Israel Lobby's B'nai Brith ignores invitation to Train

Three prominent Canadian contacts for the Israel Lobby group B'nai Brith were contacted (see email below) to be interviewed on June 2, 2011, but did not acknowledge the invitation or show up for the show.

This is in sharp contrast to the Lobby's (now apparently disingenuous?) repeated and vehement calls for media "balance".

The invitation remains open.

From: Denis Rancourt
Date: Fri, May 20, 2011 at 6:59 PM
Subject: request for media interview
To: ParliamentHill@bnaibrith.ca, bnb@bnaibrith.ca, hoppen@bnaibrith.ca
Cc: "CHUO 89.1 FM Train"

Dear contacts for B'nai Brith Canada,

I seek to radio interview representatives or executives of B'nai Brith Canada on my radio show: The Train, CHUO 89.1 FM Ottawa.

My show has been very critical of Israel policies and Israel state behaviour and I want to provide the other side for my listeners. I tried to invite several members of Hillel but all declined.

The show plays every Thursday in prime time (5pm EST) on the entire Ottawa metro area and has a good following. It is also live streamed and podcast.

The blog of the show is here:
http://trainradio.blogspot.com/

Past guests have included a very broad range of societal actors, from a Canadian Senator to law experts to media leaders to film makers and musicians to politicians to homeless people to medical doctors to criminalized activists to civil rights and human rights leaders and many more.

You and your work would be featured for the full hour, 5pm to 6pm, preferably live in the U of O campus studio but phone interviews are also possible.

We can also do more than one show if you feel the issue needs more time.

In addition, I would welcome your suggestions for other contacts who would be recommended representatives of the Canadian Jewish community.

Jewish members of such groups as the Canada Boat to Gaza and Faculty for Palestine have been interviewed in the recent past but I would like the Jewish pro-Israel side to be represented.

I am personally openly critical of Israel but I would make a strong effort to be as objective and fair as possible while allowing the guest all the needed time for responses and explanations. I am an open minded person who is prepared to re-examine all his positions.

The topics would also largely be up to the guests who can direct their contributions as they wish.

I'm hoping we can schedule a first show on Thursday June 2nd (5pm to 6pm) for this?

Is this possible?

Sincerely,
Dr. Denis Rancourt
Host, The Train, CHUO 89.1 FM

COMMENT AT YOUTUBE (accessed today):
"A once great organization is in shambles. Frank Dimant is not just an embarresment to Bnai Brith, but shames our community in front of all of Canada. With his partisan hackery, his baseless accusations of antisemitism where there are none, his willingness to ignore REAL antisemitism on the right when it comes from antisemites who cloak themselves in the shield of being pro-Israel, his ongoing attempt to caste out anyone who disagrees with him - Frank has destroyed Bnai Brith"