Popular Articles

Taking A Knee Is Meaningless Without Action

Look Deeper Into Black Lives Matter Before Supporting Them

Click an icon above to share, email, or save this article

At the May 30 Black Lives Matter protest, in Charlotte, North Carolina | Photo: Clay Banks/Upsplash

Click an icon above to share, email, or save this article

Last Tuesday was named Blackout Day on social media, to recognize anti-black racism and police brutality, in the wake of the tragic killing of George Floyd by a group of Minneapolis police officers.

I’m not generally a fan of campaigns like this on social media, because it is easy to press a few computer buttons, click a mouse and consider oneself “woke” – that is, someone who stands up against racism.

I’m more of the school of “actions speak louder than words” on a daily basis, as is my wife Denise Alexander. I learned Denise was much more than “woke” when I saw all five-feet of her stand up to a six-foot-four racist landscaper in Florida, who spoke about blacks in a derogatory way.

Not only did she tell him on the spot that his services were no longer required, but she quickly asked our black handyman to take on the extra duties of tending to our greenery—to make a point every time the racist landscaper came down our street.

Nonetheless, my hair nearly stood on end when I saw those of the Jewish faith happily embracing the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.

It is one thing to speak out against racism, and we as Jews, have always made it our business to stand up for the downtrodden. Many activists and lawyers were heavily involved in the civil rights movement in the early 60s in the southern U.S.

But whether they meant to do so or not, they signaled to me with that hashtag that they supported the highly questionable, and bordering on violent activist group Black Lives Matter.

The Black Lives Matter movement in the U.S. has repeatedly come under criticism for supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and for referring to Israel as a genocidal apartheid state. The goal of the BDS movement is to destroy the Jewish state financially, and to ostracize it on the world stage.

Here in Canada – specifically Toronto – I will never forget how BLM hijacked the Gay Pride parade in 2016, holding revelers essentially hostage for 30 minutes as they blocked a major intersection. They subsequently pushed for a ban on all police marching in the parade, as did many Pride organizations across Canada

BLM’s actions have practically destroyed Toronto’s Pride organization financially, and has lost Pride organizations across the country thousands of supporters.
They are also very selective in what black lives they protect, remaining conspicuously silent on black-on-black crime in the U.S. and here in Canada.

Get thej.ca a Pro Israel Voice by Email. Never miss a top story that effects you, your family & your community

But most importantly, in my research I have discovered that the Canadian group has been a signatory, along with the usual cadre of leftist professors protected by academic freedom, to a series of labour-union initiated anti-Israel apartheid, pro-Palestinian rights, pro-BDS motions.

It all makes perfect sense—Israel is perceived by the rabid left, BLM included, as a colonial state populated by those with “white privilege.”

As I’ve discovered in my career, there are good cops and there are bad ones. An unfortunate incident while on the job last year convinced me that they go out of their way to protect their own.

I was forced out of a fiery public meeting by four armed cops, for daring to ask a hard question of the organizer of an Indigenous healing lodge for women criminals planned for a Scarborough neighbourhood.

My complaint to the police brass went nowhere, as hard as the lovely officer investigating it tried to do the right thing. I knew her hands were tied.

What this and other experiences have taught me is that bad cops—no matter who they abuse– need to be held to account by our politicians and the top brass within their respective police forces.

Gestures like taking a knee – as Toronto’s police chief and our Prime Minister did this past week – mean nothing if actions don’t accompany those symbolic gestures.

As for those in the Jewish community using the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag, I would simply remind them that Jews were the most targeted group in Canada once again last year, with harassment and other anti-Semitic acts and that #JewishLivesMatter too.

Sue-Ann Levy is a veteran journalist, a columnist for Toronto Sun, and a columnist for TheJ.ca

 

Click an icon above to share, email, or save this article

Click an icon above to share, email, or save this article

Read More

Thank you for choosing TheJ.Ca as your source for Canadian Jewish News.

We do news differently!

Our positioning as a Zionist News Media platform sets us apart from the rest. While other Canadian Jewish media are advocating increasingly biased progressive political and social agendas, TheJ.Ca is providing more and more readers with a welcome alternative and an ideological home.

We revealed the incursion of anti-Israel progressive elements such as IfNotNow into our communities. We have exposed the distorted hateful agenda of the “progressive” left political radicals who brought Linda Sarsour to our cities, and we were first to report on many disturbing incidents of Nazi-based hate towards Jews across Canada.

But we can’t do it alone. We need your HELP!

Our ability to thrive and grow in 2020 and beyond depends on the generosity of committed readers and supporters like you.

Monthly support is a great way to help us sustain our operations. We greatly appreciate any contributions you can make to support Jewish Journalism.

We thank you for your ongoing support.

Happy reading!

Thank you for choosing TheJ.Ca as your source for Canadian Jewish News.

We do news differently!

Our positioning as a Zionist News Media platform sets us apart from the rest. While other Canadian Jewish media are advocating increasingly biased progressive political and social agendas, TheJ.Ca is providing more and more readers with a welcome alternative and an ideological home.

We revealed the incursion of anti-Israel progressive elements such as IfNotNow into our communities. We have exposed the distorted hateful agenda of the “progressive” left political radicals who brought Linda Sarsour to our cities, and we were first to report on many disturbing incidents of Nazi-based hate towards Jews across Canada.

But we can’t do it alone. We need your HELP!

Our ability to thrive and grow in 2020 and beyond depends on the generosity of committed readers and supporters like you.

Monthly support is a great way to help us sustain our operations. We greatly appreciate any contributions you can make to support Jewish Journalism.

We thank you for your ongoing support.

Happy reading!

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content

Previous slide
Next slide

LATEST ARTICLES

cOMING SOON…….

Breaking News

Recent

Features

News

Current Events

Opinions

Politics

Religion

Culture

Memoriam and Obituaries

PodcastS

Terms and Conditions

Privacy Policy

About Us

Advertise with us

contact 

Subscribe Now

Receive the latest in community & international Jewish news direct to your inbox

© 2020 THEJ.CA, All Rights Reserved

Terms and Conditions

Privacy Policy

About Us

Advertise with us

contact 

Subscribe Now

Receive the latest in community & international Jewish news direct to your inbox

© 2020 THEJ.CA, All Rights Reserved

Subscribe Now

Receive the latest in community & international Jewish news direct to your inbox

Terms and Conditions

Privacy Policy

About Us

Advertise with us

contact 

© 2020 THEJ.CA, All Rights Reserved