“… Sunday, May 3
⏰ 6:00 pm
đź“ŤThe Birdhouse, Vancouver, BC
About
After four successful showcases in Toronto and Montreal, raising over $15,000 for Palestine, we’re coming to Vancouver! Hosted by Vajayjay Abrams once again, this will be a night you won’t want to miss.
Featuring performances by Vancouver’s own Addi Pose, Amy Grindhouse, Batty Banks, Bliss, Cataleya, Dislexia, Michelangela, and Son of a Butch; Toronto’s Dandi Luv, Rosie, and Zi; Montreal’s Clay Thorris; Canada’s Drag Race stars Velma Jones, Karamilk, Dulce, Star Doll, Kendall Gender, PM, Xana, and Hazel; and all the way from RuPaul’s Drag Race and HBO’s We’re Here, Eureka will be here!
Funds raised will be donated to UNRWA.
Community Spotlights
Whenever we see another comrade wearing a keffiyeh or we see street artwork, a flag sticker - anything that reminds us of our collective humanity - we feel lifted. We spotted this installation from @ParentsforPalestineYVR in Riley Park, honouring Palestinian Children's Day. They shared this powerful message on Instagram:
Today, on Palestinian Children’s Day, we honour the joy, spirit, and light of every Palestinian child and we sit with the weight of those who are no longer here. Their absence is not distant. It is felt, carried, and remembered.
Our commitment is not symbolic. It is lived. It is in the work of teaching truth, in refusing silence, in advocating without pause, and in uplifting the voices that must be heard. It is in how we continue to gather, to support one another, and to build a community that grows stronger through action, care, and accountability.
We do this with intention. We do this together. And we do not stop, not until every child is free to live, to grow, and to belong.
For the children. Always. Forever.
This is a very special community, and we're honoured to be sharing our time with and for it. Keep up to date with ParentsforPalestineYVR here.
Book Club
Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine by Hannah Moushabeck
A Palestinian family celebrates the stories of their homeland in this moving autobiographical picture book debut by Hannah Moushabeck. With heartfelt illustrations by Reem Madooh, this story is a love letter to home, to family, and to the persisting hope of people that transcends borders.
For more information and where to purchase see: https://hannahmoushabeck.com/books/