'It's needed now more than ever': Jewish community optimistic ahead of Walk with Israel fundraiser
Toronto Jewish community leaders are hopeful that the 2025 Walk with Israel will build on the record-breaking attendance, fundraising and public support of last year's march.
'The Walk with Israel really represents a moment of solidarity and togetherness and pride for the Jewish community in Toronto,' Sara Lefton, the chief development officer of the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto (UJA), told National Post. 'I think at a moment where there has been so much antisemitism and so much isolation of the Jewish community that it's needed now more than ever.'
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Montreal Gazette
2 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
Ensemble Montréal city councillor Stephanie Valenzuela to run for borough mayor in C.D.N.-N.D.G.
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Calgary Herald
a day ago
- Calgary Herald
Sharren Haskel: I am Israel's Canadian-born deputy foreign minister. Mark Carney is rewarding terrorist monsters
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Ottawa Citizen
a day ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Sharren Haskel: I am Israel's Canadian-born deputy foreign minister. Mark Carney is rewarding terrorist monsters
Article content The most popular candidate for president is Marwan Barghouti, who is in an Israeli prison on five counts of murder. Barghouti is not a member of Hamas but Fatah, but he is a terrorist too. Does Canada really want a Palestinian state on Israel's doorstep led by terrorists like Barghouti? Article content This is not the Canada the world once knew. On Nov. 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the partition plan, ending the British Mandate and providing for the establishment of a Jewish state after two millennia in exile. Lester Pearson, then a senior Canadian diplomat and later prime minister, played a vital role in achieving the consensus that led to the plan's adoption. Pearson maintained that any durable settlement in the region must include recognition of the Jewish people's right to statehood in their historic homeland — a position he described as a 'sine qua non' for peace. Article content Article content For decades, Canada's policy reflected that principle, contributing to its reputation as a constructive and balanced actor in the Middle East peace process. The current decision to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state under certain predicates marks a significant departure from that long-standing approach. Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this year that any future Palestinian state should be 'Zionist.' Whichever imaginary Palestinian state Mr. Carney believes he is declaring recognition of, it certainly won't be 'Zionist.' There is time for Mr. Carney to change his mind, and I would urge him to do so. Article content Canada says its recognition hinges on the Palestinian Authority agreeing to significant reforms: overhauling its governance, holding 2026 elections without Hamas, and creating a demilitarised Palestinian state. It is difficult to see how these predicates could be fully met in practice, given the entrenched power structures and ongoing influence of Hamas. It is impossible that all the predicates will be met by mid-September, so Canada would potentially be rewarding Hamas with state recognition before any of these terms can be met. Article content Article content History will judge this decision in the context of Canada's long-standing role in the Middle East. While Canada once acted as a constructive and respected partner in supporting peace and legitimacy in the region, this unilateral recognition risks undermining that legacy. Acting at a moment when our hostages remain in brutal Hamas captivity and tensions are extremely high, Canada sends a terrible signal that political symbolism and opportunism take precedence over practical and sensible diplomatic solutions, and that terrorism works. Article content I am pleased the Toronto International Film Festival changed their mind, but the antisemitism that is flooding Canada must be taken seriously by both the federal and provincial governments. Canada must do more to counter this terrible change in societal values since October 7.
