The Canadian Institute for Jewish Research held its first National Conference in Toronto at Shaarei Hashomayim Congregation on Sunday, 22 April, 2012, 12:00 noon to 3:30 p.m., on “Israel’s Threatened Security: The Failed ‘Arab Spring’, Iran’s Imminent Bomb, and U.S. Foreign Policy, before a large and enthusiastic c audience. Professor Frederick Krantz, Director of CIJR, gave a luncheon address defining CIJR’s now-24-year-long pro-Israel work as a unique internationally-respected academic think-tank which addresses the public, Jewish and non-Jewish, and works closely with students, on- and off-campus.
He also put the Conference panel topics, to be addressed by CIJR Academic Fellows, into the wider historical-political framework of the global delegitimation campaign against the Jewish State. This well-funded campaign, in Europe, at the UN, and on our campuses, includes the increasing ubiquity of antisemitism and Holocaust denial. Prof. Krantz, while noting independent Israel’s existence and Hitler’s lack of a nuclear weapon as key differences, nevertheless underlined the striking similarities between our own historical-political moment and the pre-WWII 1930s, stressed the implications for existentially-threatened Israel of the US and “international community”’s failure, to date, effectively to blunt genocidal Iran’s drive to nuclear capability.
The Conference was divided into two Panels, the first with three papers, on “The Failed “Arab Spring’ and Israel” (Frederick Krantz, Concordia U., Montreal); “Russia in the Middle East: The Perils of Pretensions” (Aurel Braun, U. of Toronto), and “Homegrown Delegitimation: Jewish Anti-Zionists” (Sally Zerker, U. of T.); the second Panel included “Israel and the Iranian Bomb” (Norrin Ripsman, Concordia U.) and “Iran’s Challenge: Obama’s Moment of Truth?” (Harold Waller, McGill U.). Both panels were followed by vigorous Question and Answer periods, with much active audience participation.
CIJR’s presence in Toronto was capped after the Conference by a well-attended and enthusiastic meeting which founded a regular Chapter of the Institute, at which, after much discussion of possible programs and activities, David Freeman was elected Chair. One of the suggestions for the coming year was establishment of a Toronto-area wing of CIJR’s innovative, and proven, academic-year “Student Israel-Advocacy Program”, given by respected academics and designed to counter increasing anti-Israelism and antisemitism on campus. Prof. Krantz thanked all present, and said he and CIJR look forward to an active 2012-13 presence in Toronto.
