Why Did It Take The Foodbenders Fiasco for Jews to Snap Into Action?

Our politicians at all levels – Toronto Mayor John Tory, Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau—all tweeted weak, almost canned responses, and said nothing publicly. If the hate had been directed at blacks or at Muslims, they would have been tripping over each other to call it out, and very publicly. Tory and Trudeau took days to respond, as if they had to be pushed.

Toronto’s left-wing media – which have been quick to call out even a whiff of anti-black racism or the ridiculous term they use called Islamophobia – ignored the story. I was the only member of the mainstream media to break the story, and keep on it.

Clearly, we are on our own.

But the Jewish community and most of our advocacy groups have enabled this to happen.

We repeatedly allow protests to occur against the Jewish state, without saying a word. We don’t withdraw our donations from universities where Jewish students are targeted, and faculty indoctrinates uninformed students with anti-Israel propaganda.

We don’t use the same tactics as the haters.

I’m not talking about blocking the corner of Yonge and Bloor like the usual anti-Israel mob did a week ago, screaming lies and hate about the Jewish state. I’m talking about recognizing that, like it or not, Jews are under siege and sticking our heads in the sand won’t make it go away.

I don’t need to be convinced. But when a shopowner and her friends tell you, as Hawkins did nearly two weeks ago, that I’m a “hateful f—” and I need to “get the f—” out of her “private” store, off the sidewalk and out of the neighbourhood, I harbour no illusions that people like her love Jews.