CAEF Celebrates Jewish Heritage Month and Jewish Life All Year
Congresswoman Stefanik delivers powerful encouraging message in the Knesset
Jews and Allies in Greater Toronto Area Invited to “We Heart Canada”
Progress Report from Canada’s Special Envoy on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism, Deborah Lyons
A most important project with an anticipated important outcome is described as a “handbook that will serve as a toolkit on the application of the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) definition of antisemitism that has been adopted by the Canadian Parliament and most provincial governments. I have travelled from coast-to-coast meeting with stakeholders of all stripes to get their feedback on the handbook. Simply put- we want to get this right. Once complete, the handbook will be a practical tool for policy makers to be able to use the definition in various contexts. So, keep your eyes out for the handbook in the coming months.”
Celebrating Israel’s 76th Anniversary in Ottawa
CAEF Vice President Michael Teper represented CAEF at the Embassy of Israel/s 76th Independence Day concert and tribute on May 23, at the Sir John A. Macdonald Building. His Excellency Ido Moed, Ambassador of Israel to Canada, was the master of ceremonies, and repeated Israel's steadfast resolve to bring all of the hostages home.
This moving event featured a concert commemorating the heroes of October 7, including many of the kibbutz members and Nova Festival participants who chose to stay behind to help others, or who voluntarily returned to the areas under terrorist attack in order to save lives, sacrificing their own.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly delivered greetings and congratulations on behalf of the Government of Canada.
CAEF and Partner Present Cheque to Magen David Adom
On March 26th, our community united at an unforgettable Art and Music event that raised funds for the April 7th "6 Months In Hell - Let My People Go" event held at Nathan Phillips Square. Over $1,900 was raised to support the vital work of Magen David Adom. Dean Attali, one of the grassroots organizers, and Anita Bromberg, of the Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation (CAEF) proudly presented the funds raised to Hershel Recht, Executive Director of CMDAI at their Toronto offices. This contribution supports Magen David Adom’s mission: Giving Life, Changing Lives, Improving Lives, and Saving Lives. Thank you to everyone who participated; your generosity and spirit make a difference.
In Toronto, Walk for Israel 2024
This year, make it bigger than ever, walk for Israel, walk with CAEF, donate to help Jewish services and advocacy. Celebrate Israel on the Streets of Toronto.
Note, enemies of Israel have already advertised they will make the biggest ever protest titled, Walk Against Israel. The Toronto Police and UJA are well aware and taking every precaution to contain these Jew haters. Don’t let these antisemites dominate. Come out for Israel!
WEBINAR SERIES: WOMEN ON THE FRONT LINES , A Three Part Series
CAEF Invites everyone to this important series presented by the National Council of Jewish Women's Antisemitism Committee.
Part 1 is on Monday June 3 at 1:00 p.m. EDT
WHERE: ZOOM WEBINAR
Israel’s Friends in Holland, Romania, South Africa
The Netherlands’ incoming center-right government has agreed to study the possibility of moving the Dutch embassy in Israel from Ramat Gan to Jerusalem, according to a draft coalition agreement that lawmakers of the four prospective governing parties approved on Wednesday.
Romania’s Friendship and Solidarity day. The Parliament of Romania has adopted a law to establish May 14 as the National Day of Friendship and Solidarity between Romania and the State of Israel. (The State of Israel was officially established on May 14, 1948.) Knesset Speaker MK Ohana said, “Israel will thank you forever”.
Pastor Dumasani Washington, Founder and CEO of IBSI, reported in JNS: “The head of South Africa’s second-largest church visiting Israel in solidarity with the Jewish state said Sunday that the South African government is out of sync with the people in its stance on the war with Hamas by supporting a terror organization.
The unequivocal remarks by the South African Christian leader against the ruling African National Congress come just weeks before general elections in South Africa, which has emerged as one of Israel’s most vocal critics in the world over the last seven months.
“We are here to give Israel support after what happened on October 7,” said Inkosi Shembe, the leader of the South African-based Nazareth Baptist Church which has some eight million followers and is an amalgamation of traditional Zulu and Christian beliefs. “We see that our government is silent about October 7.”
The 15-member delegation visited Israel for one week and toured the areas of southern Israel which came under attack in the Hamas massacre which killed 1,200 people, saw 250 others abducted and which triggered the Gaza war.
Last year, South Africa brought Israel to the International Court of Justice on charges of genocide, in a move condemned by Western countries led by the United States.
“We are here to declare that what was done by our government does not represent the people of South Africa,” Shembe at an event at Jerusalem’s Friends of Zion Museum. “Those leading South Africa are pushing an agenda supporting the Hamas terror organization.”
The South African religious leader said that ignorant people are being blinded by propaganda and lies that Israel practices apartheid.
“We are going back to South Africa to spread the truth of what we saw that there is no apartheid in Israel,” he said.
South African Friends of Israel, singing at the Western Wall
Recommended Viewing
Watch the Canadian Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Justice, consultations on Antisemitism. More to come including questioning and responses from university presidents.
Watch Pastor Dumasani Washington, being interviewed by Raj Nair on TBN, What Protesters Get Wrong About Israel.
Watch Arab Israeli Social Influencer, Famous Youtuber, Nas Daily, as he explains Judaism
Watch Brendan O’Neill interviewed by Tom Switzer, Executive Director for the Center for Independent Studies, on woke racism and the threat it is to society. The CIS is passionately committed to defending western values.
Watch Brooke Goldstein, on Fox News, regarding US university profs and admin in allowing, promoting antisemitism.
Toronto City Hall Initiative to Address Antisemitism Fails
Councilors James Pasternak and Brad Bradford introduced a motion to adopt a bylaw restricting protests to a specific distance away from places of worship, religious schools and other institutions, and while backed by other members of Council, it failed to be adopted. A contrary motion was adopted, as presented by Councilor Josh Matlow.
CAEF, along with the Jewish community of Toronto, awaits news of requested action plan and timeline. Delays mean that ongoing attacks and vandalism may be unabated, and extensive police protection of Jewish venues will need to continue. This is shameful, and especially worrisome, given a recent shooting at a Jewish School in Toronto. No one was injured but this hate crime is indicative of escalations in antisemitism.
Consider for a moment if you have ever:
Described “From the river to the sea,” as genocidal or violent?
Said that Palestine is not a country?
Denounced the BDS movement?
Asked someone in conversation why other Arab countries don’t help the Palestinians?
Or asked in conversation for someone to denounce Hamas or Hezbollah as a terrorist organization?
If you have done any of these YOU ARE GUILTY OF Anti-Palestinian Racism (APR) according to a professional development session given to TDSB staff.
If this idea that supporting Israel, questioning or challenging Islamist lies is racist, then please join JEFA and help to turn this ideological infiltration in the Ontario school system around. This is driven by a minority of passionate anti-Israel plotters and supported by infamously antisemitic organizations like CJPME and antiZionists like IJV. Their claims are insipid, turning our schools against Israel, teaching Jew hatred in early grades, and demonizing Jews. APR is a fraud. People who are Islamic and/or Arab are covered by human rights legislation that recognized Islamophobia and anti-Muslim bigotry. There is no need or justification for another category that suggests one marginalized group (Jews) when expressing themselves and facts of their identity is racist against another group (Palestinian Arabs.)
Sign up: https://jefa.ca/ To volunteer: volunteers@JEFA.ca
Encampments Continue—Universities Negotiate with Hate Mongers
Hillel Ontario’s report sums up the situation at Ontario universities.
The Universities of Calgary and Alberta (in Edmonton) ordered dismantling of illegal encampments and police carried this out when called in to act. A Quebec judge ruled twice against McGill University’s request for an injunction to close down the encampment.
Why are different jurisdictions taking different or no measures to call out the Hamas supporters, condemn the visual displays of Jew hatred, the outrageous anti-democratic behaviours and demands to isolate Israel? These institutions no longer demonstrate support for civil discourse, the rule of law and combating hatred. If this is how “inclusion and equity” are displayed by administrators, governing councils and professors, maybe it is best that Jewish students abandon such universities.
Sign up for Weekly News from Combat Antisemitism Movement.
Here is message excerpt from CAM Report, May 24th:
Yesterday, the presidents of Northwestern and Rutgers universities defended their decision to negotiate with leaders of their campus' anti-Israel encampments during a Congressional hearing. These hearings made it clear that Northwestern University President Schill is unable and unwilling to protect Jewish students, and that is why CAM is calling for the Northwestern Board of Trustees to remove him immediately.
Also this week, anti-Israel activists around the globe observed "Nakba Day," which they view as a "catastrophe" marking the establishment of the State of Israel.
The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) presented to the Israeli Knesset on Tuesday the findings of a new study conducted by the Antisemitism Research Center by CAM that found a 590% increase in online Holocaust denial following October 7th.
Recommended Reading
Learn the Facts about Gaza, as the United Nations reveals estimates of women and children killed is half what was earlier reported.
Read Soren Kern, in National Review on Germany’s woke government.
The radical left fails to see and fear Islamism and its global agenda to create a Caliphate. Read Soeren Kern, in the National Review on May 19, 2024. This could and will happen in North America if people continue to ignore the illiberal woke agenda, the radical anti-democracy campus encampments, the emerging Islamist youth who are citizens opposing the very society into which they were born and educated, the antisemitism increasing in education both in curriculum and policies.
Nathan Greenfield reports in University World News, May 24, 2024 that,
“Judge Shaun E Finn of the Quebec Superior Court in Canada has placed an interlocutory injunction on the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) that prevents it from adopting the ‘Policy Against Genocide in Palestine’ passed in a referendum last November. He said: ‘Student democracy and freedom of expression are not absolute. Nor do they exist in a vacuum.’”
A Bad Week for Israel
by Charles Cooke, CAEF GR Representative
It was a bad week for Israel spiritually, diplomatically and politically.
The IDF discovering Israeli bodies in Gaza tunnels, Spain, Ireland and Norway recognizing a Palestinian state, the ICJ ordering a provisional halt to the Rafah action and the prosecutor applying for warrants of arrest for Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant at the ICC.
All of these events are upsetting and exhausting. More importantly, these events are, no doubt, setbacks for Israel. They are in themselves illustrations that Israel is losing the worldwide propaganda war. Also, these events in themselves will be weaponized by Israel’s adversaries to not only justify, but harden the delegitimization march of the Israel haters.
The U.N Security Council - The Twilight of Western Civilisation
by Dogan Akman
On October 7, 2023 Hamas and the armed wing of the Fatah movement which controls the Palestinian Authority, joined Hamas to carry out a large scale pogrom of Israelis and committed heinous crimes. LPH INFO, The armed wing of Fatah admits to having participated in the massacres of October 7, May 14, 2024
In addition to the pogrom, Hamas took about 252 hostages from more than 20 countries (including Canada) and treated them abominably to the extent of withholding the services of the International Red Cross for hostages requiring medical attention during the first few months.
After releasing about 100 of them in a temporary ceasefire, to date Hamas continues to hold about 132 hostages while continuing to treat them abominably sexually, physically and mentally; depriving them of medical care while keeping them in equally abominable environments.
This is not the first case of hostage taking by Hamas. For the past several years, Hamas has held four Israelis: Oron Shaul, Hadar Goldin, Avera Mengitsu and Hisham Al-Saye, consistently refusing their unconditional release.
Thus, for years and more recently since October 7, 2023, Hamas has been and continues to be guilty of crimes under international humanitarian law and international human rights law that prohibits hostage taking and their ill-treatment.
Advocacy and Action
CAEF Letter to the Editor, Montreal Gazette re recent biased anti-Israel article by Erik Leijon
CAEF Letter to University of Ghent Re: their failure to identify real human rights issues that turn into antisemitism
Letter from Larry Shapiro to Foreign Minister Melanie Joly re Canada’s poor showing regarding the ICC’s claims against Israel.
Letter from Larry Shapiro to Editor, Foreign Affairs, May 23, 2024 re How Gaza has accreted social and political forces driving US and Israel apart.
Letter from Richard Sherman re Elizabeth Weil.
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