October 17, 2023
CANADA MUST ACT IMMEDIATELY AGAINST TERRORISM
On October 7, in an unprovoked, barbarically savage attack, Hamas murdered over 1300 Israelis, wounded 3,000, and took nearly 200 innocent civilians as hostages. These include old and young, children – even babies. This was the worst act of mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. It has forced Israel into a bloody war. It has offered up its own people, the citizens of Gaza, as human shields and cannon fodder to inflame public opinion against Israel and elicit public sympathy.
The war against Israel provided an opportunity for pro Hamas supporters to rear their ugly heads. Rallies erupted around the world in their favour. In New York’s Time Square, swastikas were displayed. In London, a kosher restaurant was vandalized and nearby buildings defaced with anti Israel graffiti. In Australia protesters chanted “gas the Jews”.
Here in Canada, The All Out for Palestine rallies took place in most major Canadian cities, and were without precedent. Never in Canadian history have we seen coordinated, multi city demonstrations whose sole purpose is celebrating an act of terror against civilians.
“We are your men, Mohammad Deif!”, chanted a crowd outside Calgary City Hall on Monday. Deif is the Hamas commander who was the mastermind of the October 7 attack against Israel. They were led by Mahmoud Kahlil, who has been at the head of protests in Montreal explicitly calling for Israel’s end. The Monday demo ended with a call for supporters to “be the nightmare “ in Canada. “We are going to be the nightmare here. We’re going to be the nightmare in Gaza,” he said to the crowd, later posting his speech on Instagram.
Just 10 months ago Khalil was invited to a gathering for “Palestinian solidarity” on Parliament Hill. It was attended by MPs from every sitting federal party.
Sources at the rally at Nathan Philips Square in Toronto reported that the crowd embraced and cheered the person who carried the flag of a terrorist entity Signs displaying genocidal slogans were paraded.
Although Mayor Olivia Chow, condemned all such demonstrations unequivocally, and although the mob of approximately 1000, did not have a permit for the demonstration, they carried on while police stood by.
The Thanksgiving weekend’s All out for Palestine rallies were primarily organized and promoted by the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoners Solidarity Network and its allied Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM). Samidoun is closely linked with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a listed terrorist organization in Canada. Israel lists Samidoun as a terrorist organization, but in Canada Samidoun is registered as a not for profit corporation, thus allowing it to fund raise, recruit and propagandize.
In just the last few years, there have been many demonstrations in Canada that featured speakers calling for Israel’s destruction, praising Hamas rocket attacks into Israel.
In May 2021, a pro Israel rally in Montreal was surrounded and pelted with rocks, Demonstrators carrying Palestinian flags yelled Antisemitic insults. “This is not the Montreal and Canada that I know and love,” posted Liberal MP Anthony Housefather.
In August 2021, a march near Yonge and Dundas Streets in Toronto, organized by the PYM, openly called for a new intifada.
In Europe, after hearing about the October 7 massacre, leaders immediately froze all their Palestinian aid. Austria, Germany, Denmark and Sweden have announced they will suspend all development aid programs to the region. France has banned all pro Palestine demonstrations. Germany also. Chancellor Olaf Schultz declared “zero tolerance for Antisemitism”.
Ottawa donates more than $50 million annually in aid to the Palestinians, including $25 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper stopped the funding of UNRWA in 2010, saying it was an unchecked source for terror indoctrination, but the Liberals restored it in 2016. The agency’s main focus is its Western funded 715 schools serving Palestinian children. Multiple reports revealed curricula promoting violence, rabid Antisemitism and indoctrination of students to pursue the militant eradication of Israel.
A leaked UN report in 2019, found the organization permeated with corruption and abuse.
But Postmedia was told this week that Canadian funding would continue while “ensuring that no money goes into the hands of Hamas.” said spokesman Alex Tetreault.
“ That is an outright lie,” said former Canadian ambassador to Israel, Vivian Bercovici. “ You give the money, and there is no transparency or accountability. None.”
In fact, Gaza will be getting more money than usual. The government announced five months ago that it increased UNRWA payments. In addition to the $100 million Canada had pledged over four years, $3 million was added in “emergency aid”, some of which was apportioned to Gaza.
Hamas was declared a terrorist organization by Canada in 2012. Its sole purpose for being is to destroy Israel. Though it has controlled Gaza since 2007, it has spent billions in aid from abroad, attacking Israel, rather than in improving the lives of its 2.3 million citizens. Money goes into its militant terrorist infrastructure and weapons arsenal, not into the welfare of its people.
Canada must act immediately and freeze all monetary aid to Palestinian Arabs- money which is siphoned off to the PA and Hamas for weapons and terrorist operations.
UNRWA which indoctrinates children with hatred and violence, promotes genocide of Jews and glorifies terrorism must be defunded immediately.
Any public demonstration in Canada supporting Hamas and celebrating their terrorism is against the law. Any organization that breaks this law must be immediately. prosecuted.
There must be swift prosecution of Hamas supporters and Antisemitic offenders. Non citizens who promote murder and terrorism or fund it, should be deported.
Today, Jewish parents across Canada are fearful for their children. A few days ago in Toronto, Jewish Day School students were accosted by three men threatening to bomb their school. On Friday, October 13th a global jihad against all Jews was issued by Hamas. Many kept their children home that day. Emboldened by pro Hamas rallies and other sources of Hamas support, that spew anti Israel propaganda and fuel Antisemitism, there will be more acts of intimidation and worse, against the Canadian Jewish community.
But this is not a Jewish problem. It is a civilizational problem. Today it’s a jihad against Israel and Jews; tomorrow its everyone else, if we don’t stop Hamas and its accomplices.
Doris Strub Epstein, Editor
Copyright ©2023, End Jew Hatred Canada
End Jew Hatred Canada is the Jewish civil rights movement, fighting for freedom from bigotry, and oppression that denigrates our people, our homeland, our culture. Jew hatred threatens our safety and Canada’s thriving democracy. It comes from all forms of extremism. There is no justice without truth.
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