Latest news with #SaraLefton
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel solidarity walk in Toronto needed amid rising antisemitism, organizer says
Tens of thousands of people gathered in Toronto on Sunday for an annual fundraising walk in solidarity with Israel — an event participants said is particularly needed this year due to rising antisemitism. The Jewish community has felt increasingly isolated after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and a dramatic increase in antisemitism in Canada since then, said Sara Lefton, chief development officer for the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, which hosts the walk. "We want our neighbours, friends and colleagues in Toronto to stand with us because it is a horrific time for our community," she said. Statistics Canada reports a 71 per cent increase in hate crimes targeting the Jewish population between 2022 and 2023, with the largest increase seen after the Oct. 7 attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza. Meanwhile, Toronto police said they have received reports of 43 "antisemitic occurrences" so far this year — representing 43 per cent of all reported hate crimes in 2025. That's a 48 per cent decrease in reports compared to this time last year, police said on Sunday. The solidarity walk took place days after two Israeli Embassy employees were shot and killed outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C. Investigators and leaders around the world have denounced the killings as a targeted, antisemitic hate crime. "Watching the horrific murders in Washington, D.C., is really a dose of reality for all of us of what can happen when hate is left unchecked," Lefton said. WATCH | UJA Federation of Greater Toronto held vigil to mark 1st anniversary of Oct. 7 attacks: About 56,000 people participated in Sunday's walk, the UJA said in a news release. Stuart Lewis said he joined the event because the right to live as Jews in Israel and Toronto is "under attack." "I'm here to support our rights here in Toronto, Canada and in Israel," he said. Israel's National Security Council upgraded its travel alert for Canada on Sunday from Level 1, which means no travel warning, to Level 2, which means "potential threat level." The council said planned counter-protests to pro-Israel rallies on Sunday have resulted in discourse, "including what could be understood as calls to violently harm Israelis and Jews at these events." It recommended "that those attending the support rallies listen to security personnel and local police at the events, obey their instructions and avoid any friction with the anti-Israel protests." But Molly Kraft, an advocate with the Jews Say No to Genocide Coalition, said she is offended by the idea the walk is "somehow for Jewish trauma or Jewish safety." "As a Jewish person, I believe in fighting antisemitism as well, but I think [the walk is] about supporting a military superpower that's hell bent on occupation, genocide and destroying Palestinian life," she said. Israel has repeatedly denied claims of genocide in its war in Gaza, which has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people. Sunday's walk began at Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto synagogue and continued north on Bathurst Street, ending with a festival at UJA's Sherman Campus. There was a heavy police presence along the route, including a number of officers on bicycles. Toronto police had said on Saturday there would be a "strong presence" at the event, including police from York, Durham and Peel regions, as well as the OPP. A 57-year-old man was arrested at about 12 p.m. after allegedly yelling antisemitic slurs at people attending the walk, Toronto police said. He has been charged with mischief interfering with property and causing a disturbance. The investigation is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offence, police said. The UJA's website said that as of Sunday afternoon, the walk has raised more than $670,000. That's more than in previous years, Lefton said. "The event today is really about families coming together to celebrate our identity and stand united," she said. "It's not a political event." But Kraft objected to this description. "You cannot have this walk for Israel as this casual, family hangout for a state that is enacting one of the most violent genocides that we've ever seen," she said. The event took place after the leaders of Canada, Britain and France warned on May 19 that their countries could take punitive action if Israel does not stop a renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions to the population. "The Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching international humanitarian law," a joint statement released by Prime Minister Mark Carney's office said. Earlier this week, Israel began allowing humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza, after placing a nearly three-month blockade on aid supplies that brought people in the enclave to the brink of famine. But aid groups have said supplies still haven't reached Palestinians in need. The United Nations has warned that 14,000 children in Gaza are at risk of severe malnutrition over the next 11 months if critical aid doesn't arrive. The UJA Federation said in a news release that funds raised during Sunday's walk "will support urgent humanitarian relief and long-term recovery efforts in Israel, with a focus on aiding families and communities still rebuilding after the trauma of October 7th." Lefton said the money will go in part toward supporting the mental health of Israelis with PTSD and rebuilding homes destroyed in the Hamas-led attack. Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities near Gaza's border on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Hamas is still holding 58 captives, about a third of whom are believed to be alive after most of the others were returned in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's retaliatory war has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians and reduced much of Gaza to ruins, Gaza's Health Ministry says. Most of them are civilians, including more than 16,500 children under the age of 18, Gaza health officials say. WATCH | Palestinians struggling to survive amid delays in getting aid: Omri Kohavi, a survivor of an attack at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7 that killed more than 360 people and saw dozens taken hostage, attended Sunday's walk. He was in Toronto with the Nova Exhibition, an international touring exhibit recounting the events of that day. He said he came to the walk to support Israel and was happy to see the "partying and good vibe." "I'm very proud. It makes me strong," he said. Suzanne Wintrob said her cousins were living in a kibbutz in Israel on Oct. 7. Half of their friends were killed in the attacks, she said. "They have survivor's guilt.... They'll never be the same," she said. "The whole country is in trauma." Wintrob was among several people at the walk holding posters of hostages still in captivity. She said she is praying for safety and peace. "Everyone wants peace on both sides of this conflict," she said.
Globe and Mail
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Annual Walk With Israel held Sunday
As more than 55,000 people participated in the 56th Annual Walk With Israel event in Toronto on Sunday, pro-Palestinian protesters lined part of the route. The event, which organizers say is Canada's largest Jewish community gathering, was taking place after a week of redoubled international tension over Israel's war in Gaza. But it remained peaceful despite concerns from organizers and police. 'The Jewish community lives with huge risk to their security every day,' said Sara Lefton, chief development officer at the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto and organizer of Walk With Israel. This was no exception, she added. To back up a substantial police presence, event organizers had enlisted the Jewish Security Network, an independent agency focused on the security needs of the Greater Toronto Jewish community. 'We have a multilayered plan for today,' Ms. Lefton said. The event came almost one week after Prime Minister Mark Carney threatened sanctions against Israel in reaction to the country's renewed military offensive in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry says that 3,785 people have been killed in the territory since Israel ended a ceasefire in March, with Israeli strikes killing at least 38 people, including children, in a 24-hour period ending Sunday. On Wednesday, two Israeli embassy staff members were killed in Washington, allegedly by a man who yelled 'Free, free Palestine' when he was arrested. And on Saturday, the Toronto Police Service arrested a 26-year-old city man, who is accused of online death threats against the Israeli community. Donations from the Toronto event will go toward families and communities affected by the violent attack at the Nova music festival, part of Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel, in which more than 1,200 Israelis were killed and hundreds taken hostage. Omri Kohavi, a survivor from the festival, attended the Toronto event Sunday. 'My mission is to share our story,' Mr. Kohavi said. 'To share our truth. It is not political.' Before the walk began, from a stage at Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto, rapper Kosha Dillz pumped up the crowd with lines about 'hiding from the enemy' and 'children can't eat school lunches,' referring to students feeling safe at schools. The loudspeakers also blasted the Canadian national anthem. During the walk, the sea of Israel supporters – dressed in white and blue, and carrying Israeli and Canadian flags – was accompanied by a float with a DJ and dance crew. Amit Singh was carrying a sign that 'India for Israel.' Iranians for Israel walked nearby. Some wore bulletproof vests. A sign read: 'Ancient civilizations are united. A new day will rise.' On the side of the road, outside a local synagogue, teenage boys tied tefillin to the arms and heads of passing men. The small black leather boxes contain verses from the Torah. 'The world is so dark,' said Goldie Plotkin, the wife of the synagogue's rabbi. 'This reminds every man who you are … to have charity and to be kind.' To Ms. Plotkin, the walk is a symbol of Jewish defiance in the face of antisemitism. 'You start with the Jews, you're going to be done,' she said. Toward the end of the route – at the intersection of Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue – the march passed through crowds of pro-Palestinian protesters, separated by barriers and two lines of police officers. Two armed officers stood on the roof of a building overlooking the intersection. Protesters held signs that read: 'Oppose the Palestinian holocaust.' Some depicted images of starving children. Israel blocked the import of all food, medicine and fuel into Gaza for 2½ months before allowing a small amount to trickle in last week, after experts warned of famine and the state's top allies applied pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu's government. 'When food is politicized, it is illegal,' said Ahmed Jarrar, a Palestinian man and organizer of the protest, adding that it was his duty to peacefully object to the event. Rabbi Dovid Feldman stood among the protesters. He had travelled from New York and was joined by several other Jewish men from Montreal who form the group Jews United Against Zionism. 'We are deeply embarrassed when all this is done in our name. This is not Judaism, and this is not humanity,' he said. A member of the passing crowd yelled 'Fake Jew' at the rabbi. Uri Stramer, 19, stood on the sidelines of the march handing out pamphlets for Mr. Netanyahu's left-wing political opposition. Mr. Stramer was born in Israel but moved to Canada in 2015. His parents could no longer be complicit in the actions of Israel's government, he said. It had been a tough day, he said. People were dismissive and often angry. 'It's a difficult crowd. We exist in a very difficult space.'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel solidarity walk in Toronto needed amid rising antisemitism, organizer says
Tens of thousands of people gathered in Toronto on Sunday for an annual fundraising walk in solidarity with Israel — an event participants said is particularly needed this year due to rising antisemitism. The Jewish community has felt increasingly isolated after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and a dramatic increase in antisemitism in Canada since then, said Sara Lefton, chief development officer for the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, which hosts the walk. "We want our neighbours, friends and colleagues in Toronto to stand with us because it is a horrific time for our community," she said. Statistics Canada reports a 71 per cent increase in hate crimes targeting the Jewish population between 2022 and 2023, with the largest increase seen after the Oct. 7 attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza. Meanwhile, Toronto police said they have received reports of 43 "antisemitic occurrences" so far this year — representing 43 per cent of all reported hate crimes in 2025. That's a 48 per cent decrease in reports compared to this time last year, police said on Sunday. The solidarity walk took place days after two Israeli Embassy employees were shot and killed outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C. Investigators and leaders around the world have denounced the killings as a targeted, antisemitic hate crime. "Watching the horrific murders in Washington, D.C., is really a dose of reality for all of us of what can happen when hate is left unchecked," Lefton said. WATCH | UJA Federation of Greater Toronto held vigil to mark 1st anniversary of Oct. 7 attacks: About 56,000 people participated in Sunday's walk, the UJA said in a news release. Stuart Lewis said he joined the event because the right to live as Jews in Israel and Toronto is "under attack." "I'm here to support our rights here in Toronto, Canada and in Israel," he said. Israel's National Security Council upgraded its travel alert for Canada on Sunday from Level 1, which means no travel warning, to Level 2, which means "potential threat level." The council said planned counter-protests to pro-Israel rallies on Sunday have resulted in discourse, "including what could be understood as calls to violently harm Israelis and Jews at these events." It recommended "that those attending the support rallies listen to security personnel and local police at the events, obey their instructions and avoid any friction with the anti-Israel protests." But Molly Kraft, an advocate with the Jews Say No to Genocide Coalition, said she is offended by the idea the walk is "somehow for Jewish trauma or Jewish safety." "As a Jewish person, I believe in fighting antisemitism as well, but I think [the walk is] about supporting a military superpower that's hell bent on occupation, genocide and destroying Palestinian life," she said. Israel has repeatedly denied claims of genocide in its war in Gaza, which has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people. Sunday's walk began at Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto synagogue and continued north on Bathurst Street, ending with a festival at UJA's Sherman Campus. There was a heavy police presence along the route, including a number of officers on bicycles. Toronto police had said on Saturday there would be a "strong presence" at the event, including police from York, Durham and Peel regions, as well as the OPP. A 57-year-old man was arrested at about 12 p.m. after allegedly yelling antisemitic slurs at people attending the walk, Toronto police said. He has been charged with mischief interfering with property and causing a disturbance. The investigation is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offence, police said. The UJA's website said that as of Sunday afternoon, the walk has raised more than $670,000. That's more than in previous years, Lefton said. "The event today is really about families coming together to celebrate our identity and stand united," she said. "It's not a political event." But Kraft objected to this description. "You cannot have this walk for Israel as this casual, family hangout for a state that is enacting one of the most violent genocides that we've ever seen," she said. The event took place after the leaders of Canada, Britain and France warned on May 19 that their countries could take punitive action if Israel does not stop a renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions to the population. "The Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching international humanitarian law," a joint statement released by Prime Minister Mark Carney's office said. Earlier this week, Israel began allowing humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza, after placing a nearly three-month blockade on aid supplies that brought people in the enclave to the brink of famine. But aid groups have said supplies still haven't reached Palestinians in need. The United Nations has warned that 14,000 children in Gaza are at risk of severe malnutrition over the next 11 months if critical aid doesn't arrive. The UJA Federation said in a news release that funds raised during Sunday's walk "will support urgent humanitarian relief and long-term recovery efforts in Israel, with a focus on aiding families and communities still rebuilding after the trauma of October 7th." Lefton said the money will go in part toward supporting the mental health of Israelis with PTSD and rebuilding homes destroyed in the Hamas-led attack. Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities near Gaza's border on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Hamas is still holding 58 captives, about a third of whom are believed to be alive after most of the others were returned in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's retaliatory war has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians and reduced much of Gaza to ruins, Gaza's Health Ministry says. Most of them are civilians, including more than 16,500 children under the age of 18, Gaza health officials say. WATCH | Palestinians struggling to survive amid delays in getting aid: Omri Kohavi, a survivor of an attack at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7 that killed more than 360 people and saw dozens taken hostage, attended Sunday's walk. He was in Toronto with the Nova Exhibition, an international touring exhibit recounting the events of that day. He said he came to the walk to support Israel and was happy to see the "partying and good vibe." "I'm very proud. It makes me strong," he said. Suzanne Wintrob said her cousins were living in a kibbutz in Israel on Oct. 7. Half of their friends were killed in the attacks, she said. "They have survivor's guilt.... They'll never be the same," she said. "The whole country is in trauma." Wintrob was among several people at the walk holding posters of hostages still in captivity. She said she is praying for safety and peace. "Everyone wants peace on both sides of this conflict," she said.
CBC
25-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Israel solidarity walk in Toronto needed amid rising antisemitism, organizer says
Social Sharing Tens of thousands of people gathered in Toronto on Sunday for an annual fundraising walk in solidarity with Israel — an event participants said is particularly needed this year due to rising antisemitism. The Jewish community has felt increasingly isolated after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and a dramatic increase in antisemitism in Canada since then, said Sara Lefton, chief development officer for the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, which hosts the walk. "We want our neighbours, friends and colleagues in Toronto to stand with us because it is a horrific time for our community," she said. Statistics Canada reports a 71 per cent increase in hate crimes targeting the Jewish population between 2022 and 2023, with the largest increase seen after the Oct. 7 attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza. Meanwhile, Toronto police said they have received reports of 43 "antisemitic occurrences" so far this year — representing 43 per cent of all reported hate crimes in 2025. That's a 48 per cent decrease in reports compared to this time last year, police said on Sunday. The solidarity walk took place days after two Israeli Embassy employees were shot and killed outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C. Investigators and leaders around the world have denounced the killings as a targeted, antisemitic hate crime. "Watching the horrific murders in Washington, D.C., is really a dose of reality for all of us of what can happen when hate is left unchecked," Lefton said. WATCH | UJA Federation of Greater Toronto held vigil to mark 1st anniversar y of Oct. 7 attacks: Toronto's Jewish communities mark one year since deadly Hamas-led attack 8 months ago Duration 2:28 Jewish communities in Toronto are holding a number of events across the city to mark one year since Hamas's attacks in Israel. CBC's Tyler Cheese has the details. About 56,000 people participated in Sunday's walk, the UJA said in a news release. Stuart Lewis said he joined the event because the right to live as Jews in Israel and Toronto is "under attack." "I'm here to support our rights here in Toronto, Canada and in Israel," he said. Israel's National Security Council upgraded its travel alert for Canada on Sunday from Level 1, which means no travel warning, to Level 2, which means "potential threat level." The council said planned counter-protests to pro-Israel rallies on Sunday have resulted in discourse, "including what could be understood as calls to violently harm Israelis and Jews at these events." It recommended "that those attending the support rallies listen to security personnel and local police at the events, obey their instructions and avoid any friction with the anti-Israel protests." But Molly Kraft, an advocate with the Jews Say No to Genocide Coalition, said she is offended by the idea the walk is "somehow for Jewish trauma or Jewish safety." "As a Jewish person, I believe in fighting antisemitism as well, but I think [the walk is] about supporting a military superpower that's hell bent on occupation, genocide and destroying Palestinian life," she said. Israel has repeatedly denied claims of genocide in its war in Gaza, which has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people. Walk comes after Canada calls for aid to Gaza Sunday's walk began at Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto synagogue and continued north on Bathurst Street, ending with a festival at UJA's Sherman Campus. There was a heavy police presence along the route, including a number of officers on bicycles. Toronto police had said on Saturday there would be a "strong presence" at the event, including police from York, Durham and Peel regions, as well as the OPP. A 57-year-old man was arrested at about 12 p.m. after allegedly yelling antisemitic slurs at people attending the walk, Toronto police said. He has been charged with mischief interfering with property and causing a disturbance. The investigation is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offence, police said. The UJA's website said that as of Sunday afternoon, the walk has raised more than $670,000. That's more than in previous years, Lefton said. "The event today is really about families coming together to celebrate our identity and stand united," she said. "It's not a political event." But Kraft objected to this description. "You cannot have this walk for Israel as this casual, family hangout for a state that is enacting one of the most violent genocides that we've ever seen," she said. The event took place after the leaders of Canada, Britain and France warned on May 19 that their countries could take punitive action if Israel does not stop a renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions to the population. "The Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching international humanitarian law," a joint statement released by Prime Minister Mark Carney's office said. Earlier this week, Israel began allowing humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza, after placing a nearly three-month blockade on aid supplies that brought people in the enclave to the brink of famine. But aid groups have said supplies still haven't reached Palestinians in need. The United Nations has warned that 14,000 children in Gaza are at risk of severe malnutrition over the next 11 months if critical aid doesn't arrive. Nova musical festival survivor in attendance The UJA Federation said in a news release that funds raised during Sunday's walk "will support urgent humanitarian relief and long-term recovery efforts in Israel, with a focus on aiding families and communities still rebuilding after the trauma of October 7th." Lefton said the money will go in part toward supporting the mental health of Israelis with PTSD and rebuilding homes destroyed in the Hamas-led attack. Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities near Gaza's border on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Hamas is still holding 58 captives, about a third of whom are believed to be alive after most of the others were returned in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's retaliatory war has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians and reduced much of Gaza to ruins, Gaza's Health Ministry says. Most of them are civilians, including more than 16,500 children under the age of 18, Gaza health officials say. WATCH | Palestinians struggling to survive amid delays in getting aid: Palestinians in Gaza struggle with finding food to survive 4 days ago Duration 0:53 People in Gaza City say they are dealing with persistent shortages of food, fuel and the necessities of life, with one person saying Wednesday that the lack of basic supplies are a 'humiliation' and another calling it a 'crime against the people.' Omri Kohavi, a survivor of an attack at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7 that killed more than 360 people and saw dozens taken hostage, attended Sunday's walk. He was in Toronto with the Nova Exhibition, an international touring exhibit recounting the events of that day. He said he came to the walk to support Israel and was happy to see the "partying and good vibe." "I'm very proud. It makes me strong," he said. Suzanne Wintrob said her cousins were living in a kibbutz in Israel on Oct. 7. Half of their friends were killed in the attacks, she said. "They have survivor's guilt.... They'll never be the same," she said. "The whole country is in trauma." Wintrob was among several people at the walk holding posters of hostages still in captivity. She said she is praying for safety and peace.
Vancouver Sun
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
‘It feels so good': Toronto's Walk with Israel breaks record with 56,000 participants
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Toronto on Sunday for the annual Walk with Israel, breaking the event's attendance record for the second straight year. Local law enforcement estimated there were roughly 56,000 participants, surpassing the previous benchmark set last year by 6,000. A rally and concert held shortly before the walk in the parking lot of Temple Sinai, a synagogue bordering a major highway, was packed with Israeli and Canadian flags and people of all ages. The Magen Group, a prominent local entertainment company run by Persian Jewish brothers, emceed the event and Jewish rapper, Kosha Dillz, made a brief appearance on stage. 'It feels so good,' Sara Lefton, the chief development officer of the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto (UJA), the group that organized the event , told National Post minutes before it began. 'I think the Jewish community is really seeking togetherness. The more isolated we've been feeling, the more that we are seeking a moment like this to come together as the Jewish community, but also with our friends and allies.' No masks, no anger, just pride, positivity and inclusion. Toronto's Walk With Israel was a manifestation of what Toronto can be once again. A contingent representing the Nova Music Festival Exhibition , an art installation honouring concert-goers massacred by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which is currently on display in Toronto, was also present. For Omri Kohavi, a survivor of the atrocities and co-founder of the Tribe of Nova Foundation, a group dedicated to helping other survivors of the attack, the public display of support for Israel was deeply moving. He echoed Lefton's feeling of positivity at the sight of so many Canadians showing their solidarity. 'It's a good feeling to see all of you guys. Very nice people,' he said with a heavy Israeli accent. 'We are brothers. We are from the same roots, so it's a great feeling.' Kohavi was joined by Ilan Faktor, an organizer of the Nova exhibition and a prominent Israeli trance figure. Faktor spoke of the cultural inheritance Canadians and Israelis share and underscored the Walk's importance for Jews 'to be proud, stand for themselves and not hide or feel bad about themselves.' Toronto's Walk With Israel today. Huge turnout. Well done Toronto 'To stand for what we believe in, which is freedom, dance, (and) the love for people, we find it easy to relate to Canadians,' he said. 'We just want people to be sensitive to what happened to us as human beings.' The air was crisp as patches of early morning clouds gave way to blue skies and sunshine warming marchers as they made their way north along Bathurst Street through the predominantly Jewish neighbourhood in northern Toronto. Anti-Israel protesters were notably fewer in number compared with last year's event. The side streets lining the path were virtually absent except for a moderate-sized gathering of picketers at the intersection of Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue. Red, white and green smoke bombs, evoking the colours of the Palestinian flag, were ignited when the head of the column passed through the intersection but police quickly surrounded and isolated the incendiaries. Several protesters carried posters showing Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov kissing a Hamas terrorist on a stage in Gaza prior to his release at a public ceremony. Another carried a handwritten sign proclaiming: 'The Torah was Noah's Ark, Israel is (the) Titanic for you.' The inverted red triangle, a symbol frequently used by Hamas in propaganda videos to denote Israeli combatants, was displayed on multiple occasions. Not that we need to prove anything to fans of the Hamas r*pist regime, but yes, the (now former) Israeli hostage, Omer Shem Tov, was clearly forced to kiss these filthy terrorists. Guys, this is super r*pey. There was a heavy police presence lining the route, particularly at the Bathurst and Sheppard intersection, which slowed marchers down during the walk's final stretch, just south of its endpoint at the Prosserman Jewish Community Centre (JCC). Tensions flared in the logjam as police did their best to distance the two camps from one another. No arrests were witnessed at the time. The pro-Israel crowd was diverse and boasted many non-Jews. Several Iranian flags featuring a lion — an icon embraced by members of the diaspora critical of the current regime — were spotted often. Members of Allies for a Strong Canada , a group of non-Jewish advocates established after October 7 to combat antisemitism in the country, were also present. 'On the question of antisemitism, on the question of the rights and freedoms of the Jewish people, you need to stand up right away,' the chair of the organization's board, Tim Egan, said. His comments came just hours after Israel's National Security Council elevated its Canadian travel advisory level from 'no warning' to 'potential threat' posed to Jews and Israelis. 'As a Canadian, I've been horrified for a very long time about how antisemitism is on the rise,' Egan continued. 'I've always seen Israel as an ally, we should stand with our allies. Israel is an ally under attack and with the attack on Israel has come, I think, a disgusting attack on the Jewish people within Canada.' National Post 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 .
