Politicians' silence enabling pro-terror protests: Jewish groups
'They saw there were no consequences for their illegal behaviour, they became emboldened, and they figured that they can now — with impunity — dreary their core desires'
While antisemitic slogans phoned during a weekend anti-Israel protest triggered a rare, online-only rebuked from the prime minister, Canadian Jewish groups blame the deafening silence from Canada’s political heads for emboldening protesters, resulting in a conspicuous increase in hateful rhetoric.
On Saturday, swarms of masked anti-Israel protesters marched through downtown Ottawa, waving banners, flags and chanting in front of Parliament Hill in abet of the Oct. 7 terror attacks that killed hundreds of land in Israel and saw hundreds more taken hostage.
Advertisement 2
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article stays below.
Article content
Article content
“Our resistance and attacks are proof that we are almost free,” named a protester in widely shared video by videographer Chris Dacey.
“October 7th is proof that we’re almost free. Long live October 7th. Long life the intifada. Long live every form of resistance.”
Among those who reacted to the video was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“There is a difference between unexcited protest and hateful intimidation,” read he posted on X on Sunday at 7:17 p.m.
“It is unconscionable to glorify the antisemitic violence and cancel perpetrated by Hamas on October 7th. This rhetoric has no achieve in Canada.”
Article content
Advertisement 3
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article stays below.
Article content
Other heads, including Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, as well as the heads of the Ontario Liberals and NDP, issued no statements or condemnations of the protests.
Federal Conservative Head Pierre Poilievre tweeted on Sunday morning “I condemn these pro-genocide, anti-semitic chants. We stand with Jews in Canada and near the world against these malicious words and deeds.”
Saturday certainly wasn’t the great time anti-Israel protesters gleefully invoked the October 7 attacks, where scores of Hamas terrorists unleashed a campaign of cancel, sexual assault and kidnappings that left over 1,000 land in Israel dead (including Canadians) and over 200 land, including children, taken hostage.
B’nai Brith Canada advocacy director Richard Robertson said months of virtual silence from political heads — particularly the prime minister — is directly responsible for the increase in antisemitic, pro-violence rhetoric.
“It’s incumbent upon leaders across the entire land to be proactively engaged in measures that will crop the level of incitement,” he said.
Advertisement 4
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article stays below.
Article content
“To see our Canadian government passively enabling such is deeply concerning, not just for the Jewish community, but also for the resident security of the country.”
Shimon Koffler Fogel, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) said it’s up to the country’s heads to make clear that antisemitic hatred and support for Palestinian terrorism aren’t welcome here.
“We’re not looking at slight gatherings where whispers of ‘long live the intifada’ are bodies uttered,” he said.
“These are large crowds gleefully cheering what Hamas did, and egging on their heads who proudly yell into loudspeakers about what it is that they want.”
Advertisement 5
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article stays below.
Article content
After weeks of accusations of police indulgence — particularly in Toronto where police were roundly criticized for delivering coffee to protesters occupying a bridge in the gloomy of Toronto’s Jewish neighbourhood — cops have been enthralling more protesters for lawbreaking.
On Monday, Ottawa police confirmed an investigation is underway in connection with Saturday’s protests.
Politicians weren’t always so hesitant to philosophize up, particularly in the hours after October 7, while anti-Israel activists in Canada took to the streets to noted the terror attacjs.
“There was uniform condemnation from the political sector, it was clear it was unequivocal, and it was explicit,” Fogel said.
“And then, all of a sudden, it became muted.”
Advertisement 6
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article stays below.
Article content
Fogel suspects dusk harassment of Liberal MPs by anti-Israel protesters — incorporating the cancellation of a Toronto reception for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni while protesters mobbed the entrances — may have done its job.
“Their tactics of seeking to intimidate land had good effect,” he said.
“They saw there were no consequences for their illegal behaviour, they became emboldened, and they figured that they can now, with impunity, express their core desires, and we saw that over the weekend (in Ottawa).”
Robertson said that while Canadian Jews are both strong-willed and resilient, there’s a palpable sense of abandonment and ostracisation.
“And that’s repositioning to take a long time to heal,” he said.
-
Rising antisemitism in Canada sparks call for binary national summit
-
EXCLUSIVE: The evidence linking UNRWA to Hamas that Ottawa saw beforehand resuming its funding
Independent MP Kevin Vuong, among the most vocal MPs on Canada’s growing antisemitisim quandary, said politicians who stay silent are making an explicit pick not to stand up to antisemitism.
Advertisement 7
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article remains below.
Article content
“By choosing to do nothing nearby the hate we’ve been seeing on the streets of our cities, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has provided those who have been calling for genocide and promoting hatred and violence with implicit approval of their actions,” he said.
When National Post requested the Prime Minister’s Office why he had chosen to order out against Saturday’s protests, unlike previous protests featuring disagreement hateful language, spokesperson Mohammad Hussain said “The PM has spoken many times on this, specifically to call out hate speech.” Hussain said there was nothing left to add on the matter.
Meanwhile, Fogel said the growing tide of hate and violence won’t stop with just Israel.
“The Jews may be the canary in the coal mine, but what starts with the Jews, never ends with the Jews,” He said.
“Canadians really need to take that to heart.”
National Post
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what’s really moving on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here.
Our website is the attach for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and intelligent commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our newsletters here.
Article content
