Dear President Lenton,
The entire Jewish world is reeling from the mass atrocities carried out by Hamas in Israel, and governments across Canada have expressed support for Israel's right to defend itself, for Israel's legitimate existence, and for increased support for the Jewish communities of Canada which are intimidated and threatened by local Hamas supporting groups. York University has long has a problem of antisemitic student groups, some faculty and disdainful programs that spread lies and foster Jew hatred.
It is shocking, abhorrent and unacceptable that just days after this massacre of babies, elderly people, pregnant women, and foreign nationals and the taking of hostages by the monsters of Hamas, that York U would allow any support to be demonstrated or displayed for the "Palestine solidarity" which is code for Hamas.
We call on you to stop this charade of "social justice" which is really a call to support genocide. This is an indiscriminate, not-so-well masked call to kill more Jews. The call to "free Palestine" when Gaza has no Jews, no occupation, and Hamas had no rationale for attacking civilians and taking hostages, other than it is a barbaric inhumane, Islamist supremacist organization. This rally must not be allowed to take place on campus, or on line with campus facilities or in any way be associated with York university, which must consider facts, relevance, and Canadian values for any and all programs.
There is plenty of evidence, as we saw with pro-Palestinian protests that have already taken place in Canada, the US and elsewhere, that these are hate-fests, where lies and deceit, fallacious claims and distortions are the word of the day and fuel Jew hatred. The Mayor of Toronto declared that such protests were unacceptable and not welcome on the streets of Toronto. They are most definitely not welcome at our universities, from which we already know so much antisemitism has been built up over recent years.
Dr. Lenton, it is time that you took a much stronger moral stance and stated the obvious--claims of social justice for Palestinian Arabs are not about justice but about eradicating Israel, destroying the Jewish state and killing Jews. If the student group and others with social justice sounding names and claims, had ever been about social justice, such groups would have demanded that Hamas spend its billions of foreign aid on its citizens and not on terror tunnels, on hospitals and schools not on arms and weapons, that it allow human rights for LGBTQ+ folks, and not throw them off buildings. It is time-- immediately cease covering for hate groups, stop pretending it is free speech, when it is just free hate and potentially (usually) inciting.
This matter is urgent. This rally must not proceed. Jewish students, faculty and community members are harmed by this and York U would be sending the wrong message.
Regards,
Andria Spindel
Executive Director