CAEF Letter to Toronto Chief of Protocol re Palestinian Flag Raising Ceremony Nov. 13, 2025

Aretha Phillip 

Chief of Protocol 

City of Toronto 

100 Queen Street West 

Toronto ON 

cc. Mayor Olivia Chow, Members of Council 

Delivered by Email: protocol@toronto.ca 

Dear Chief Phillip:

We are writing to convey our concerns about the upcoming ceremony for the raising of the Palestinian flag at Toronto City Hall on November 17, 2025. Our concerns cover both the content of the Ceremony and the activities of any supporters of the ceremony in Nathan Phillips Square. 

Specifically, we draw your attention to Section 2.1 of the City’s Human Rights and Anti-Harassment/Discrimination Policy (“HRAD Policy”), which prohibits the use of City property in a manner that results in discrimination against or harassment of any person on the basis of ancestry, citizenship, creed, place of origin, ethnic origin, or political affiliation. Specifically, we are concerned that the content of the ceremony may include inflammatory rhetoric that demonizes and/or delegitimizes the State of Israel, Israelis, Zionists and/or Jews which may cause persons of such background to reasonably perceive themselves to be unwelcome. We request that you monitor in advance the content of the ceremony and vet all speakers to ensure that the HRAD Policy is upheld. We consider the use of the following slogans to be discriminatory and conducive to harassment: 

1. “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free”. This slogan calls for the elimination of the State of Israel, the end of Israeli nationality, and the return of the Jewish people to a permanent state of homelessness and exile. 

2. “Viva Viva Intifada”, “There is only one solution: Intifada Revolution”. The Intifada was a series of terrorist attacks that took place in Israel from 2000 to 2005, including multiple suicide bombings. The use of this slogan is a celebration and condonation of terrorist violence against Israeli civilians. 

3. “Globalize the Intifada”. This slogan is a direct call for the importation of terrorist attacks into Canada, and is incitement to violence against Jewish and/or Israeli residents of Toronto. 

4. “Death to the IDF”. This slogan calls for the assassination of former IDF members who are residents of Toronto, and is an incitement to violence. 

5. “All the Zionists are racist”; “All the Zionists are terrorists”. This is discrimination and harassment on the basis of creed and political affiliation, and is contrary to the HRAD Policy. 

6. “Jews go back to Europe”; “Zionists go back to Europe”. This is a racist slogan and is contrary to the HRAD Policy. 

We are also concerned about the potential display of flags of federally designated terrorist organizations, such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. These flags have been used frequently at various street demonstrations in Toronto. Under the HRAD Policy, they have no place at Nathan Phillips Square. 

We expect and trust that you will take these concerns seriously, and that you will cause the City, through its Corporate Security and liaison with the Toronto Police Service, to enforce the Criminal Code, the Ontario Trespass to Property Act, the Ontario Human Rights Code, the HRAD Policy and the City’s Hate Activities Policy, the last of which includes a prohibition against “any public messages implying that members of an identifiable group are to be despised, scorned, denied respect and made subject to ill-treatment on the basis of group affiliation. Such messages may include group symbols, slogans or epithets and can be transmitted in many ways.” 

We will monitor the ceremony and the activity in Nathan Phillips Square and hold the City responsible for any dereliction of its obligations to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all residents of Toronto. 

Best regards, 

R. Michael Teper 

President 

Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation