CAEF Letter to Minister Anand Re: Spreading lies about Israel, spreads hatred towards Jews

May 22, 2025

Hon. Anita Anand,

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Government of Canada

Ottawa, Ontario

K1A 0A6

Anita.anand@parl.gc.ca

Re: Spreading lies about Israel, spreads hatred towards Jews

Dear Minister Anand;

The Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation extends sincere congratulations to you on your new appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs and wishes to highlight an area of importance in which we can assist you. We assume that you have not had time nor prior experiences that enabled you in learn about Israel, Jewish history and the historic and ongoing conflict between the Jewish State of Israel and its Arab neighbours. A conflict that predates the state by decades and has been almost continuous since the re-establishment of the sovereign Jewish state in 1948.

The Federal Government of Canada adopted the IHRA working definition of antisemitism in 2019, and had joined the IHRA in 2009, chairing it in 2013-2014. Should you not be familiar with what antisemitism is, we are eager to inform you and to point out that Canada helped to set the model for the rest of the world. Your remarks on May 13th were a great set back.

Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities."

Contemporary examples must be considered to fully appreciate how antisemitism is manifested and to develop actions to combat it. We highlight the example that best describes your statements as antisemitic, in singling out Israel for approbation and ignoring both other conflicts and the heinous behaviour of the organization that attacked Israel, holds hostages, continues to inflict suffering on Israel, continues to recruit and reward terrorists, kills dissenters, lies about every aspect of life in Gaza, blames Israel for what its own actions (hoarding food from  Gazans), uses hospitals, mosques and schools for weapons of war, uses children and women as human shields, trains elementary age children to hate and kill.

1. Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion. 

2. Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions. 

3. Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews. 

4. Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust). 

5. Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust. 

6. Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations. 

7. Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor. 

8. Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation. 

9. Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis. 

10. Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis. 

11. Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel. 

The words you spoke immediately after being inducted in your new role were fodder for the hate that has been surging across Canada and the world. Canadian Jews and Allies had been hopeful that a new Liberal government would be honour bound to educate the Canadian populace about antisemitism in order to stem the tide of hatred, and to implement a program of training and discipline for all departments crown corporations, and NGOs which receive funding from any part of the Federal Government. Without true leadership with a commitment to push back Jew hatred, it will only rise. Your disparaging, inaccurate and grossly insensitive remarks will do the opposite. Was that your intention?

Below are a few facts that might assist you and your staff in getting the truth out and contributing something positive to ending the conflict between Israel and the terrorists who are bent on Israel’s destruction. 

Firstly, know the names of the terrorist entities and call them out; they should all be listed in Canada given they condone and carry out terror attacks against civilians: Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iran,  and assorted other terror groups like Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Fatah, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Abu Nidal Organization, The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command. In addition, Canada has listed Samidoun and the IRGC.  Many of these entities are local branches of the Muslim Brotherhood which itself is a listed terror entity in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Austria. Why is Canada waiting when evidence has mounted that the Muslim Brotherhood is the parent for Sunni Muslim jihadist entities?

Here are facts you failed to mention when you misled the public about Israel’s actions in Gaza, and stated that you support a two state solution as a logical conclusion to bringing about peace. Why did you not start by stating that the terrorists must first be disarmed? What other country is expected to create a state for its sworn enemies that have but one goal—the entire eradication of the peace partner? For Israel there is NO partner for peace. There has never been a Palestinian Arab entity that has agreed to two states, neither before nor since the establishment of the democratic state of Israel in 1948. 

Here are simple facts that should be spoken by you and the new Government at every opportunity, if you really believe in peace. 

1. Hamas started a war with savagery, murdering 1200 innocent people in ways similar to that of ISIS. They were not all Jews, and they included 79 foreign nationals.  

2. Hamas took 251 people as hostages and is still holding 54, some dead and some soon to die. They are not all Jews. 

3. Hamas broke a ceasefire on October 7th, 2023 and several times since. 

4. Hamas has one and only one stated goal—the eradication of Israel by any means. It is in their charter. 

5. The charters of both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority call for ONE state, a state with no Jews! This is part of the Islamic doctrine to which they adhere. 

6. Canada is funding  UNRWA which has long supported Hamas terrorism and is therefore complicit in the slaughter of Jews, including babies, pregnant women, elderly people, children, men and women. UNRWA trains and rewards Jew killers and Canada funds UNRWA. Evidence has been provided numerous times—CAEF has provided videos and referenced text books used in all UNRWA schools, and training of kids at UNRWA summer campus run by Hamas inculcate hatred and violence towards Jews. 

7. Hamas is a listed terrorist organization, yet supporters parade around with impunity in  Canada and the senior levels of government are not challenging this explicit antisemitism. 

8. Hamas is anti-gay, anti-women, anti-religious diversity, anti-minority rights, and kills its own civilians if they call for changes, demand rights or try to access supplies that were confiscated by and for Hamas. 

9. Israel has done more to protect civilians than any other military in history! FACT. 

10. Israel allowed in more food than was required and Hamas stole it and has kept it from Gazan civilians. While also selling donated supplies on the Black market. 

11. Hamas kills Gazans who try to leave or who express discontent with the tyranny of Hamas. 

12. Gazans who were friends with Israelis were killed by Hamas. 

13. Egypt has blocked the border with Gaza, essentially providing less access and egress than Israel ever did. 

14. Gazans participated in the barbaric massacre of Israelis and foreign nationals—and over 87% supported the heinous crimes against Jews and others. Gazans are not innocent victims but perpetrators, collaborators, supporters, trainers, partners in evil with Hamas. 

15. Iran, not Israel, is responsible for funding the carnage because they have funded Hamas. 

16. Qatar, not Israel, is responsible for the devastation in Gaza because they have funded Hamas, housed their leadership in luxury in Doha, funded Al Jezeera to broadcast lies and enable hate to flourish. 

17. Turkey, not Israel is responsible for Jew hatred and antiZionism  becoming normalized as its leadership has become increasingly radicalized, adopting Islamism as its faith and creed.  

18. Canadians are being victimized by radical Islamism, not by Judaism. 

19. Israel is the New Jew—being blamed for every ill in society while the perpetrators of evil are ignored. 

20. The Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs has not called out Russia which has kidnapped 200 Ukrainian children, bombed residential neighborhoods, illegally occupied parts of Ukraine.  Within minutes after being inducted into Cabinet, Minister  Anand, you chose to defame Israel and spread lies. Why have you not called out the Islamists who beheaded 70 Christians in the Congo a few weeks ago, or Syria which has been murdering non Muslims, including Druze, Christians and Kurds? 

21. Jew hatred is but the tip of the iceberg. The federal government is denying history, facts, truths. –It all begins with the Jews, but it never ends with the Jews.  

With huge disappointment, but hopes for the rescinding of ill-considered statements and your commitment to becoming informed and building trust with the Jewish community, CAEF extends a welcome to you Minister Anand. We welcome you to stand for justice, for freedom for truth, thus standing with Canada’s ally, Israel.

Respectfully,

Andria Spindel, Executive Director

Cc Vince Gasparro, MP

     Leslie Church, MP

     Roman Baber, MP 

     Melissa Lantsman, MP and Deputy Leader of the Opposition