Round-Up: Jews Across Canada Raise The Alarm About Violent Antisemitism

LONDON

A faculty member of Western University is the subject of a formal complaint after he stated that Jewish students who are Zionists should be “boycotted and sanctioned.”

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) has submitted a complaint to Western University regarding a bizarre and offensive tweet written by Professor Ziad Solh, who stated that Jewish heritage and culture was celebrated for “hundreds of years until Zionism came” and that if Jewish students’ “culture is Zionism at the expense of the Palestinian people, they should be boycotted and sanctioned.”

FSWC asserted, “Any suggestion that Jewish students, Zionist or otherwise, should be boycotted by the university or any other institution is outrageous and blatantly antisemitic. We urge your administration to speak out regarding this statement by your faculty member and send a message that antisemitism in any form is totally unacceptable at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.”

MONTREAL

On Saturday, May 15, 2021 ‎the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM)- حركة الشباب الفلسطيني‎ and Fondation canado-palestinienne du Québec hosted a rally in commemoration of the Nakba (Commémoration de la Nakba) in Montreal. Canadadocs reported that pro-Palestine protesters were taped holding a swastika that was imposed on an Israel flag and a sign that read: “Zionism is Nazism.”  Loud and angry protesters made their way to the Israeli consulate and Montreal police used tear gas to try to stem the violence. A pro-Israel gathering the next day was attacked with rocks and calls of  “Dirty Jews” and “Death to Israel.”

In response, Federation CJA CEO Yair Szlak spoke out:

“Our community’s leadership has forcefully called out the hateful incidents of recent days for what they are: Antisemitism, pure and simple. Nothing justifies rock throwing and assaulting people at a peaceful rally. There are no excuses for driving through Jewish neighbourhoods with the intent to terrorize Jews. Death threats and threats of violence against Jews on the street or online are horrendous and must be unequivocally condemned. Jews are not fair game, no matter your position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We must all stand united against hate. There is simply no room for antisemitism or hate of any kind in our society.”

A week later, the National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion condemning the antisemitic incidents targeting Quebec’s Jewish community.

In an opinion column in the Globe and Mail, CIJA CEO Shimon Koffler Fogel stated, “Attacking Jewish Canadians because of a political conflict in the Middle East is the definition of bigotry. Boycotting Canadian businesses because they are owned by Jews is wrong. Having to advise Jewish Canadians to think twice about donning a kippah or Star of David necklace before going out is horrifying. If you want to keep this toxicity out of Canada, demand that Jewish hatred be challenged for what it is – a poison to our society – if for no other reason than the fact that history repeatedly warns us that what starts with the Jews never ends with the Jews.”