Canada's Resurgent Antisemitism

"Specifically, I'd like to hear from someone who wants a ceasefire/is finding it hard to be pro-Israel right now OR someone who supports the war despite the high cost of civilian life -- and how their personal lived experiences inform those views."

"Please let me know if you might want to write something along those lines, and if so, what would your take be."

CBC programming editor

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Ottawa

Canada's publicly-subscribed Crown corporation, a kind of government-allied news and entertainment source for which the public's tax dollars are dinged well over a billion dollars in upkeep yearly has a viral infection. It is often referred to as DEI (occasionally DIE) where Jews are placed within a racial hierarchy of white colonial oppressors. Critical Race Theory has its impact with the CBC, itself a colonialist-inspired stepchild of the United Kingdom's BBC, itself also a victim of that very 'progressive-woke' infection where antisemitism is freely and guiltlessly bandied about.

"Antisemitism has had a long sordid history in this country [Canada] and, for some it has always been hidden just below the surface. There was a reprieve after the guilt induced by the atrocities of the Second World War. But it is ascendant again, and surprisingly, its adherents are proudly so. Who are the purveyors of antisemitism?"

"Obviously, first are the radical Islamists importing their ancient historic Jew-hatred based on their particular interpretation of the Qur'an."

"There is the radical woke left which has, since Israel's underdog defeat of the combined armies of Jordan, Egypt and Syria in 1967, viewed Israel as an oppressor."

"Allied with those forces [of DEI, etc.], are universities and colleges, which have been temples of wokeness for years."

"The last group which I believe has been responsible for rising antisemitism are irresponsible media."

Howard Levitt, Levitt Sheikh LLP

 

The CBC, like its auntie BBC has been presenting news in a format geared to present Israel in the dim light of aggressor in its invasion of Gaza with the intention of destroying the operations instituted by the terrorist group that governs Gaza following Hamas's barbaric attack on southern Israel, where its terror operatives on October 7, launched a sordid bloodbath of civilians complete with gang rape, torture, mutilation and hostage-taking while triumphantly videoing the savagery of their sadistic, murderous rampage.

 

Shocked tones of outrage at Israel's search for and destruction of Hamas's tunnel networks, located within, under and around hospitals, schools, universities, apartment complexes emanate from the CBC on a regular basis, while condemnation of Palestinian terrorist groups like Hamas, the PLFP, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, Iran's IRGC and the Islamic Republic for violently inciting and provoking Israel's military to respond resulting in often unavoidable civilian Palestinian deaths have placed most legacy media and certainly the CBC in league by default with Islamist terrorism.

 

Hamas is never described other than as a self-defense group, of 'activists', never as terrorists although they are listed as such on Canada's terror list, as is Hezbollah and other infamously Jewish/Israeli-death-dealing Palestinian organizations. When the CBC swiftly condemned and accused Israel of bombing a hospital, killing hundreds of Palestinians, it has never since apologized after the truth was revealed that the bombing resulted from a terrorist missile gone afoul in a misfire.

 

According to a columnist in the Toronto Sun -- Warren Kinsella -- the CBC struck a committee to oversee its Israel coverage. Which did not include Jewish journalists who point out that their takes of the situation through their journalistic reports are routinely ignored at the CBC. Months ago, the CBC opened its publishing portals to "deeply personal essays" relating to what it meant to be Jewish and Canadian in today's Canada, welcoming Jewish Canadians to add their voices to its coverage.

A Canadian Jewish writer -- Shawna Cohen -- responded by submitting a personal essay relating to just that required topic. The response from the CBC was to ask her specifically for sentiments other than what she had written. She may not have been surprised that the CBC editors rejected her original essay, outlining for her what their expectations were should she be interested in re-writing the essay from a different perspective and re-submitting it.

"As a Jewish person, I feel I have a responsibility to let you know that the specific angle CBC is searching for is dangerous and narrow-minded. The Jewish community is feeling extremely unsafe -- in Canada and beyond."

"Rather than providing writers with an opportunity to share how and why Jews are feeling this way, CBC has reverse-engineered the narrative. It is specifically seeking out a rare breed of Jew who doesn't support Israel and/or is willing to negotiate with a terrorist organization. Taking this approach only contributes to anti-Israel propaganda."

"To be honest, I was reluctant to pitch my story to CBC because of its established record of anti-Israel and anti-Zionist bias. From your response, it is clear that CBC does not welcome genuine opinions or perspectives that are not viewed through its own narrow, sociopolitical lens. This reality is unconscionable for a publicly funded broadcaster that considers itself the voice of a nation."

Shawna Cohen, Toronto writer

Protesters wave Israeli flags and hold placards in front of Big Ben at the Houses of Parliament in central London on Nov. 26, 2023 during a demonstration to protest against antisemitism. Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)