A prestigious Toronto debate series has ignited significant controversy by assembling an all-Israeli panel to discuss the future of Palestinian statehood without Palestinian representation. The Munk Debates, scheduled for Wednesday evening, will feature four former Israeli lawmakers debating the two-state solution while excluding Palestinian voices entirely.
The panel composition includes former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Justice and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni advocating for Palestinian statehood, while former Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren and former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked will argue against it. The event will be livestreamed exclusively for paid members rather than made available to the general public.
Rudyard Griffiths, chair of the debates, confirmed this was a deliberate choice rather than an oversight. During an October podcast appearance, Griffiths suggested that until ‘duly and democratically elected’ Palestinian representatives emerge, Israel must first determine the feasibility and parameters of a Palestinian state.
The decision has drawn fierce criticism from pro-Palestinian groups and human rights organizations. Gur Tsubar of Jews Say No To Genocide condemned the format as ‘colonizers debating the fate of the colonized while the colonized are silenced,’ calling it racist and dangerous. Protesters are expected to gather outside Meridian Hall, the event venue, to demonstrate against what they describe as ‘a carefully curated stage for genocide apologists.’
Notably, all four Israeli panelists have controversial backgrounds regarding Palestinian relations. Olmert led Israel during Operation Cast Lead (2008-2009) that killed 1,400 Palestinians in Gaza. Livni has faced European investigations for her role in the same operation. Oren has publicly advocated relocating two million Palestinians from Gaza, while Shaked was previously banned from Australia over incitement concerns and proposed citizenship legislation aimed at demographic control.
Human rights organizations including Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights have called for Canadian authorities to arrest both Olmert and Livni under Canada’s obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
The Munk Debates, while loosely associated with the University of Toronto’s Munk School, operate as a charitable initiative of the Aurea Foundation, co-founded by Canadian investors Peter and Melanie Munk. The series has previously hosted controversial figures including far-right commentator Steve Bannon in 2018.