Quebec Superior Court Justice Serge Gaudet

By Joel Goldenberg and

Beryl Wajsman,Editor
The Suburban

Another anti-Israel and anti-Jewish demonstration, this time outside the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, had a surprise ending as bailiffs arrived serving injunctions against the mob and dispersing it with the help of the SPVM riot squad. Some legal observers consider this precedent the first injunctive relief granted to protect Jewish institutions since the Hamas atrocities of Oct.7.

The 10-day injunction, which can be extended upon application, established the necessity of an urgent intervention and was granted by Quebec Superior Court Justice Serge Gaudet. It was filed on behalf of Federation CJA and the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue by senior partner at Spiegel Sohmer Neil Oberman against Independent Jewish Voices, Montreal4Palestine, the Palestinian Youth Movement, Alliance4Palestine.QC and Bara Iyad Abuhamed, who was arrested by Laval police for unlawful assembly and assaulting a peace officer following a Dec. 26 Boxing Day pro-Hamas demonstration within the private property of Carrefour Laval.

The legal document prevents the named organizations and individuals from protesting within 50 metres of the sidewalks bordering Federation CJA, the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, the Cummings Centre, the Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA, Herzliah High School and United Talmud Torah, mostly located at what’s known as the Jewish community campus in Snowdon. Federation CJA and CIJA are also considering a permanent injunction, and are also calling on the Quebec government to “prevent disturbances by enforcing laws that prohibit disruptive gatherings and face coverings in public spaces.” Community members are being encouraged to e-mail Leader.SJB@assnat.qc.ca to press for such legislation.

Oberman has over the past several months also sent legal notices to McGill and Concordia universities, and the City of Montreal, charging they have failed to effectively counter antisemitism.

Notably, after the injunction was served on the mob numbering some 150, the pro-Hamas crowd, which was protesting an Israel real estate event for which the synagogue space was rented, switched from denouncing Zionism and calling for an end to the State of Israel, to chanting “no justice, no peace, no racist police!”

The pro-Hamas protesters, unlike the previous night at Federation CJA, were not allowed by police to venture onto private property and were confined to St. Kevin west of Lemieux. They were countered by numerous Israel supporters, who sang songs and heckled the anti-Israel crowd — they stood on St. Kevin east of Lemieux and when they left, applauded the many Montreal police officers on hand for their work from 3 p.m. to after 8 p.m.

During the protest and counter-protest, the pro-Hamas side, at one point, shouted “death to Israel, death to the Jews” in Arabic, and in English, continually shouted the violence-inspiring “Viva Intifada,” and the genocidal “from the river to the sea, Palestine is almost free,” claimed Israel’s days were numbered, and said the Israel supporters had low IQs, accusing them of acting indecently and, as a result, not being real Jews. One of their group was arrested for uttering threats, police said.

Israeli supporters played music to drown out the pro-Hamas speakers, chanted “bring them home” in relation to the hostages held by Hamas since Oct.7, laughed with derision at their historical claims, called the protesters “terrorists” and danced and waved the Israeli flag, sang several songs and chanted loudly “Am Yisrael Chai!” Community leaders asked the supporters to leave at 7:30 p.m. to respect the neighbourhood, prompting the pro-Hamas side to say they left out of weakness. But the reality is they were asked to leave before the injunction was to be handed out.

Federation CJA and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs stated that the protest represented “another day, another angry mob chanting hatred directed at Jewish Montrealers.We will not stand by while an angry mob targets, and tries to threaten and intimidate our community.”They also praised the police response, saying that the SPVM “was out in full force to ensure effective buffer zones, access to institutions and the safety of our community.”

On hand at the protest were Federation CJA CEO Yair Szlak, CIJA Quebec vice-president Eta Yudin, D’Arcy McGee MNA Elisabeth Prass, Côte St. Luc councillor Dida Berku, former CSL councillor Glenn Nashen, Spanish and Portuguese Rabbi Yehoshua Ellis and Cantor Daniel Benlolo, Rabbi Reuben Poupko, Snowdon councillor Sonny Moroz, and Cantor Adam Stotland of Shaare Zion Beth-El, amongst many others. n