Andrea Freedman
Ottawa Citizen, Dec. 16, 2022
“… it came to light that Canadian MPs from all parties (Bloc Québécois, Conservatives, Greens, Liberals and NDP), including federal cabinet minister Omar Alghabra and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, attended a reception on Parliament Hill at which a Holocaust denier and terrorist sympathizer, Nazih Khatatba, was also present.”
Less than a generation removed from the Holocaust, antisemitism is normalizing in Canada. Just ask Jewish students in Ottawa public schools, Jewish students and professors on university campuses, Jewish professionals in the public service, and your Jewish neighbour. It is past time for all Canadians to speak out.
Jew-hatred was once regarded as the purview of far-right extremism. Today, antisemitism transcends partisanship as Jews are targeted from the left and right of the political spectrum.
On the right, Jews are subjected to the white supremacist belief that the white race is in danger of extinction by a rising tide of “non-whites” who are controlled and manipulated by the Jews. An example of far-right behaviour close to home was the appropriation by some in the trucker convoy in Ottawa of deeply hurtful and painful Nazi imagery: “Freedom fighters” used the yellow star once designated to set Jews apart during the Holocaust as well as the Nazi flag.
Antisemitism on the left manifests itself as the belief that Jews are white, privileged and responsible for the oppression of others. Jews are not viewed as a minority deserving protection against racism. In many cases, Jews are not even included in any Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion/Inclusivity work despite current statistics showing Jews are the most targeted minority. This type of modern antisemitism also presents itself as a singular vilification of Israel, the world’s only Jewish state, and claims that the existence of Israel is itself a racist endeavour.
… [To read the full article, click here]
