B’nai Brith Canada has expressed concern about the Canadian Museum for Human Rights’ (CMHR) upcoming Nakba Exhibit amid reports of foreign interference.
Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present is set to open June 27, 2026. It is advertised as an exploration of human rights violations related to the “ongoing forced displacement and dispossession of Palestinians,” featuring personal stories told through objects and video testimonies, art, photos, and text.
While CMHR said the exhibition is being developed in collaboration with an advisory network of scholars,
B’nai Brith said it remains unclear if museum officials held discussions with “credible historians” or received “appropriate, informed perspectives from Jewish and Israeli Canadians.”
“Our concerns surround the proposed contents of this exhibit, as well as the Museum’s failure to engage in a proper, meaningful and transparent consultation process with appropriate stakeholders,” the advocacy organization said in a statement on Tuesday.
Concerns CMHR's exhibit will fuel hatred, promote revisionism
“At a time when Canada is experiencing a national crisis of antisemitism, including as a result of distortions of Zionism and Israeli history, we are concerned that CMHR’s exhibit will fuel hatred and promote revisionist narratives.”
B’nai Brith’s concerns about CMHR’s lack of transparency come amid the recent revelation that foreign actors may have been involved in the consultation or development of the exhibition.
Internal emails obtained by the National Post indicated that senior officials at CMHR had a discussion with the Palestinian representative to Canada, in which she attempted to get involved in the exhibition.
According to the email dated December 4, 2024, Ramsey Zeid (president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba) asked Matthew Cutler, CMHR’s vice-president of exhibitions, and Isha Khan, the museum’s CEO on December 4, 2024, if the ambassador of Palestine to Canada could meet with CMHR staff about the Nakba Exhibit to “receive an update on the progress of the project, understand where we currently stand, and explore how she might be able to assist.”
On December 6, Cutler responded to Zeid, agreeing to the meeting.
The Palestinian General Delegation confirmed to the National Post that the meeting took place, but would not disclose what was discussed.
Neil Oberman, a Montreal lawyer, told the National Post that there is a serious question as to whether the CMHR has violated its own mandate under the Museums Act, which explicitly states that its purpose is to “explore the subject of human rights, with special but not exclusive reference to Canada, in order to enhance the public’s understanding of human rights, to promote respect for others and to encourage reflection and dialogue.”
B’nai Brith then weighed in with its Tuesday statement, saying that it is “unacceptable that a member of a foreign official delegation to Canada may have influenced, or been positioned to influence, a Crown corporation’s decision-making.”
B’nai Brith called for a full and transparent investigation into the matter, and asked that the CMHR delay the exhibit’s opening in the meantime until the allegations of foreign interference have been fully investigated.
“Anything less would further undermine its credibility and accentuate the potential harm caused to the Jewish community, and all Canadians.”