Amidst Israel’s live streamed holocaust, its advocates in this country can still get public events cancelled. And on the day a United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, incited these acts, Mark Carney is about to further empower genocide advocates with “bubble zone” and other repressive legislation.
Yesterday the Toronto church where my 10-city NDP leadership tour was scheduled to begin Sept. 18 succumbed to pressure from genocide lobbyists and cancelled the room. The event is with Rabbi David Mivisair, student encampment organizer Sara Rasikh and former Canadian Union of Postal Workers president Mike Palecek.
After cancelling, St. Paul’s Bloor St. Anglican church claimed the event defied their policies, but my campaign’s mobilization head told the church the booking was for an NDP event with me. Information about the meeting has been circulating since the room was booked on August 26. At the large Labour Day parade on September 1, I and others distributed two thousand leaflets for the event. Thousands more were distributed subsequently, and hundreds of event posters have been posted across the city.
Revealingly, the church released the information about the cancellation to an anti-Palestinian activist. According to a message from the church initially made public by the violent, misogynistic, anonymous anti-Palestinian X account Leviathan, the church sent an email to a pro-Israel email account announcing the cancellation at 10:39 am Monday. The email telling our organizer, Jason Baines, about the cancelation wasn’t sent until 15 minutes later. The email sent to the Zionist noted, “I’m sorry, I inadvertently included you on what was meant to be an internal e-mail about who should respond to your message. You will know from that e-mail that I reached out to the Rt. Rev. Jenny Andison, incumbent of St. Paul’s Bloor Street, to inquire about the event. She confirmed that it is not a church-led or -sponsored event, and in fact that it has been cancelled. She further confirmed that St. Paul’s is reviewing its processes with its Events Department.”
Several genocide advocates had publicly targeted the event before the cancellation and pro-Israel Facts Matter celebrated this suppression of “political speech” or what the Supreme Court ruled is “the single most important and protected type of expression.” Facts Matter noted, “Kudos to St. Paul’s Church for canceling the Toronto stop of noted antisemite, Yves Engler, as he continues his ‘Capitalism Can’t Be Fixed’ Tour.” For his part, former Jewish Defence League head Meir Weinstein claimed, “Thank you to all my friends and supporters for contacting the St. Paul’s Church to cancel the antisemitic event with Yves Engler.” Toronto Sun columnist Brian Liley also crowed about the cancelation, ignoring the Supreme Court’s 2004 ruling that “the right of the people to discuss and debate ideas forms the very foundation of democracy.”
Two years into Israel’s live streamed holocaust it is outrageous that a church would bolster those defending such crimes by silencing a public forum. This morning Al Jazeera reported that at least 78 Palestinians were killed by Israeli air strikes since dawn. Gaza City residents are facing “heavy, relentless” bombardment as Israel destroys all buildings in a bid to make the city “completely uninhabitable”. Alongside its destruction of Gaza and deepening occupation in the West Bank, Israel has also bombed Qatar, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Tunisia in recent days.
Two years into what has been deemed a genocide by most experts —including the UN Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday — it is unconscionable for a church to capitulate to Israel’s advocates. But they have prominent supporters.
As CBC reported four days ago, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government is introducing “bubble zone” legislation to limit criticism of a genocidal apartheid state. The government is also proposing three new offences under Canada’s Criminal Code, which the CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Noah Shack, applauded. That organization has stoked a climate where Canadians have been fired, harassed and jailed for opposing Israel’s holocaust in Gaza.
With thousands of leaflets and posters circulating across Toronto, my event is going forward. If the church allows us to meet inside, we will. If they cancel, our meeting will take place outside St. Paul’s on Bloor. I call on members of the parish, Anglicans across the diocese, people of all faiths, and anyone who wants to be on the right side of history to join us.
Please join over 2000 individuals who’ve already told St. Paul’s to reverse course and reinstate the room booking.
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