Imagine the mainstream media uproar if an official representative of China commented on a Conservative or Liberal party leadership race?
Yet it seems to be okay for the Israeli government to interfere in the NDP leadership race.
In response to a meme I posted stating, “Want to freak out the Israel lobby? Engler for NDP leader!” Israel’s consul in Montreal Paul Hirschson quote tweeted me noting, “I so hope Yves runs. His ‘campaign’ feels like a clickbait project. I hope the NDP allow him to run. When he gets 7% of the vote (of a party that got 7% of the national vote) we will understand he represents below 0.5% of Canadian public opinion.” (Several leading Israel advocates, such as Hampstead mayor Jeremy Levi, have expressed support for my candidacy because they say it would damage the NDP while subsequently calling on the party to exclude me from the race.)
In another probable example of Israeli interference targeting my campaign, a swarm (of likely) Israel bot accounts pressed Twitter to apply a bizarre “community note” below one of my posts in a bid to suggest I denied the Rwandan genocide. When hundreds quickly retweeted my X post while calling for a community note it strongly suggested it was a coordinated, probably Israeli government, push. Some intrepid Globe and Mail senior Ottawa correspondent with strong ties to the intelligence community should ask his buddies to investigate if the bot account activity was in fact linked to Israel.
In a similar vein, Israel lobby group B’nai Brith released a libelous statement three weeks ago claiming I denied the Rwandan genocide. That followed on from former Jewish Defence League head Meir Weinstein and disgraced anti-Palestinian former BC NDP cabinet minister Selena Robinson calling for me to be excluded from the race to lead the party.
The Israeli government has a well-documented track record of interference in Canadian politics. During the federal election Benjamin Netanyahu openly threw his weight behind Pierre Poilievre. Israel’s diaspora ministry is known to be spending millions and millions of dollars on online disinformation efforts targeting US and Canadian officials. They were caught last year promoting explicitly Islamophobic positions to deflect criticism of their holocaust in Gaza.
The Israeli diaspora minister also funds Canadian schools that send children to pro-genocide demonstrations. At many Canadian Jewish schools Israeli emissaries are seconded to “provide a living connection to Israel by promoting Israeli experiences.” Hundreds of Israeli emissaries are also sent to Canadian summer camps and community organizations through a program between Canada’s Jewish federations and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Canada’s Jewish federations have long been formally tied to the parastatal Jewish Agency for Israel (Jewish Agency for Palestine until 1948). The Jewish Agency for Israel effectively became Israel’s government in 1948 with long-time head David Ben-Gurion its first prime minister. Current Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, stepped down as head of the Jewish Agency to take that position.
Honestly, this is not written to complain but rather to expose and oppose Canada’s unique, often illegal, support for a state committing the most unspeakable crimes against Palestinians. This was one reason I agreed to run for the NDP leadership. The pro-Israel lobby seems more than willing to repeatedly prove the points I set out to make.
Perhaps they deserve a thank you.
To assist or learn more about my bid to lead the NDP check out yvesforndpleader.ca
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