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Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Antisemitism envoy says resignation prompted by frustration over 'not connecting' with anti-hate message
OTTAWA — Ottawa's outgoing envoy for tackling antisemitism is accusing Canada's business sector and civil society of failing to call out a rising tide of hate against Jews and other minorities. In an extensive interview with The Canadian Jewish News, Deborah Lyons also said she could not get a meeting with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre during her nearly two-year term. In a statement sent to The Canadian Press, the Conservatives said that Lyons was 'powerless' in her job. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Lyons resigned early in her term as Canada's special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism. She said her decision reflected her 'despair' over the growing gulf in society over violence in the Middle East and the failure of many Canadians to find common ground against hate. 'People were listening and hearing on different frequencies, and so we just were not connecting,' said Lyons. 'That was where the big despair comes from.' She said her work wasn't made any easier by the silence of corporate leaders 'whom I asked many times to stand up,' and by faith leaders who seemed to keep quiet on the suffering of people from other religions. 'I was incredibly disappointed with business leaders,' she said. 'We have a tendency to want to blame politicians all the time, but where have the faith leaders been? Where have the priests and ministers and rabbis and imams and so forth (been)?' Lyons said that some community leaders did ask for her help in finding the right words to speak out against hate — because they feared that they would offend one community if they stood up for another. 'I've been really quite amazed — and often become quite despondent and despairing — about the fact that it was hard to get people to speak up. To speak with clarity, to speak with conviction,' she said. 'The mark of a country is not the courage of its military. It is the courage of its bystanders.' The Canadian Press has requested an interview with Lyons but has not yet had a response. Lyons told The Canadian Jewish News that Amira Elghawaby, the federal government's special representative on combating Islamophobia, tried to work with Lyons on fighting hate, citing an apparently shelved plan to visit provincial education ministers together. 'Neither my community, nor her community, were happy all the time to see us in pictures together,' Lyons said. 'There were often people who just simply didn't want me participating in respectful dialogues, or wouldn't come into the room.' She said that indicates a 'weakening' in the ability of both Canadian society and the broader western world to stand for common human values. Lyons said she lacked the energy at times to bridge that gap. 'I held back from having some discussions, because I knew there was going to be animosity, or I wasn't going to be welcome in the room. It disappoints me,' she said. Lyons said she could not get a meeting with Poilievre despite requesting one and having a cordial chat with him during an event. 'I tried to meet with Mr. Poilievre when I was in the job, and in the end I got a response that he was too busy to meet with me,' she said. In a statement attributed to Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman, the party did not dispute Lyons' version of events. 'While communities face increasing threats, vandalism, intimidation and violence over the last 20 months, the Liberals deflected responsibility to a powerless envoy,' says the statement. 'We are ready to meet with the government at any point, because they're the only ones with the power, the tools and the responsibility to do something — and they have done absolutely nothing to date.' Statistics Canada reported this week a slight increase in police-reported hate crimes in 2024 compared with a year prior, and a very slight drop in those against Jewish people, who remain the most targeted group in Canada. Lyons accused all three levels of government of failing to adequately co-ordinate their responses to hate, saying that issues like car theft or tariffs are seen as more tangible. She said Prime Minister Mark Carney seemed engaged and requested a meeting with her, though she added it was not possible to meet with him before the July 8 date of her departure. Lyons said she is leaving her job three months early not for health reasons but rather to restore 'a little bit of the joy back into life' through retirement. She said she would have liked to continue, but described the envoy role as more difficult than her stints as ambassador to Afghanistan and Israel. 'It was without question the toughest job I ever did.' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
2 days ago
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Antisemitism envoy says resignation prompted by frustration over 'not connecting' with anti-hate message
Article content OTTAWA — Ottawa's outgoing envoy for tackling antisemitism is accusing Canada's business sector and civil society of failing to call out a rising tide of hate against Jews and other minorities. Article content In an extensive interview with The Canadian Jewish News, Deborah Lyons also said she could not get a meeting with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre during her nearly two-year term. Article content Article content Article content In a statement sent to The Canadian Press, the Conservatives said that Lyons was 'powerless' in her job. Article content Article content Lyons resigned early in her term as Canada's special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism. She said her decision reflected her 'despair' over the growing gulf in society over violence in the Middle East and the failure of many Canadians to find common ground against hate. Article content 'People were listening and hearing on different frequencies, and so we just were not connecting,' said Lyons. 'That was where the big despair comes from.' Article content She said her work wasn't made any easier by the silence of corporate leaders 'whom I asked many times to stand up,' and by faith leaders who seemed to keep quiet on the suffering of people from other religions. Article content 'I was incredibly disappointed with business leaders,' she said. Article content Article content 'We have a tendency to want to blame politicians all the time, but where have the faith leaders been? Where have the priests and ministers and rabbis and imams and so forth (been)?' Article content Lyons said that some community leaders did ask for her help in finding the right words to speak out against hate — because they feared that they would offend one community if they stood up for another. Article content 'I've been really quite amazed — and often become quite despondent and despairing — about the fact that it was hard to get people to speak up. To speak with clarity, to speak with conviction,' she said. Article content 'The mark of a country is not the courage of its military. It is the courage of its bystanders.' Article content The Canadian Press has requested an interview with Lyons but has not yet had a response. Article content Lyons told The Canadian Jewish News that Amira Elghawaby, the federal government's special representative on combating Islamophobia, tried to work with Lyons on fighting hate, citing an apparently shelved plan to visit provincial education ministers together.
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Outgoing antisemitism envoy calls out business, religious leaders for lack of action
Published Jul 23, 2025 • 1 minute read Deborah Lyons attends a press conference, at the European headquarters of the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. Photo by Valentin Flauraud / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS OTTAWA — Ottawa's outgoing envoy for tackling antisemitism is accusing Canada's business sector and civil society of failing to call out a rising tide of hate against Jews and other minorities. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account In an extensive interview with The Canadian Jewish News, Deborah Lyons also says she could not get a meeting with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre during her nearly two-year term. She says Canadian society faces a growing gulf over violence in the Middle East and Canadians are 'listening and hearing on different frequencies' instead of trying to find common ground against hate. Lyons says she lacked the energy at times to bridge that gap and reveals that both her and Canada's Islamophobia envoy faced pushback from their own constituencies when they worked together. She says Canadian society is 'weakening' as business and religious leaders avoid calling out the rise in hate crimes, and as multiple levels of government fail to adequately co-ordinate their responses. Lyons says she is leaving her job three months early not for health reasons, but rather to restore 'a little bit of the joy back into life.' The Canadian Press has asked Lyons for an interview and Poilievre's office for comment. Golf Canada Toronto & GTA Ontario World
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Outgoing antisemitism envoy calls out business, religious leaders for lack of action
OTTAWA – Ottawa's outgoing envoy for tackling antisemitism is accusing Canada's business sector and civil society of failing to call out a rising tide of hate against Jews and other minorities. In an extensive interview with The Canadian Jewish News, Deborah Lyons also says she could not get a meeting with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre during her nearly two-year term. She says Canadian society faces a growing gulf over violence in the Middle East and Canadians are 'listening and hearing on different frequencies' instead of trying to find common ground against hate. Lyons says she lacked the energy at times to bridge that gap and reveals that both her and Canada's Islamophobia envoy faced pushback from their own constituencies when they worked together. She says Canadian society is 'weakening' as business and religious leaders avoid calling out the rise in hate crimes, and as multiple levels of government fail to adequately co-ordinate their responses. Lyons says she is leaving her job three months early not for health reasons, but rather to restore 'a little bit of the joy back into life.' The Canadian Press has asked Lyons for an interview and Poilievre's office for comment. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2025.
Canada News.Net
3 days ago
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
Face-covered ICE officers raise alarm nationwide
NEW YORK CITY, New York: In recent months, a new and unusual image has become common across the United States: immigration officers carrying out raids with their faces covered. They wear caps, sunglasses, balaclavas, or neck gaiters that make it nearly impossible to identify them. What used to be rare is now routine. Under President Donald Trump's administration, these masked agents have become the face of a large immigration crackdown. Their presence has caused worry, confusion, and growing public concern. By mid-2025, the masked officer has become a powerful symbol of the administration's push for mass deportations. Critics say this sends a scary message—law enforcement without responsibility. Supporters say the masks are needed to protect officers who face real threats in their work. The use of masks at this scale is something new in American law enforcement. These agents are not working in secret or as part of special units—they operate openly, but without showing their faces. This has raised serious questions about public oversight, trust, and accountability. Officials from the Trump administration say the masks are necessary because immigration agents have been facing more threats, both online and in real life. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said last month that the safety of agents and their families comes first. "I'm sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks," Lyons said. "But I'm not going to let my officers or their families be put at risk just because people don't like immigration enforcement." Not everyone agrees. Democratic politicians and civil rights groups say the masks make people more afraid and take away the public's right to hold law enforcement responsible. In a letter to Lyons, several Democratic senators said the sight of masked agents during raids at restaurants and workplaces "adds to the fear and confusion" and seems like a way to avoid being held accountable. The issue also touches a cultural nerve. In American movies and stories, people who cover their faces are often shown as criminals—robbers, bandits, or mysterious vigilantes. Even in comic books, masked heroes are sometimes criticized for hiding their identities. And in American law, people are usually expected to face their accusers. That makes the current use of masks by law enforcement feel even more troubling to many. The issue is also tied to recent political history. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump and many of his supporters opposed mask mandates, saying masks were a sign of government overreach. More recently, Trump said that protestors who wear masks should be arrested—something critics now call hypocritical, since his administration is allowing federal agents to hide their faces. "This is dangerous territory," said Tobias Winright, a former police officer and professor of moral theology at St. Patrick's Pontifical University in Ireland. "When the police hide their identities, it takes away accountability. If you're doing the right thing, why hide your face?" In the past, people have fought for more police transparency, pushing for officers to wear body cameras and display name tags or badge numbers. However, the use of masks by regular law enforcement is new in the U.S., and it's raising significant concerns. "This isn't just about new tactics," Winright said. "It's about changing the values we expect from law enforcement." As the immigration raids continue and more images of masked agents appear in the media, the debate is likely to grow. For many Americans, these covered faces are not just practical tools—they represent a government that is becoming harder to see and harder to question.
