Harley Finkelstein believes challenging those who promote Israel’s extermination of Palestinians is antisemitism “pure and simple”. The president of Shopify is a whinny Jewish supremacist.
At Montreal’s Startup Fest Wednesday, I interrupted a fireside chat the president of one of Canada’s largest corporations was having with George Saint Pierre to ask about his support for genocide. As I asked “why do you support the genocide in Gaza” Finkelstein squirmed while the former UFC champion also looked visibly uncomfortable.
Some 200,000 have viewed the clip on various social media platforms and BetaKit published “Harley Finkelstein’s Startupfest talk interrupted by protester”. The Canadian Tech & Startup News site reported, “This is the third time Finkelstein has faced in-person protests related to his support of Israel in as many years. His 2024 live podcast recording with Indigo CEO Heather Reisman and DAVIDsTEA founder David Segal at Startupfest was also interrupted by protesters, as were his remarks at the opening of Ottawa’s Finkelstein Chabad Jewish Centre.”
On X Finkelstein linked to that story and stated, “What happened at Startup Fest yesterday was antisemitism. Pure & simple. Disguised under a thin veil of advocacy, and everyone in the room saw right through it. I was on stage with Georges St-Pierre talking about entrepreneurship. Not politics. A man burst in screaming horrible accusations at me anyway. Third time in 2 years, including at the opening of a Jewish community centre. My parents were in the front row. I’ll never forget their faces. When the target is always the Jew and never the topic, it’s not advocacy. It’s hate. The room booed him down and cheered as he was walked out. I’m grateful for that. Hate got escorted out. We got right back to building.”
A story about the incident was on the front of Friday’s National Post and the Jerusalem News Syndicate reported on the intervention. After Finkelstein’s post a journalist with BetaKit reached out for my reaction to Finkelstein claiming my questioning his support for genocide was “antisemitism. Pure & simple.” To which I replied “Harley Finkelstein promoting Israel as it’s slaughtered a hundred thousand in Gaza, terrorized Lebanon and attacked Iran is genocidal Jewish supremacy. Pure & simple.”
Finkelstein has not simply posted dozens of statements justifying genocidal violence, he funded the Finkelstein Chabad Jewish Centre near the University of Ottawa. Its website has a section on “Connecting with Israel”. Chabad is an openly supremacist movement. Last year Haaretz published “Behind the Smiles and Doughnut Stands: Chabad’s Growing Alliance With Far-right Minister Ben-Gvir”.
When I interrupted Finkelstein’s talk with Heather Reisman two years ago, he also claimed it was “runaway hate”. In a front-page National Post commentary headlined “Canada Promised Jews Safety. Instead, we face runaway hate” Finkelstein described “two moments” that brought home antisemitism. “The first happened in Montreal”, he wrote. “I host a podcast called Big Shot, a project dedicated to telling the stories of Jewish entrepreneurs. It is about culture, resilience, creativity and contribution. It is intentionally non-political. Last summer, we recorded our first live episode at Startupfest.
“Part way through the conversation, protesters attempted to disrupt the event and rush the stage. Not because of anything we were discussing, and not because of any policy position, but because Jewish hosts and a Jewish guest were publicly celebrating Jewish stories.”
Here’s what really happened during that July 2024 incident: At an event promoted as a conversation with Heather Reisman I interrupted the billionaire asking about her funding non-Israelis who join an occupation force brutalizing Palestinians. I said, “Mrs. Reisman you’ve given 200 million dollars to non-Israelis joining a military force brutalizing Palestinians. Mrs. Reisman you’re supporting a genocide.” Video of the incident, which includes security removing me brutally, remains available on my social media.
This how a Canadian Press journalist reported on it: “Reisman was briefly interrupted Friday by a pro-Palestinian protester who accused her of ‘funding genocide.’ Indigo has been targeted in recent months by activists who take issue with the HESEG Foundation, created by Schwartz and Reisman in 2005, which offers scholarships to people from outside Israel who join the Israeli Defense Forces.
“Reisman, who appeared unfazed by the disturbance, called the protester’s allegation a ‘lie,’ and said the truth is the foundation ‘fund(s) education for people with no parents.’ The man was quickly removed by security guards.
“Since the conflict in Gaza began last fall, demonstrators have protested outside Indigo bookstores and called for boycotts of the company because of Reisman’s foundation.”
Instead of admitting his support of Israeli genocide and lawlessness, Harley Finkelstein prefers to claim victimhood. But he should continue to be challenged. That’s the least we owe victims of Israel’s ethnic cleansing, genocide and repeated wars.
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