Latest news with #IsraelIndependenceDay
The Print
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Shivraj Singh Chouhan reaffirms India-Israel ties, says ‘time has come for decisive war against terror'
'Two days ago, under Operation Sindoor, the actions of our armed forces were a clear and firm response to terrorism', he said. 'We do not interfere in others' affairs, nor do we provoke anyone—but if provoked, we respond decisively,' Chouhan said, referring to Operation Sindoor. New Delhi : 'Together with peace-loving nations and our trusted friend Israel, we are committed to eradicating terrorism from the world. The time has come for a final, decisive war against terror, and every country must come together to fight it, said senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan at the Israel Independence Day celebration held at the Israeli Embassy Thursday. On the enduring nature of India-Israel relations, Chouhan said, 'Our friendship with Israel has stood the test of time. It is rooted in mutual trust and will remain unbreakable. Our shared democratic values and vision for progress bind us closely.' He stressed the need for a united global front to eliminate terrorism and called on global unity to fight it collectively. Chouhan expressed gratitude to Israel and other nations that support India's efforts in counter-terrorism. 'Terrorism knows no religion or creed. India has always taken a firm stand against it and will continue to do so.' He also condemned the attacks in Israel on 7 October, describing them as acts of terrorism. 'What happened in Israel was a clear act of terror. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood firmly with Israel and expressed India's support in unequivocal terms.' Israel had earlier expressed support for India's 'right to self-defense' following Operation Sindoor Wednesday. 'Israel supports India's right for self-defense. Terrorists must understand there's nowhere to hide from their horrific crimes against innocent people,' Reuven Azar, Israel's Ambassador to India, wrote on X. Azar was also among the first foreign envoys to offer official condolences after the 22 April terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists—25 of them Indian nationals and one a foreigner. (Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri) Also read: Pakistan targets Jammu with loitering munitions, airport and vital installations targeted
Montreal Gazette
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Handling protests requires ‘fine balance' between rights and maintaining order, Montreal police say
News With the summer season drawing closer, the Montreal police department says it is prepared for the increase in protests and public gatherings the warmer weather usually brings. Speaking from police headquarters on Thursday, Insp. Sébastien Chartier stressed the department's role is to strike the right balance between respecting people's rights to protest and maintaining order. 'It is a fine balance between the two, which isn't always easy,' Chartier said, noting that protests and large public events have always been part of the city's fabric. Chartier was speaking the same day as thousands were expected to attend a May Day march in Montreal on Thursday evening, and pro-Palestinian advocates planned to counter-protest Israel Independence Day celebrations. According to the police department, the number of 'public order events' it handled increased by 33 per cent last year, reaching 3,422. The figure includes protests, but also any public events requiring a police presence. Much of the increase was due to the number of demonstrations related to the Israel-Hamas war, which the department says occurred on a near-daily basis following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The police force has faced criticism from both sides of the conflict since protests began in Montreal. While some have argued speeches made at certain demonstrations have amounted to hate speech, pro-Palestinian activists contend they've been subject to excessive policing and violent arrests. In terms of policing hate speech at protests, Chartier said it can be difficult for officers to do so while focused on maintaining order in what are often tense situations. 'When it comes to speech, it's not black or white — there is a fine line which is hard to determine in the field,' Chartier said, adding that officers follow the Criminal Code to determine what crosses the line. The department also came under fire after anti-NATO protests in November that saw cars torched and windows smashed at Montreal's Palais des congrès. Though police clashed with protesters and made arrests, many questioned how a protest was allowed to turn so destructive in the first place. On Thursday, Chartier said he couldn't comment on specific cases, but noted the department is always careful in how and when it chooses to intervene during a protest. If a small group of people is being destructive during a larger protest, he explained, police moving in to make targeted arrests can complicate matters and could be perceived as an escalation against the entire protest. 'We do what we can to rectify the situation while, at the same time, letting people express themselves,' Chartier said. 'When it's an intervention on (an entire) crowd, which is very rare, we do it in the most specific manner, with the least use of force as we can.' In 2023, the City of Montreal agreed to pay $6 million and publicly apologize to settle several class-action lawsuits brought against it over the department's handling of protests between 2012 and 2015. During the so-called Maple Spring protests of 2012, thousands of students took to the streets in Montreal against tuition fee increases, with some turning destructive. Plaintiffs had claimed that the mass detentions police carried out during the protests — and the many arrests that followed — were illegal and prevented them from exercising their fundamental rights. Asked on Thursday about the police department's current approach to handling protests, Chartier said the main goal is always to ensure they proceed smoothly. That objective is met in most cases, he said. 'We do have a lot of protests and a lot of public events,' he said. 'And one of the (beautiful things) about our city is that 99 per cent of those events are fun, they're peaceful and people get to express what they want.' This story was originally published May 1, 2025 at 2:51 PM.
Vancouver Sun
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
New survey finds people holding very negative opinions of Israel are more likely to be antisemitic
Article content A new survey finds 'an important minority of Canadians' channel strong negative sentiment towards Israel into negative views of Jews. Article content Article content Israel Independence Day begins the evening of April 30, marking the Jewish state's 77th birthday, amid a tide of antisemitism in Canada and elsewhere. Article content 'While people certainly have the right to criticize the government of Israel, it's a serious problem when it descends into antisemitism,' said Jack Jedwab, the president and CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies and the Metropolis Institute, in an email. Article content Article content Two surveys by Leger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies examine Canadians' views on Israel, Judaism, and Jews, and explore the connections between opinions of Israel and attitudes toward Judaism and Jews. They also investigate the impact of Holocaust awareness on shaping these attitudes. Article content Article content Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacks triggered the Israel-Hamas conflict, there has been a significant increase in hate crimes targeting Jews across Canada. Of the 1,284 police-reported religion-based hate crimes in Canada in 2023, an alarming 900 targeted Jews, according to the most recent Statistics Canada report. Article content The first Leger survey, conducted on March 1-2, 2025, asked questions of 1,548 Canadians. The second survey took place between April 17-19 and involved 1,603 Canadians. Article content Article content One of the findings is that most people who hold a very negative opinion of Israel had the most negative views of Judaism. One survey found that the majority of people holding a negative view of Judaism hold negative views of Jews. Article content Article content 'The study confirms some links between anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment. The observation requires some nuance and is complex, as most Canadians holding negative sentiments toward Israel do not hold very negative sentiments toward Jews. Nonetheless, an important minority of Canadians do indeed channel strong negative sentiment towards Israel into negative views of Jews,' said Jedwab.
Edmonton Journal
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
New survey finds people holding very negative opinions of Israel are more likely to be antisemitic
Article content A new survey finds 'an important minority of Canadians' channel strong negative sentiment towards Israel into negative views of Jews. Israel Independence Day begins the evening of April 30, marking the Jewish state's 77th birthday, amid a tide of antisemitism in Canada and elsewhere. 'While people certainly have the right to criticize the government of Israel, it's a serious problem when it descends into antisemitism,' said Jack Jedwab, the president and CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies and the Metropolis Institute, in an email.
