Next Thursday evening begins the Festival of Purim and we will dance, sing, drink wine, eat hamentashen and other treats, and recall the strength and courage of Queen Esther. We will be reminded that in centuries past and even in modern times the pattern has often been-- fight for our lives, celebrate/eat and then again fight or run for our lives. Too simple?
Rabbi Meir Soloveichik is teaching a course for the Tikvah Fund, entitled Jewish Political Greatness and last Monday February 15th, he illustrated how this cycle has been true for centuries. That should mean we are never complacent. We must develop and expand Jewish Pride, because through knowledge of Jewish history and Jewish contributions to every society and culture in which Jews have settled, we are stronger. Jews must learn not merely of Jewish suffering. So, eat, dance and be merry, and be wary and wise.
Videos and Animated Messages
CAEF has partnered with other NGO’s since the pandemic to both create and deliver some amazing webinars. All webinars are posted on our website.
To understand our mission of outing Antizionism as antisemitism, watch this Prager U video which explains in few words how hate for Israel is antisemitic.
Unpacking UNRWA—webinar with AZM
On February 18th, CAEF partnered with the American Zionist Movement in a webinar entitled, Unpacking UNRWA, Its History and Funding, Anti-Israel Bias in Education and the Palestinian Perspective, an expert panel presentation about the lies and deceptions of the organization established to care for, protect, and resettle Arab refugees resulting from the offensive war initiated against Israel in 1948.
Jew hatred has been a constant aspect of the UNRWA curriculum from kindergarten to graduation and Canada is the 5th largest funder of the organization. CAEF is calling for an immediate withdrawal of funding until such time as UNRWA can demonstrate that it meets the ethical values and principles enunciated by the United Nations. B’nai Brith Canada has initiated a petition you can sign here to support the call to curtail funding and demand a change within UNRWA. The organization also creates child soldiers in its call for the murder of Jews!!
For a full report on Canada’s role and what is essential to bring about the change, read this evidence-based article from Palestinian Media Watch.
Read the CAEF Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister of Foreign Affairs Garneau calling for the immediate withdrawal of funding. The dismantling of UNRWA would likely contribute faster than anything else to peace between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs. The UAE, one of Israel’s newest allies and previously the major funder of UNRWA, has reduced its funding to a mere $1m which sends a strong message.
Send your own letter to pm@pm.gc.ca and ask: Why is Canada funding a terror inciting antisemitic entity?
Hate Crime Charges Laid for Promoting Antisemitism
Nineteen months after an initial complaint, the RCMP announced that hate crime charges would be laid against Travis Patron. Patron, who resides in Saskatchewan, heads the federally registered Canadian Nationalist Party.
Travis Patron
This individual has been on our radar for some time as the self-proclaimed leader of a group described as 'far right and white nationalist'.
In July 2020 CAEF filed a complaint with the police, as did a number of other groups, concerned about his hate-filled rhetoric. This is what we told the RCMP at the time:
The [initial complaint in June 2019] was that Patron had published or caused to be published a video of himself speaking about “that parasitic tribe” filled with canards and other derogatory remarks often used to promote hate against Jewish individuals and the Jewish community. He concludes with a call to “remove these people once and for all from our country”. This video can still be found on the party’s website and social media sites as well as on social media personal to Travis Patron himself.
On July 12, [2020], the video was reposted and a flyer appeared – see (https://www.facebook.com/pg/NationalistCA/posts/). While the flyer repeats much of the hate-laden rhetoric of the video, it adds one telling comment "The people we speak of are not truly 'Jews.' They are liars and deceivers attempting to shield themselves from criticism using a false identity. Let us be aware and expose them for what they are: a tribe of parasites. The flyer ends with the inciting call to “remove these people once and for all from our country”.
More than a year has passed since the initial complaint and Patron has seemingly upped his attacks. Given the status of the Canadian Nationalist Party as a registered political party, and considering the present rise in antisemitism we are witnessing online and across this country, the urgency to take action and to complete the investigation into charges under s. 319(2) of the Criminal Code for the wilful promotion of hatred against the Jewish community is clear.
CAEF also reached out to Elections Canada, concerned about the platform espoused by this party when we were informed that the group had adhered to all formal requirements for registration at that time and that it had no jurisdiction.
End Jew Hatred Canada Supporting Action in Ajax
Recently it came to our attention that the city council of Ajax had discussed changing the name of a street called Langsdorff. This was further investigated by the volunteers of End Jew Hatred Canada, a grassroots movement initiated by CAEF. The City Council of Ajax voted in November to remove the name Langsdorff because he was a WWII Nazi Navy Captain who, surprisingly and offensively, was honoured posthumously in 2007 by having a street named after him in Ajax. Through a citizen initiative by Adam Wiseman, a petition was started to change the name.
As Council approved the motion 4 to 3, Adam and CAEF are waiting for a report, expected to come in March, as to steps to be taken to act on the motion and rename this street. CAEF sent a thank you message to the 4 councillors who supported the motion and you can too:
Marilyn Crawford: Marilyn.crawford@ajax.ca
Rob Tyler-Morin: rob.tylermorin@ajax.ca
Sterling Lee: Sterling.lee@ajax.ca
Lisa Bower: lisa.bower@ajax.ca
Join with CAEF and End Jew Hatred Canada, sign the petition.
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