JTA – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government will not tolerate anti-Semitism after a violent anti-Israel demonstration in Montreal in which demonstrators burned an effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Canadian prime minister was one of several officials to condemn the demonstration, which opposed a NATO conference on Friday evening and following which three demonstrators were arrested.
This rally is part of a series of anti-Israel actions that have had repercussions in the Quebec metropolis in recent days, ranging from the closing of a café at the city’s Jewish general hospital to the cancellation of an Israeli film at a local festival.
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“What we saw on the streets of Montreal last night was appalling,” Trudeau said in a statement Saturday.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau awaits the arrival of Slovak President Zuzana Caputova, on the steps of Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, January 30, 2024. (Credit: Dave Chan/AFP)
“Acts of anti-Semitism, intimidation and violence must be condemned wherever we see them. »
The demonstrators, many of whom belonged to student groups, protested against the Western military alliance over its members’ support for Israel in its multi-front war, which was sparked by the pogrom carried out by the Palestinian terrorist group of Hamas on October 7, 2023, the date on which some 6,000 Gazans including 3,800 Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, kidnapped 251 hostages of all ages – committing numerous atrocities and perpetrating sexual violence on a large scale. The next day, the Lebanese Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah began launching drones and missiles into Israel.
According to Canadian media, protesters broke windows, burned vehicles, attacked police and threw smoke bombs and firecrackers during the rally.
Participants could be seen waving Palestinian, Lebanese and Iranian flags, as well as a flag bearing the hammer and sickle, a communist symbol. Some demonstrators held a banner that read “intifada” in Arabic, referring to the violent Palestinian uprisings against Israel in which hundreds of people were killed in bombings and stabbing attacks in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.
At one point, a group of protesters burned an effigy reading “Netanyahu in The Hague,” in reference to the recent arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Netanyahu. Canada is one of several countries to confirm that it will arrest the Israeli prime minister based on the warrant.
“This had nothing to do with a lawful, peaceful protest,” Bill Blair, Canada’s defense minister, said at a conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
“It was anarchy. It is a commitment to violence and hatred that manifested itself in the city of Montreal.”
“These behaviors are unacceptable and we condemn them, particularly the hatred and anti-Semitism that have been manifested, in the strongest possible terms,” he added.
The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs, a Canadian Jewish organization, called Friday’s protest “a terrifying display of violence, hatred and lawlessness” and called on Canadian leaders to do more to combat anti-Semitism.
The group said in a statement that “fires were set, businesses were vandalized, and Jewish Canadians once again felt unsafe in their own country.” Our political leaders must stop excusing extremism. The police must enforce the law. And all Canadians must take anti-Semitism seriously – NOW. »
Friday’s protest came a day after a participant in another anti-Israel protest was filmed saying, “The final solution is coming.” » The phrase “final solution” was a Nazi euphemism to describe the extermination of Jews during the Holocaust.
The protester in question was later identified as the owner of two franchises of Second Cup, a Canadian coffee chain, located at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. The company said in a statement that it was closing these locations and terminating the owner’s contract. It will continue to pay its staff and plans to reopen under new management, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
“Second Cup does not tolerate hate speech. This franchisee’s actions constitute not only a violation of our franchise agreement, but also the values of inclusion and community that we uphold at Second Cup,” the company’s statement said.
Deborah Lipstadt, Holocaust historian and US special envoy to the fight against anti-Semitism, condemned the comments about the “final solution”.
“The anti-Semitic rhetoric that fueled the anti-NATO riots in Montreal sends a clear signal. Hatred of Jews incites violence, disrupts national security and erodes democracy,” she added.
Elsewhere in Montreal, RIDM, a documentary film festival, canceled screenings of an Israeli filmmaker’s film due to anti-Israel protests. The film by Israeli-Canadian Danae Elon, “Rule of Stone,” takes a critical look at Israeli politics. According to a description on the festival’s website, the film focuses on the Jerusalem Stone, which serves as a facade for buildings in the Israeli capital. It examines “the erasure of Palestinian history and the progressive exclusion of its people” and “reveals the contrasts and often invisible violence of its buildings and architecture.”
But the festival announced the cancellation of two screenings planned for later this week. The press release indicates that Elon withdrew his film following “consultations conducted by the RIDM with all parties concerned” and that the festival will modify its selection criteria.
“Danae Elon is an Israeli-Canadian filmmaker whose films have been supported by RIDM, and we recognize her personal commitment to criticizing and questioning the State of Israel,” the festival press release said. “However, the film’s inclusion in our programming has disrupted our relationships with important partners, including community members who actively support the Palestinian people. »
The festival is the second Canadian cultural event this month to spark anti-Israel protests. Last week, the Giller Prize, a prestigious literary award, was awarded amid an author boycott protesting its sponsors’ ties to Israel.
In Toronto over the weekend, a small anti-Israel demonstration featured, according to critics who shared photos on social media, a protester dressed as Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, moments before a soldier Israeli army kills him, and a person holding a sign reading “Free flights to Amsterdam”, an apparent reference to the attacks on Israeli football fans that took place in that European capital at the start of the month. A Jewish political journalist was reportedly arrested after refusing to leave the premises on police orders.
