Dear Leaders of Concordia University—students, administration and faculty;
It is too late to ask you to stop the spread of antisemitic hate being promoted by the PAJU on campus via its sponsorship of a notorious antisemite, but you have the responsibility to ensure this doesn't continue to occur on campus and threaten the safety of Jewish students.
The event featuring Ali Abunimah was scheduled for today so likely has taken place amid protests by Jewish students. The creator of the Electronic Intifada promotes hatred and calls for the destruction of Israel, that is a call for genocide. That you would allow this to take place on campus is disgusting and discriminating, displaying a total lack of concern about truth, justice and peace. An intifada is an act of terrorism, and Abunimah promotes terror through his social media. He lies about Israel, seeks to harm Israelis, and supports the BDS movement which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pointed out, is antisemitic.
Jewish students on your campus have just faced the showering of lies and hatred from one who demonizes Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. I would like you to understand that "tolerance" of every view point and the presumption of "balance" in complex situations, does not require you to allow hatred of Israel to be on display. Putting up with Abunimah is akin to allowing Gobbels on campus. Lies are not to be tolerated, and balance does not mean giving time to Jew hatred.
Israel is a country that recognizes the civil rights of all while its neighbors do not have policies or practices which support civil rights for their citizens. Gay Arabs flee Gaza for Israel. Peace seeking Arabs who willingly seek peace, can be jailed and even executed by Palestinian Arab governments in both Gaza and the PA governed areas. Arab women are not granted equal rights under the Palestinian Authority and Jews are totally banned from living in such areas, while Arabs make up 21% of the Israeli population. The depiction on the event poster promoting the event was meant to stir up emotions and to vilify Israel and is far from depicting the truth, but serves to spread lies and antisemitism.
Terrorism is the fodder of the PA and Hamas, and both want to see the total eradication of Israel, death to Jews, the end of the only Jewish state in the world and the ancient homeland of the Jewish people. How on earth can an academic institution give a platform to total lies? How can you not see your responsibility to help young people get a full and complete history and facts-based information about the reality of Israel. There is no country called Palestine and has never been one. There was a Jewish sovereign state thousands of years ago and there is one now, reconstituted and legal, not occupying anyone else's land and not torturing any other people. If peace were desired by the Palestinian Arabs then they would put down their arms, stop sending rockets to kill civilians and children with knives to kill Israelis; they would recognize Israel and seek to negotiate peace. The charter of Hamas declares it will never accept Israel and will eliminate the Jews. The PA pays terrorists handsomely for killing Israelis and trains children to be terrorists which is recognized child abuse under international conventions.
Jewish students are increasingly facing hatred and lies in any number of North American universities, to which we must now add Concordia. Sadly, while the CSU had very recently apologized for past prejudice against Jewish students, it seems to have meant little as it once again has endorsed the venom of Jew hatred.
We call on all of you and your colleagues, and the entire Concordia student body to stop allowing threatening behaviour on campus, raise the bar, challenge the lies, teach truth, develop standards of decency and respect, and learn from history. You know it never ends with the Jews; Now is the time to End Jew Hatred!
Respectfully,
Andria Spindel,
Executive Director
Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation