Many who were there Wednesday say it was more of anti-Jewish meeting than a school board meeting.
Those in attendance say the public hearing on a report before the Toronto District School Board to protect Jewish students deteriorated into more of anti-Jewish hate fest.
“The anti-Israel mob showed up in full force espousing conspiracy theories, tropes and disinformation about Israel and the Jewish community,” a disgusted Toronto City Councillor James Pasternak said.
He wasn’t alone in feeling this.
“Every self-proclaimed anti-Zionist on (Wednesday night’s) call rejects Israel’s very existence,” claims Daniel Tate, of Integrity Toronto. “I know this because I reviewed their online profiles as they spoke. Every single one had either made statements or aligned with imagery explicitly denying the Jewish homeland’s legitimacy – a sovereign nation recognized by the UN. Yet, when given the floor, they conveniently sidestepped that fact. Perhaps because admitting it wouldn’t play well in a public forum.”
The Affirming Jewish Identities and Addressing Antisemitism report is designed to be “a step forward in addressing the alarming rise in antisemitic incidents in schools” and expresses the “the concerns and priorities” of the Jewish community.
But it was not received that way by many who made three-minute presentations to try to stop it. There was low blow after low blow.
Some very mean things were said.
“Holocaust exceptionalism is what this report seems to recommend,” was one of them smears lobbed out. Another was a claim that the report is “criminalizing opposition to Zionism” and “prioritizing the comfort of Jewish people over the actual safety of Palestinians.”
There were lots of suggestions that all Jews support a “genocide” in Gaza, all while ignoring the growing antisemitism in Toronto since the Oct. 7, 2023 slaughter at the Israel-Gaza border – in which 1,200 were murdered, 250 were taken hostage – that has seen dozens of hate crimes against Jews or Jewish schools or businesses.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
The dark and relentless momentum of that manifested itself in this meeting.
“We witnessed a sickening display at the TDSB. In hearings on the findings of the report, extreme voices called for this important work to protect our kids to be shut down,” said Michelle Stock, vice president, Ontario, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). “To hear anti-Zionists – people who support the dismantling of Israel – attempt to use the Middle East conflict as a weapon against our kids is a new low at the TDSB. And yet, speaker after speaker diminished, denied, and excused the reality of antisemitism taking place in our schools.”
The TDSB has yet to comment.
But Ward 8 Trustee Shelley Laskin admonished what was described as seven hours of hell.
“This has been a very difficult evening for many,” she said, adding “there was true harm spoken tonight, there was antisemitism, Jew hatred and I need to apologize for all those who have witnessed this. This is not acceptable. This has caused great harm to many of us who have listened for hours.”
Pasternak said: “I hope Trustees don’t give in to the voice of the mob and go forward to stop hate, antisemitism and keeping children safe” whether they vote on it Thursday evening as scheduled or if it’s held another day.
“The fact that some of these people (in the meeting were) teachers was even more shocking” and that they “used loaded terms about Israel that they clearly did not know the meaning of,” he said.
Pasternak added: “Most reasonable people just want have their kids in a classroom that is safe and free from hate. But those who have a visceral hatred for Israel did not stop their endless loop of demonization. Not a word about human rights abuses in other parts of the world such as South Soudan, the Congo or Syria.”
All eyes are on what the TDSB does next.
“Together with UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Toronto Holocaust Museum, and Allies for a Strong Canada, (the CIJA) is mobilizing a united front to stand up for our kids and fight back against the forces of hate,” said Stock. “Our message is simple: Adopt this report and act on its recommendations to protect Jewish kids, without delay and without amendment. Reject the extreme voices that would exploit an overseas conflict as an excuse to deny Jews our fundamental rights.”
The safety of Jewish kids at Toronto schools is what is at stake.