The atrocity of October 7 was an evil attack on Israel, but it may well have a much more widespread, insidious and malign influence on Canada and the West.
In a bizarre twist, the horrific barbarism of that day against the Jewish state has unleashed a wave of antisemitism and, indeed, a support for terrorism, that could affect us for generations.
Perhaps that hatred was in Canada all along, a corrosive undercurrent of antisemitism running deep and wide and dangerous. Now it is on display in the streets, in schools and on university campuses. Left-wingers, trade union leaders, academics, teachers and even politicians have been tainted with it.
But the strain of this hatred is deeper than we know, wider than we thought and more dangerous than we can possibly imagine.
Within hours of the attack that killed 1,200 people, forces were at work to create a narrative that wasn’t about the mass rape, torture, murder, hostage-taking and savagery inflicted on the Israelis.
It was about the so-called “resistance” of the Palestinians and breaking out of an alleged apartheid state. It was about demonizing Israel and making heroes of blood-thirsty butchers.
It was a narrative founded on lies, denialism and spin doctoring. It was a tale told to influence the young, the impressionable and the naive.
Sarah Jama, an NDP member in the Ontario legislature, was kicked out of caucus and censured by her party only days after October 7 when she issued a statement saying Israel was guilty of apartheid, was an occupier of “Palestine” and was engaging in “settler colonialism.”
A video later emerged where Jama denied that any woman was raped during the October 7 attacks.
Fred Hahn, the Ontario president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), praised the “resistance” in a tweet. It is no surprise, therefore, to see CUPE Ontario marking October 7 this year with a rally Saturday in support of “Palestine” and to protest the “humanitarian atrocities happening in Gaza & Lebanon.”
Not one word about the victims of October 7, or the Hamas terrorists who since being elected in 2006 have ruled Gaza with an fist of iron, have indoctrinated a generation of Palestinians to feel nothing but hate, and built a terror network with billions of dollars in aid.
Nothing about Hezbollah, another terrorist group that has spread violence and hate throughout the world, and who, since October 7, has launched thousands of rockets and missiles into Israel and displaced 60,000 Israelis.
Meanwhile, universities in Canada, particularly in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, have become a hotbed of antisemitism.
A month ago, at the University of British Columbia, a pro-Palestinian group mounted a pig’s head on a gate in what was widely seen as intimidation towards Jewish students.
“This extremism is not just shocking; it’s a clear indicator of how normalized hatred has become in academic settings,” said the Toronto-based Abraham Global Peace Initiative, a charity that fights antisemitism. “If universities tolerate such open displays of bigotry, it is only a matter of time before this poison seeps into broader society, influencing our streets, government, and corporate leadership.”
Graham Carr, president of Concordia University, told a panel of MPs earlier this year, “Sadly, the lived experience of some members of our community has been tarnished by real and perceived acts of contempt, intolerance and hate.”
McGill president Deep Saini said, “Antisemitism is real. It is happening across our country and we all have a role to play in confronting it.”
In the U.S., failure to combat, or condemn, antisemitism on campuses resulted in the heads of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia, all resigning.
But it’s not just students involved, but faculty.
Canary Mission, an organization that keeps a database of people who promote hatred of Jews on campuses, identified 153 professors from Toronto University who participated in an anti-Israel encampment or supported it.
In July, the Canadian government created a special advisor on Jewish Community Relations and Antisemitism.
“In recent months, we’ve seen a disturbing rise in antisemitism across the world, including right here in Canada,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “This must not continue.”
But continue it has. Only days ago, police revealed that hate crimes against Jews had increased by 69 per cent in Toronto.
October 7 has revealed many things. One is that Israel is determined to neutralize the terrorist threats from Hamas and Hezbollah and to directly challenge Iran. It will secure its own security whether the world supports it or not.
It has shown that Canada does not always align its talk with its actions. The Trudeau Liberals speak about supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, but have limited the sales of military equipment to country; the government has moved to reward the Hamas terrorists by actively supporting the creation of a State of Palestine and funding was restored to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the discredited UN agency for Palestinian refugees whose employees may have taken part in October 7.
October 7 has exposed the progressive left as a splenetic, intolerant and divisive movement where marching in solidarity is a euphemism for promoting hate.
And what October 7 is still revealing to us is that Canada may not be a beacon of harmony, peace and goodwill. An effectively pro-terrorist movement has taken firm hold and is flagrantly indoctrinating a generation of youth into supporting a hateful and violent ideology.
Combatting antisemitism isn’t just about Israel. It’s also about Canada and what kind of a country we hope to be in the future.
National Post