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Ontario NDP Distances Itself From MPP’s Tweet In Support Of Palestinian Terrorist

Controversy over tweet by Ontario NDP MPP on Palestinian terrorist who died during a hunger strike in Israeli custody.

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The NDP released a two-sentence statement following a retweet by Sarah Jama, Hamilton Centre’s MPP, in support of a Palestinian terrorist who died during a hunger strike while in Israeli custody. (Photo: @maritstiles)

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The Ontario NDP has distanced itself from a tweet made by Hamilton Centre’s MPP, Sarah Jama, on May 4, in support of a Palestinian terrorist who died during a hunger strike while in Israeli custody. The party released a statement that said the tweet does not reflect the views of MPP Jama or the Ontario NDP. Jama had retweeted a post by American academic Noura Erakat, who called the deceased Khader Adnan a “martyr for freedom.” Adnan was arrested by Israeli authorities as a member of the Islamic Jihad, a group listed as a terrorist organization by the Canadian government.

This is not the first time Jama’s statements about Israel and the Hamilton police have caused controversy. During the byelection in March 2021, Jama’s past comments became a political issue. She accused the Hamilton police of protecting “Nazism” and “targeting Black Muslim Palestinians saying we don’t have the right to push to exist” in a video of her speech at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square. She also called Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israeli prime ministership illegitimate and said that there was a group funding the “killing of people here locally and globally.” Jama apologized for her statements shortly before the election, saying she made “a poor choice of words.”

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Jama’s retweet of Erakat’s post was criticized by B’nai B’rith Canada which tweeted that calling Adnan a “martyr for freedom” was an affront to his innocent victims and unbecoming of an elected official. The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center called on the NDP to take meaningful action instead of simply denouncing the tweet. The center’s director of allyship and community engagement, Dan Panneton, called Jama’s retweet an example of “ill-informed and reckless behaviour” that showed “disregard for Jews in her riding and across the province.”

Jama did not respond to interview requests and her Twitter account appeared to have been deactivated for much of the day on May 4 before being restored in the late afternoon. It was unclear whether someone from the party leadership had asked Jama to remove the retweet or whether she had done it herself. Jama, who serves as the NDP critic for accessibility and disability justice and youth, was elected as the youngest member of the current provincial parliament in the March byelection.

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It remains to be seen how the controversy surrounding Jama’s tweet will be resolved, and whether it will have any long-term impact on her political career or the NDP’s standing in the province. 

However, what is clear is that the issues at the heart of this controversy – namely, the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine and the challenges facing politicians who seek to address these issues – will continue to be important topics of discussion and debate in the years to come. As such, it is important for all stakeholders to remain engaged and committed to finding constructive and peaceful solutions to these complex and challenging problems.

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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!

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