Hostage Negotiations Underway in Israel
Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Chief Executive Officer Ambassador Mark D. Wallace and CEP President Frances F. Townsend released the following statement after the announcement of an agreement to release 50 hostages.
“The hostage return playing out over the following days will continue to highlight the brutal horrors inflicted by Hamas. October 7 was the worst act of violence against Jews since the Holocaust, and the decision to split up families will invoke yet more painful parallels.
We stand united with the victims and with the surviving families of hostages as they rejoice in the return of their loved ones. Yet this is not a day of celebration, and we demand the return of the approximately 190 other hostages kidnapped by Hamas.
Hamas must be held fully to account for the heinous barbarity of October 7. Hamas’ sponsors, the Al-Thani family, Qatar, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, should likewise be fully held to account. Without the Al-Thani’s money and harboring, and without Iran’s financing and military support, Hamas would not have been able to perpetrate the monstrous events of October 7.
Undoubtedly, the smiling Emir of Qatar will make the rounds of news outlets claiming credit for the hostages’ release, aided by his cadre of lobbyists, lawyers, and PR agents. No amount of Qatar’s hydrocarbon-funded propaganda should wash away the blood that stains the hands of the Al-Thanis and their signature investments and assets around the world: the Washington Wizards, Paris Saint Germain, Canary Wharf, CityCenterDC, The Connaught Hotel, Harrods, among hundreds of others.
For years, despite repeated calls to end their support for extremism, the Al-Thanis have hosted Hamas, funded Hamas, and provided the base for Islamic extremists. The Al-Thanis and Qatar must immediately detain and remand Ismael Haniyeh, Khaled Meshal and the Hamas Politburo into U.S. or Israeli custody, ensure the immediate return of all hostages, and end their support for Hamas and other extremist groups.
While we rejoice in the hoped-for return of Americans, including children whose parents were murdered in front of their eyes, the United States must not rely on hostage exchanges, payments, and facilitating negotiations with terrorists. Unless the United States reestablishes and sends a clear message of deterrence through targeted military action, the United States and its allies will continue to be the focus of such attacks by Hamas and the panoply of other Iran-sponsored terrorist partners and proxies. Hostage negotiations and ransom payments in the absence of deterring future attacks is a failed policy that guarantees that we will be mourning with other families after future terrorist attacks.”
What is the Hebrew word “hamas”?
The Hebrew word ḥāmās is a noun meaning an act of aggression, but especially involving physical contact. Hamas was founded in 1987; however, the biblical word “ḥāmās” or “violence” reaches back to the earliest chapters of Genesis and is one of the significant reasons for the flood.
Is it a coincidence or by design that the Arabic terrorist group acronym moniker of Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (Islamic Resistance Movement), is also a chilling homophone in the Bible: violence.
Read Washington Times, Oct 18, 2023 linking the Bible and name of the terrorist group:
Note Banner Ad on the Toronto Sun paper of November 17, 2023, to bring Truth to the Public:
Take Action Against the Anti-Israel Mobs, Stand for Israel
People are asking what they can do so here are a few easy things to do. Silence is not a response.
Write a complaint to the CBC, cc your MP, and the Minister Pascale St-Onge, Minister for Canadian Heritage, responsible for the CBC to demand they call Hamas a terrorist entity, and provide more fair coverage of the war that Israel is fighting to eradicate terrorists. Write to Brodie Fenlon, Editor In Chief, Executive Director of Programs and Standards brodie.fenlon@cbc.ca.
Thank every MP or MPP/MNA/MLA or city councilor that stands up for Israel.
Thank every journalist that reports accurately on what is happening in Israel and Gaza and write to complain about all the ones who lie. Share your message with Honest Reporting Canada.
Tell the Mayor in your city to require all protests and rallies to have an approved permit for their event, and to have the police enforce the permit and protest rules.
Call out, speak up to expose those who post hateful, antisemitic memes, lies, falsehoods, such as denying that Hamas beheaded babies, raped women and targeted children. They did that and more. They filmed and celebrated what they did. These behaviours must be called out as well as those who deny the acts took place; thus supporting terrorism, and promoting Jew hatred.
Send information to CAEF and we will act on it. andria@caef.ca
Watch Andria Spindel's short talk at The Lodzer Centre Congregation on Ways to Fight Misinformation & Contribute to the Israeli Relief Effort:
Actions to be Lauded in Response to Antisemitism in the Public Square
Kudos to University of Alberta, More Needed
The University responded speedily, and terminated Samantha Pearson, when it became known that she signed an open letter penned by ousted Ontario MPP Sarah Jama that calls into question whether Israeli women were subjected to rape and sexual violence during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7. How could the Director of the Sexual Assualt Center be so brazen and bigoted as to post that no Israeli women were raped by Hamas terrorists? Really Pearson, are all women but Jewish women to be believed? So much for #metoo, when you have zero compassion, and less than zero credibility for telling the truth.
Less than a day later, it came to light that students at the U of A were planning a “Glorify To Our Martyrs” rally event on November 22nd.
Thanks to York University
In response to a question sent to President Rhonda Lenton on the status of her initiating the decertification of three student federations that have celebrated the heinous acts of Hamas after October 7th, she sent this message:
"The University is undertaking a formal process that will continue to unfold as outlined in the Regulation Regarding Student Organizations, with a designated representative overseeing it. The integrity of the formal process is important and the University is not able to provide further comment during the confidential proceedings.
Sincerely,
Office of the President"
Montreal Rally Calls for Freeing the Hostages
Note about the Montreal rally for Israel from Professor Ira Robinson:
“At the rally, there was a mixture of students and community members. It was the students from Concordia (and one from McGill) who spoke.
They greatly impressed me with their heartfelt calls for a change in the poisoned atmosphere that has grown on the campuses of Montreal universities.
Several of them seized on the statement of a pro-Hamas woman who had declared that, in the incident in Concordia's Hall Building between her group and the Jewish students calling for a release of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, "We terrified them."
The speakers at the rally wanted the pro-Hamas militants, the Concordia community as a whole, and the Montreal Jewish community to know that they are not terrified. They will not desist. They will rather continue fighting for their rights at Concordia, and for the hostages to be freed.”
Julia Langleben, McGill Student, Speaks Proudly of Being Jewish at Montreal Rally. Filmed by Abigail Hirsch of AskAbigailProductions.com.
Positive Messages and Rays of Light
Rays of Hope - Shiri Mimon and Tamir Greenberg singing I’m Coming Home
Rep.Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, speaking at the DC Rally, Nov 14.
Broadway stars sing, #Bringthemhome
Standing with Israel, a Night with the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel
CAEF was thrilled to partner with IBSI, and others in a special program to raise funds for Israel, call for freeing the hostages, and express the message of collaboration between Blacks and Jews. We thank Pastor Dumasani Washington, Joshua Washington and Olga Meshoe Washington for their words, music, prayers and the amazing program they created. View the highlights below, and for the full event video, click here.
Christian Rally in London, UK, Sunday November 19, 2023
Never Again Is Now prayer rally was a peaceful stand of solidarity with the Jewish community, and for all those who prayed for the event at home, organized by Christian Action Against Antisemitism. Thousands of Christians stood shoulder to shoulder with members of the Jewish community in a powerful stand against antisemitism and called for the safe return of all Israeli hostages held captive by Hamas.
Rebel News video: Hundreds of Māori men and women gathered in Brisbane, Australia, to ‘Haka for Israel’ - November 19, 2023.
A Vigil for the Children Held Hostage; World Children’s Day in Toronto
Demanding UNICEF Access Israeli Children Held Hostage by Hamas
November 20th, a day to celebrate children, a day to mark the founding of UNICEF post-WWII, as it was envisioned to serve as a global emergency service for children needing to be rescued and assisted. Where is UNICEF?
Catherine Russell, UNICEF Exec was in Gaza recently visiting children in a war zone, expressing concern for Gazan children living in dangerous situations and decrying the bombardments by Israel, but ignoring the request that she visited the Israeli families of children held hostage in Gaza by Hamas. She declined the invitation. Across the globe, Jews cried out #Bringthemhome. In Toronto, in a vigil organized by Daphna Pollack, Jews and allies went to UNICEF headquarters with teddy bears for the child hostages, a pleading message for UNICEF to intervene, to assess the needs of Israeli children and ensure their safety.
CP24 - Demonstration In Front of UNICEF Office in Toronto - November 20, 2023:
A Plea to UNICEF at the UNICEF Stroller Vigil, November 20, 2023:
ILTV - Emily Schrader: Where were you when Palestinians were persecuted by their own rulers?
BDS Cannot be Justified, Supported or Shared
The Jaffari mosque in Thornhill is home to an imam who preaches that all dealings with Israel, Israelis, Israeli products or businesses are “haram”, forbidden. CAEF invites him to abandon use of his phone, computer and various other devices, medicines, and foods, which all have Israeli content.
His boycott against the Jewish state and Canada's ally is an affront to the Jewish community and could well lead to the spreading of hate. This video and our concerns were brought to the attention of the York Regional Police.
Watch the Imam’s sermon against Israel. Perhaps the MPP and City Councillor for the neighborhood of the mosque, which has a large Jewish population, would care to visit this imam?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau disappointed the Jewish community and its allies with his equivocation. There are not two right sides in this war with Hamas. Read story here as posted by CBC on November 14th. Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu responded immediately.
Harvard, Hamas, and the Barbaric Death of Discourse in the West
A video, with the above title, was brought to CAEF’s attention by Professor Jeff Lax, explains how Harvard University, formerly a model for intellectual discourse, higher education and human development is none of this now. The video aptly presents the crisis in academia and the death of honest intellectual pursuits at a major university in the US, and much of it applies to many universities across North America and Europe.
Recommended Reading
Hate crime stats reported in the Toronto Star.
Toronto woman arrested and charged for hate-motivated vandalism at Starbucks.
Jewish school shooting in Montreal is 4th hate crime in Montreal in one week.
Daniel Pipes, founder and President of Middle East Forum, writes that Israel must not compromise now on the outcome, which must be victory for Israel; and must not defer to foreign influencers like France of the US, that would halt the war and leave Hamas decimated but not destroyed. Read here.
John Ibbitson writes in the Globe and Mail, on the current fear in which Jewish Canadians are living, following incidents of physical attacks on Jewish school and synagogue in Montreal. He notes the role that critical race theory plays in increased antisemitism. Read here.
Antisemitism on the rise reported in CTech.
What Palestinian Arabs want — very recent study, and very worrisome.
Advocacy and Action
Power of One — woman in a bleeding Israeli flag gets attention on the hostages, in LA
Read letter to Melanie Joly from Mita Hoffer re canceling funding of UNRWA
Read CAEF Letter to Carleton University re Union 4600 pro-Palestine event
Read letter from Doris Epstein, published in the National Post, November 15, 2023
CAEF Board member, Michael Teper, wrote to Colleen Russell-Rawlins, Director of Education at the TDSB (Toronto District School Board) about a particular member of the Parent Involvement Advisory Committee, Bahira Abdulsalam, regarding her biased homophobic and antisemitic postings. Read the letter, which was accompanied by copies of relevant social media posts, and a response from the Director.
Michael Teper also filed this with the Toronto police:
