Hamas

Perspectives of Survivors: Lessons in humanity

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

With the antisemitic cries and chants of the anti-Israel and pro-Hamas gangs filling the air of Montreal, The Suburban reached out to local Holocaust survivors to gain their perspective as many Montrealers are calling this era the Canadian version of the “1930s climate”.

The survivors unanimously agreed that the smokescreens of demonstrations under the guise of pro-Palestinian sentiment are a stark reminder of Nazi ideology that plagued Europe in the years leading up to the Holocaust. The attacks on Jewish institutions terrifies them as they remember how thresholds of acceptance of hate were pushed to the point of embracing hate, leading to the death of 6 million Jews.

The conversations and the public and political response — or lack thereof — is familiar to those who remember and who have survived the horrific outcome that ensued when they last experienced this momentum in their surroundings.

“I am an old man now, I am afraid for the future,” 88-year old Andrew “Andy” Fuchs, who was taken by Nazis and saw both of his parents murdered at the age 8, said to The Suburban. “It is devastating to see how quickly everyone forgot about us and what happened to us. We are human, we are all the same family of humans, why do they hate us?” Andy said while stoically trying to hold back his tears. “On October 7, when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel and took hostages, Andy was rushed to the emergency room as his blood pressure “went through the roof” as one of his social workers described. “After all the devastation that the Holocaust has caused, why don’t they see how dangerous this is? Why is no one speaking out to defend us? To speak up, they need knowledge of history and courage. A small group of antisemites is enough to blow up and create fear in other people which allows them to do terrible things and allow terrible things to happen,” According to Andy, October 7 was a perfect example of his greatest concerns. “Leaders don’t like to speak out against how some people feel, but these people are being misled by hate. We need to stop the propaganda. Zero tolerance is the only way. Those using what they call democracy to incite hate are misusing democracy and we need to talk about that. It was not only the Nazis that killed our families, it was the indifference to antisemitism like we are seeing today.”

Ted Bolgar, who will be 100 years old this September, has spent a lifetime educating people in various institutions about the Holocaust to ensure that there would be no repeat. He retired at the age of 95, at the onset of the Covid-19 crisis. According to Ted, ignorance is at the core of antisemitism and both Ted and Andy believed that if they dedicated the rest of their lives following their liberation from the Nazis to educating others that they would help to change the world’s perspective about Jews. “It is very disappointing because I thought people learned from the Holocaust and understood that it was wrong. I am still here and I will keep trying,” Ted explained to The Suburban.

According to Andy and Ted, “Never Again” depends greatly on education and the support of leaders who apply zero tolerance policies on racism, without exceptions, towards Jews.

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Pastor Ken Godon speaks out against antisemitism

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

With antisemitism on the rise in Montreal with ongoing attacks on Jewish institutions and death chants being shouted against Jews and Israel on a daily basis, Pastor Ken Godon has decided to speak out and is calling on authorities to act.

According to Godon, former Pastor of Snowdon Baptist whose People’s Church is across the street from the McGill campus that has been subject to encampments of anti-Israel protestors for several weeks, people are afraid to speak out. “People are seeing a loud and violent outrage and they are afraid to get involved.”

Godon says that the silence surrounding antisemitism is a result of “cancel culture” mixed in with fear. “Right now, it is not a conversation, it is a loud rage and people speaking out against it are being shut down or attacked.”

Shortly after the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks, Godon led his congregation into prayer and in his sermon he spoke out against the attacks. “I had a lot of pushback and people approached me telling me I was being too one-sided. What possible other side could they see? I don’t know. One of the roles of a Pastor is driving his own flock. I do speak out and have had people walk out but I have a primary duty to speak the truth.”

Many Christian leaders, like Godon, are speaking out… to their congregations, but Godon has hit public forums and was even recognized as an honoured guest when he attended author Douglas Murray’s recent visit to a Montreal synagogue, for his exemplary support of the Montreal Jewish community during these difficult times.

When asked why other religious and political leaders are not speaking out as much, Godon told The Suburban that “it is a one-word answer; fear. It is the mindset that if ‘my name’ is out there and my group’s name is out there, it puts a target on our backs. They are already attacking Jews and Christians are afraid of the same plight.” For Godon, that reason is not good enough. “I can’t watch as my neighbours are being subjected to violence and hatred and remain silent. We’ve seen this before. Never Again!” n

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Oct. 7 survivors speak to community

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Bring Them Home Montreal, the group which organizes the weekly walk for hostages from Hampstead Park to the Y in Snowdon, and Tel Aviv University recently presented Israeli sisters Nirit (left) and Inbal Caspi (right) — third sister Shani could not make the trip. They spoke to a large audience at the Y’s Grover Auditorium about their experiences during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas on their Kibbutz Magen, where some residents found themselves alone, preparing to say farewell to their families; and others fought the rampaging terrorists —some of the residents were killed or injured. Shiri Tamam, friend of the Montreal hosts of the sisters, centre, provided English translation of the sisters’ Hebrew address. Sharon Fraenkel, CEO for Eastern Canada of Tel Aviv University, discussed the Uniform to University Scholarship Fund, which provides reservists returning from duty from the war with Hamas with financial and academic support. Fund organizers point out that more than 6,000 Tel Aviv University students “dropped everything to serve in the IDF reserves and helped secure Israel after Oct. 7.” For more information on the fund, go to www.cftau.ca/uniform. n

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Montreal’s Wallenberg Centre charges Hamas with war crimes at ICC

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg

The Montreal-based Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights filed a massive brief Feb. 14 with the International Criminal Court in the Hague, accusing the terrorist group Hamas of war crimes against the hostages kidnapped during their Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

That attack resulted in the brutal murder of more than 1,200 people in Israel, and more than 250 people kidnapped, as well as thousands injured. More than 100 hostages remain. The more than 1,000-page brief includes evidence and legal analysis, as well as video evidence.

The brief “describes the perpetration of war crimes and crimes against humanity by Palestinian terrorists, including hostage-taking, enforced disappearance, torture and rape.” The group says the brief provides “compelling evidence to serve as a basis for issuing arrest warrants.”

Former federal Justice Minister and Mount Royal MP, and founder of the RWCHR Irwin Cotler said that “Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad not only take Jews captive, but also hold Palestinians, peace activists and humanitarians hostage.

“These perpetrators are therefore not only the enemy of Jews, but also the enemy of Palestinians, and the enemy of peace and our common humanity. They must be held criminally accountable.”

The organization held a press conference Feb. 15 at the Hague. International human rights lawyer and RWCHR Director of Policy and Projects Brandon Silver, who is spearheading the case and has in the past helped secure the release of hostages and political prisoners around the world, told the press conference that “while motivated by the genocidal antisemitism expressed in the Hamas Charter, these crimes engage all of humanity. Those taken captive represent over 40 different nationalities, many different ethnicities, and a range of religions and beliefs.

“The most basic fundamental of human values and international norms were breached,” he added. “These crimes are still ongoing as we meet in this room today! The hostages are calling out for justice, and for the international community to take action! This case is not just about laws, but about human lives! If there was ever a case the ICC was meant to address, it is the heinous atrocities [of Hamas]!”

The RWCHR’s legal team is led by barrister Michelle Butler of Matrix Chambers, and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, a leading international law firm “with extensive experience before the ICC, and the lawyers of Sullivan & Cromwell include former top anti-terrorism prosecutors from the U.S. Department of Justice.”

The brief was submitted “in partnership with the Families of Hostages and Missing Persons Forum, a volunteer-based Israeli civil society association representing the interests of the hostages.” n

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Concordia cancels speech by Oct. 7 massacre glorifier

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg

Concordia University has cancelled a scheduled speech by Sami Hamdi, a British commentator who, on video, celebrated the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas in which 1,400 people in Israel were brutally murdered and more than 200 kidnapped. As The Suburban has reported, Concordia has received legal demand letters over the past month from attorney Neil Oberman, senior partner at Spiegel Sohmer, on behalf of Jewish students who accuse the university of allowing rampant antisemitism by pro-Hamas students that have included physical attacks on Jews.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs stated that both Concordia and Carleton had cancelled the speech, and welcomed the decision. “Our assessment revealed that this individual has made remarks that include celebrating violence,” Fiona Downey, a spokesperson for Concordia University said. “Based on this assessment we concluded that this event would create a climate of intimidation which we will not allow.”

Hamdi said in a speech 10 days after the massacre, “Allah has shown the world that no normalization can erase the Palestinian cause. When everybody thought it was finished, it is roaring. How many of you felt it in your hearts when you got the news that it happened? How many of you felt the euphoria? Allahu Akbari!” Hamdi also denied reports Hamas’s female victims were raped.

The commentator denies he celebrated Oct. 7. Hamdi has already spoken at Western University in London, Ontario.

Judy Zelikovitz, CIJA’s Vice-President of University and Local Partner Services, had posted Feb. 8 that “it’s outrageous that Sami Hamdi, an individual who has publicly and unabashedly celebrated the atrocious terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas against Jews on October 7, is being brought in by campus groups to speak at Canadian universities in Ontario and Quebec.

“By platforming Hamdi, these clubs are endorsing his beliefs and helping to spread hate on our campuses. Inviting Hamdi makes the clubs’ motives clear: it’s not about opposing war or supporting Palestinians, but rather celebrating harm to Jews. We’ve heard from students that they are overwhelmed with fear that a supporter of terrorism will be speaking on their campus at a time when Jewish students, faculty, and staff are the targets of increased hate. Freedom of speech and academic freedom are fundamental principles of Canadian society, but a reasonable limit should exist when it comes to celebrating terrorism.”

She added that “Jewish students, faculty, and staff have a right to feel safe on their campus. We call on the provincial governments to work with university administrators to ensure hate speech is not tolerated on Canadian campuses.” n

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