Opinion: A clarion call for Canadians to stand against Jew hatred

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Even more concerning is that political leaders no longer universally condemn Jew hatred. When Edmonton Coun. Michael Janz wrote horrible and malicious lies about Israel, Mayor Andrew Knack failed to condemn him, instead saying: “Well, I would say anyone that’s not sharing accurate information, that’s not what we want to see.” His lack of condemnation is a green light for haters to declare open season on Canadian Jews.

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Many years ago, human rights activist Natan Sharansky identified the three Ds of antisemitism — double standards, delegitimization and demonization — that help us understand Jew hatred pertaining to Israel.

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It is a double standard when Israel’s conduct is singled out and not similarly condemned when practised by other democratic countries. Delegitimization is when Israel’s very existence is portrayed as illegitimate or Jews are denied the right to self-determination. Demonization is when Israel or Jews are portrayed using extreme, dehumanizing or conspiratorial language or imagery.

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An example of how the three Ds manifest themselves can be seen at the United Nations. According to data from UN Watch, between 2015 and 2024, the UN General Assembly passed 173 resolutions against Israel, compared with 80 concerning all other countries combined.

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While the UN has a long history of singling out Israel, these types of double standards have now migrated to Canada. It’s why, across the country, security was particularly robust at all Jewish institutions on Rosh Hashanah, and why rabbis devoted entire sermons to the topic of antisemitism.

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It is hard to say what the tipping point will be as to when Canadian Jews will start looking for safer places to live. As leaders of the National Holocaust Monument Committee, we think about this a lot, but have not yet lost hope that the pendulum can swing and Canada can once again be a safe country for Jews to live in.

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To bring us back to Victor Frankl, we choose to hope that you — our fellow Canadians — will stand up to Jew hatred. We choose to believe that you can influence political leaders and university administrations to take meaningful action against antisemitism.

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At the conclusion of Yom Kippur, the shofar, akin to a trumpet, is blown. I urge all Canadians to hear it as a clarion call to action. Hear it as an urgent appeal to confront Jew hatred.

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Jewish tradition teaches that, “It is not your responsibility to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” There is no singular way to combat the scourge of antisemitism, but Canada’s Jews need more from our fellow citizens. We need more people speaking out when they see the 3Ds actualized, in whatever form.

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May the blast of the shofar be a wake up call for us all.

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Hear the shofar, and act, before it’s too late.

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National Post

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Joel Diener and Lawrence Greenspon are co-chairs, and Andrea Freedman is a member, of the National Holocaust Monument Committee.

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