Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut were Honoured by Many
In Ottawa, where the flag raising was almost cancelled due to fears expressed by some bureaucrats that protesters would cause a disruption, the event brought out proud Jews and allies. Pictured below are women from different Christian organizations with proud Jewish activist, Floralove Katz.
A Memory Garden Honours the Hostages at Yom Hazikaron/Yom Ha’atzmaut event co-presented by Mizrachi Canada, UJA of Greater Toronto and the Schwartz Reisman JCC on May 13, 2024
Premier Doug Ford hosted a flag raising for Israel's Independence Day, celebrated by Jews and Allies at Queen's Park.
Toronto Raises Flag of Israel, Absent Mayor Olivia Chow
Speakers at the Toronto ceremony included the moderator, Councilor James Pasternak, leaders of major Jewish organizations, and the Israel Consul General.
Vaughan Raises Flag of Israel, with Full Support of the Mayor and Councilors
Driving from the Toronto event to the celebration in Vaughan was well worth it as Mayor Steven del Duca spoke strongly, warmly, and passionately about support for the Jewish community of Vaughan, the largest in Canada, as well as offering compassionate messages to those awaiting the release of hostages held in Gaza or otherwise impacted by the war with Hamas. He noted the bonds between Canada and Israel remain important and strong across the country.
Disaster Averted or Delayed at TDSB
Urgent calls came on May 14 for an intervention in the May 15 meeting of the Toronto District School Board that was expected to be subverted by a groups calling itself Palestinian Families and lobbying for the inclusion of Nakba Day on the school Calendar of Significant Days and the addition of Ant-Palestinian Racism as a new category of discrimination that requires policies and programs to address it. JEFA, the newest and now lead NGO to take up the issue of antisemitism in Ontario schools brought this to the community’s attention. Responding to this, essentially an elaborate anti-Israel scheme, CAEF sent a letter to the TDSB Chair and Board of Trustees.
Good news is that there was an overwhelming response to JEFA’s early warning and the motion to move on both of these items was defeated (or maybe just temporarily withdrawn.)
In the new game of Whack-a-mole where Jew haters initiate daily actions or schemes to undermine the Jewish State and our Jewish community, one must be ever vigilant.
Eric Frydman Launches Lawyers Combating Antisemitism
Frydman is excited that after many months of work, he is finally announcing an event that is a free CPD-EDI-certified event held at Holy Blossom Temple in The Philip & Fannie Smith event space on May 29, 2024, at 7:00 PM.
The event's theme, "Lawyers Uniting against Antisemitism and Rising Hate in Canada," reflects the event's commitment to standing together as a united front against hate. It will feature speakers including the Hon. Doug Downey, David Matlow, Kathryn Marshall, Katherine Stephenson, Justin Lapedus, Karen Restoule and Rachel Silber. The event will provide all guests with an open bar and food. Additionally, there will be ample opportunities for networking and meaningful discussions to foster collaboration.
Canadian Minister Fails to Understand the Middle East
by Charles Cooke, CAEF Government Relations Representative
Recently, the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, called for a reinvigoration of the two-state solution. She stated in an interview on CTV with journalist Ms. Kapelos, “I think because this conflict is so difficult for Israel, so difficult for the Palestinians, so difficult for the world, not only in Canada because we've seen the rise of antisemitism, the rise of Islamophobia and just the rise of tension,” she said. “But that's the case here, that's the case in Europe, that's the case south of the border, that's the case in Arab countries,” she added. “So more than ever, many, many countries are preoccupied by the state of the region.”
Joly said she believes that was “not as much the case” before the Oct. 7 attacks, which have renewed a global focus on the Middle East, prompting her to have “many conversations” on the topic with her counterparts in the region, because “it is also in the interest of the world to see a two-state solution happening.” The Canadian government has been calling for a two-state solution in the region, renewing that push in a recent joint statement with Australia and New Zealand, which also calls for “efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire.”
“We've also said that Hamas being a terrorist organization should not be involved in any future governance of Gaza,” Joly told Kapelos. “Because we believe that there is a path towards a two-state solution, and we need to make sure that we get to that two-state solution process.”
Recommended Viewing
The Israel Defense and Security Forum (IDSF) produces an informative webinar daily, featuring experts and major spokespeople for the Israeli government or IDF. Moderated by Moshe Davis, these briefings are essential to understanding every issue and intricacy of the war and its impact on Israelis, relations with other countries and with diaspora communities.
The May 16th briefing with Dr. Harold Rhode, a specialist in Arab culture and the Middle East, focused on the lack of understanding and even denial of the Arab Muslim viewpoint, culture and behaviours. Watch here.
Dr. Rachel Ehernfeld, founder and director of the American Center for Democracy, was interviewed on CBN about funding of university anti-Israel protests, all of which are antisemitic. Watch now.
Brooke Goldstein, founder and Executive Director of The Lawfare Project was interviewed on Fox News about the ongoing campus protests which are hateful anti-Israel fests. Watch interview here.
Celebrating with Israel’s Allies is very important. Watch this story of Philippine-Israel Relations.
The Lawfare Project Announced Investigation into Canadian Funding of UNRWA
Brooke Goldstein, announced the Lawfare Project (LP) has officially launched an investigation into the Canadian federal government’s irresponsible funding of UNRWA! This comes in response to revelations that personnel at UNRWA were directly and indirectly involved in recruiting, training, funding, and supporting terrorism — including egregiously participating in the October 7th butchering of Jews and the kidnapping and hiding of hostages.
LP, together with local counsel David Elmaleh of RE-LAW LLP, formally directed statutory requests to Global Affairs Canada and the Privy Council’s Office seeking copies of, among other things, all documents related to the funding for UNRWA, all documents relating to the knowledge and information of Hamas’s influence within UNRWA activities, and copies of all correspondence regarding concerns that were previously raised.
The Incivility of UNRWA
The Israeli Army released a video showing Hamas terrorists coming out of a UN logistics center (UNRWA) and shooting at Gazan civilians in Eastern Rafah. It was recorded by a drone this past Saturday. Hamas caught red-handed!
Update: Would you want your child to go to an UNRWA summer camp?
by David Bedein, Founder and Director, Bedein Center for Near East Policy Research
For the past 15 years, as a community organizer turned investigative reporter, I have held the unique position of running the sole agency which documents UNRWA summer camps. Assisted by three Arab journalists and three Jewish journalists with a deep understanding of Arab culture, my task has been to share the unsettling realities witnessed since I first covered UNRWA in 1987.
Each summer, the UNRWA camps engage in simulations depicting the violence they believe is necessary for claiming and "returning to Palestine." The so-called “fun games” revolve around preparing for the perceived war to "liberate Palestine". Shockingly, children at UNRWA summer camps practice activities such as kidnapping soldiers, burning IDF vehicles, and handling short-lived weapons. Having now prepared a compilation of UNRWA summer camp footage, we will present it to the Knesset and the embassies of countries that donate to the $1.6 billion UNRWA budget.
CAEF Submission to Meta Oversight Board
Facebook/Meta is reviewing its policy surrounding the "From the river to the sea..." slogan. It will decide whether to ban the slogan or allow its continued use.
They want your feedback. CAEF strongly encourages you to write to them. You can provide your input to this consultation here. Please use this link and write BEFORE May 21, 2024.
Below is the input submitted by CAEF.
There can be absolutely no doubt or disagreement that the phrase, "from the river to the sea," in part or in full as "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," is an antisemitic, hateful message with genocidal intent. Though many who quote it may not know its origins and a large percentage cannot name either the river or the sea, and most have been blindsided with lies suggesting this is innocuous and means only "freedom" for Palestinian Arabs, nothing can be further from the truth. This phrase calls for the elimination of Israel, NOT co-existence, not two states for Jews and Arabs, not for real freedom.
It is a jihadist invective. It is a cruel and dangerous phrase that builds on fundamental lies about the legitimacy of Israel, the only Jewish state in the world and the historic and legal homeland of the Jewish people since ancient times. Arabs invaded in the 7th century but did not succeed in killing or deporting all Jews; there has always been a Jewish presence.
Jews are indigenous to Israel; Arabs are not. From the river (Jordan) and the sea (Mediterranean) there is Israel. Arabs who live in Israel enjoy all freedoms, which is not true in most Arab lands. Arabs in every country drove out the Jews, so they want to now rid the region of the over 7 million Jews who are Israeli. This phrase is a call for mass murder, on an even larger scale than what Hamas with Palestinian Authority support and other jihadist terrorists, committed on October 7, 2023.
If Meta wants to truly reject hatred, incitement and terrorism, it must ban this phrase and all variations of it.
Media to Read and Support
@mtracey provided a great list of recommended media. Here is his posting with full attribution.
The number of right-wing media outlets that are systematically, fanatically "pro-Israel" is actually astonishing: -
Fox News | Christian Broadcasting Network |
Daily Wire | The Blaze |
Newsmax | Daily Mail |
The Post Millennial | The Free Press |
PragerU | The Federalist |
Breitbart | Gateway Pundit |
Washington Free Beacon | Salem Radio Network |
Rebel News | Right Side Broadcasting Network |
Epoch Times | Western Journal |
Babylon Bee | Human Events |
New York Post | RedState |
National Review | PJ Media |
WorldNetDaily | Hot Air |
Washington Times | Twitchy |
Washington Examiner | Townhall |
One America News | Drudge Report |
Real America's Voice | Daily Caller |
@mtracey missed a favorite, honest news source for journalistic excellence and honesty, The National Post.
Recommended Reading
Thane Rosenbaum on the antisemitism of the Democratic Party.
Foundation for Defense of Democracies publishes facts about civilian deaths in Gaza, verified by the UN—half is estimate of women and children killed in current war with Israel. Read here.
Honest Reporting Canada Reveals Bias in College Library
The following article is taken in whole from the Honest Reporting Action Alert of May 6th, 2024, underscoring yet another avenue of enmity towards Jews and Israel. Even a library!!
Centennial College is a publicly funded college based in Scarborough, Ontario which calls itself a “worldly institution.” However, its online library guide to “Understanding Israel-Palestine” is anything but worldly, showing a narrow, one-sided anti-Israel worldview which promotes the literature of terrorist supporters as academic reading material.
This is despite its membership in the Canadian Federation of Library Associations, which says “libraries provide, defend and promote equitable access to the widest possible variety of expressive content and resist calls for censorship and the adoption of systems that deny or restrict access to resources.”
Unfortunately, Centennial College does not come close to living up to these ideals. Their library guide, including its list of reading material and list of human rights organizations, is overwhelmingly pro-Palestinian (anti-Israel), a far cry from the “widest possible variety”.
Advocacy and Action
Urgent – Calling All Toronto Community Members!
Next week on May 22, Councillors Brad Bradford and James Pasternak will introduce a motion to request the Province to create safety zones around places of worship, faith-based schools and vulnerable community social infrastructure. See the motion here.
If passed, this motion will demonstrate Toronto City Council’s endorsement of safety zone legislation and places the issue directly before the provincial government for further action.
It is critical for the community to show their support of this motion. Here’s how you can help:
Sign onto this petition to support the motion.
Call your local councillor. Click here to find your councillor.
When you call the offices, here is the suggested script:
Dear Councillor, I am calling to ask for your support for Councillor Bradford and Councillor Pasternak’s motion to create safety zones for places of worship, cultural centres and daycares.
Jewish communities throughout Canada have been witnessing disturbing protests targeting places of worship and community institutions that serve children, seniors, and vulnerable members of society.
We have also seen demonstration of hate against other minority communities.
In March 2024, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw reported that Toronto has seen a 93 percent increase in hate crimes since October 7, 2023.
At the October 2023 Council meeting, Council unanimously passed Mayor Chow’s motion 2023.MM11.37, “Keeping Toronto Safe from Hate.” This motion supported the creation of “community safety zones… inclusive of areas surrounding places of worship and cultural and religious daycares and schools recognized as a potential target for hate”, however no action has been taken
It is long past time for action to be taken.
The Province must develop policy and legislation to create safety zones with a radius of 50 to 150 metres. Will you support Councillor Bradford and Councillor Pasternak’s motion to create safety zones for places of worship, cultural centres and daycares?
Read Response to CAEF from Mohamad Lacshmi, President and Vice Chancellor of TMU re concerns about antisemitism on Canadian campuses.
Letter from Ruth Abrams to CBC re flawed reporting.
Response to CAEF from Speaker of the House, Greg Fergus, regarding MPs wearing keffiyehs in parliament. (jay link to posted letter)
CAEF Letter to Mayor Olivia Chow regarding her absence from Israeli flag raising and biased statements about the hosting of said flag.
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