By: Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The SPVM is investigating after masked vandals smashed the windows and wrote anti-Israel graffiti at Concordia University’s downtown Azrieli Institute of Israel Studies around 9 p.m. Thursday, just ahead of the Jewish holiday of Passover.

Police say they were alerted hours later and arrived on the scene at 3 a.m. Friday. They are looking at video footage.

This incident follows extensive anti-Israel vandalism at McGill University during a recent three-day student strike, and an anti-Israel protest at Quartier Cavendish in Côte St. Luc in an attempt to intimidate moviegoers attending screenings of the documentary October 8, about the rise of antisemitism after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.

Concordia president Graham Carr, in a message to the community, wrote that social media posts “celebrated the incident while specifically targeting a Concordia faculty member.

“Such violent actions, which are rooted in hate and intended to intimidate, have absolutely no place in our community,” Carr added. “The SPVM hate crimes unit is investigating. In the coming days, officials at Concordia will continue to collaborate closely with Montreal police to identify anyone who has broken the law, violated the Code of Rights and Responsibilities or failed to adhere to the university’s behaviour guidelines.”

The university president also wrote that “society is facing many urgent and deeply polarizing challenges.

“I ask the university community to join me in addressing them peacefully. Together, we must actively model respect and compassion for all who are suffering, and we must commit to keeping Concordia safe and welcoming for everyone.”

The anti-Israel SPHR Concordia celebrated on Instagram the vandalism against what it called the genocidal “Azrieli institute of israel (sic) studies. The students will never abandon Palestine!”

As for the faculty member targeted, one student on Instagram objected, saying the professor in question “has only ever been a kind and loving soul, most open for any type of discussion.” Some other students expressed similar sentiments.

The institute was founded in 2011, and “supports the advancement of Israel Studies through educational programs, publications, and financial support for students and faculty,” says Concordia’s website. n