Ari Blaff

Pro-Palestine activists meet near Toronto Jewish community, encourage participants to disrupt Jewish holiday of Purim

The survey also found a nexus between Holocaust skepticism, negative opinions of Jews and support for Hamas

The activists refer to the event, which began after five Arab nations invaded Israel following its declaration of independence, as the Nakba, meaning 'catastrophe'

The measure cited the federal government's decision to distance itself 'from the longstanding policy of support for Israel' as contributing to a 'major spike in antisemitism'

Advertisement 1 Share this Story : Montreal suburb passes non-confidence measure on federal Liberals' Israel stance Montreal suburb passes non-confidence measure on federal Liberals' Israel stance The measure cited the federal government's decision to distance itself 'from the longstanding policy of support for Israel' as contributing to a 'major spike in antisemitism' Author of the article: Article content The Hampstead town council, located in a suburb of Montreal, passed a unanimous resolution on Monday expressing no confidence in the government of Justin Trudeau. Advertisement 2 Article content Montreal suburb passes non-confidence measure on federal Liberals' Israel stance Back to video The Hampstead council's non-confidence measure cited the federal government's decision to distance itself “from the longstanding policy of support for Israel” as contributing to a “major spike in antisemitism across Canada.” The resolution says “the rise of antisemitism poses a significant threat to the safety, security, and well-being of Jewish communities within our Town and across the country.” Article content “It is imperative for municipal governments to express their concerns and stand in solidarity with communities facing discrimination and persecution,” the document continues. Advertisement 3 Article content “Actions speak louder than words,” Mayor Jeremy Levi told the National Post via email. “Justin Trudeau excels in rhetoric, but falls short in action. The Canadian Government must promptly take concrete steps to shield our communities from further harm.” At the meeting , Levi cited examples of antisemitism, such as a cartoon in La Presse that portrayed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a vampire, which Trudeau and several other politicians condemned as antisemitic. “Justin Trudeau has tremendously failed Jews across Canada and we are proud that we can take such a strong position on this,” Levi said at the meeting. “It is a very strong message to Justin Trudeau and the Liberal partythat we do not support you and we are not confident in your ability to tackle antisemitism.” Advertisement 4 Article content In his email, Levi pointed to Hampstead's recent legal initiative creating a new bylaw prohibiting the removal of hostage posters with a $1,000 fine as an example of the small gestures other politicians can pursue to combat antisemitism and send the signal that Canadian Jews are not alone. Last December, Levi made headlines for a video that went viral, in which he responded to a series of hypothetical questions from Montreal author and activist Yves Engler, explaining his unwavering support for Israel. “Due to the lack of government support at all levels, every Jewish institution in the country has had to fortify its security measures,” Levi wrote in his email. “Our community has resorted to securing five separate legal injunctions against pro-Hamas protestors who targeted synagogues — a troubling testament to the state of affairs in Canada. It's disheartening when private citizens must resort to legal recourse because those in power have failed in their duty.” Advertisement 5 Article content Hampstead is close to the Montreal Holocaust Museum, located in the neighbouring suburb of Snowdon, which pro-Palestinian activists protested outside of in early March. The demonstration was organized by Concordia University's student chapter of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights , a group which called the October 7 massacre “an unfaltering desire for liberation,” explaining that they “hold the Israeli regime fully responsible for the escalating violence.” “To the Pro-Hamas demonstrators who gathered outside a Montreal Jewish community building, spreading anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiments: your disgrace is inappropriate and misplaced,” Levi wrote at the time. Advertisement 6 Article content Almost 75 per cent of Hampstead's residents are Jewish. The neighbourhood is represented by Anthony Housefather, who is Jewish and a vocally pro-Israel voice within the Liberal caucus. Last week, Housefather released a statement denouncing a recent House of Commons motion introduced by the New Democratic Party, which initially called for the immediate recognition of a Palestinian state as well as an arms embargo of Israel. “The motion passed by the House of Commons on March 18 was a blow not only to me but to many within the Jewish community,” the MP wrote in a public statement on April 5. “It followed a wave of antisemitism across the world that over the last five months has left many Canadian Jews feeling bewildered and intimidated and fearful for their future in this country. Advertisement 7 Article content “As a result of the motion being adopted and the way in which it happened, I have been in serious reflection about whether I should remain in the Liberal caucus,” Housefather warned at the time. Advertisement 8 Article content The Liberal MP ultimately decided to stay within the party caucus. “My core values remain Liberal ones and after serious reflection, I believe my greatest value to Canadians is staying in caucus,” Housefather said in a statement last Friday. This decision drew a mixed reaction from Levi, who voiced his support for the Conservative party and encouraged Housefather to cross the floor and change political allegiances. “Anthony, an industrious MP, undoubtedly prioritizes his constituents. Nonetheless, I find the optimism surrounding Anthony's task somewhat unrealistic in achieving success,” he wrote following Housefather's letter. “Given the likelihood of the Conservatives forming a majority government in the next election, I'd rather be represented by a party currently aligned with these values, instead of attempting to sway the views of an opposition party.” Levi reaffirmed his support for Opposition Leader Pierre Poilevre and underscored his confidence in the Conservative Party's “ability to act decisively.” Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our newsletters here Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Montreal suburb passes non-confidence measure on federal Liberals' Israel stance Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Loading... Latest National Stories News Near Elliot Lake This Week in Flyers

Parental consent forms distributed by the school prior to the event parents simply labelled the event as a 'leadership conference'

Parental consent forms distributed by the school prior to the event parents simply labelled the event as a'leadership conference'

Comedian Bill Maher spent nearly ten minutes of his HBO show Real Time skewering Canada for being more dysfunctional than the United States

Advertisement 1 Share this Story : Bill Maher roasts Canada, calls the country a "cautionary tale" of what the US could be Bill Maher roasts Canada, calls the country a "cautionary tale" of what the US could be Comedian Bill Maher spent nearly ten minutes of his HBO show Real Time skewering Canada for being more dysfunctional than the United States Author of the article: Article content Comedian Bill Maher spent nearly 10 minutes of his HBO show Real Time skewering Canada for being more dysfunctional than the United States and a lesson in what America should avoid. Advertisement 2 Article content Bill Maher roasts Canada, calls the country a "cautionary tale" of what the US could be Back to video “If you want to save our country, we should follow the advice good liberals have given for decades and learn from other countries, especially those beacons of progressivism like Canada, England and Scandinavia,” the comedian said as he opened the segment. Article content Maher highlighted the lower employment rate in the United States, and Canada having more major cities with air pollution, to launch into a broader critique of how the latter was falsely seen as a liberal paradise for frustrated Americans in recent years. “I'm not citing these stats because I have it out for Canada — I love Canada, its people, and always have — but I hate zombie lies,” Maher continued. “That's when things change, but what people say about them doesn't. Yes, for decades, places like Vancounver and Amsterdam and Stockholm seemed idyllic because everything was free and all the energy we needed was produced by riding a bike to your job at the windmill,” he joked. Advertisement 3 Article content “Canada was the Statue of Liberty with a low-maintenance haircut and cross-country skis, a giant idealized blue state with single-payer health care, gun control, and abortion on polite demand. Canada was where every woke White college kid wearing pyjama pants outdoors who had it up to here with America's racist patriarchy dreamt of living someday. I mean, besides Gaza,” he said to audience applause and laughter. “There's only one problem with thinking everything's better in Canada: It's not. Not anymore, anyway. Last year, Canada added 1.3 million people, which is a lot in one year — the equivalent of the U.S. adding 11 million migrants in one year. And now, they're experiencing a housing crisis even worse than ours — and we're sleeping in tents,” Maher said as a picture of a homeless encampment on a sidewalk was beamed beside him. Advertisement 4 Article content “The median price of a home here is $346,000. In Canada, converted to U.S. dollars, it's 487,000. If Barbie moved to Winnipeg, she wouldn't be able to afford her dream house, and Ken would be working at Tim Hortons,” he teased. Maher continued by exploring how Canada has become the G7 country with the highest debt-to-GDP ratio while its “vaunted health care system…(now) ranks dead last among high-income countries.” “And i t's not for lack of spending. Of the 30 countries with universal coverage, Canada spends over 13 per cent of its economy on it — which is a lot of money — for free health care. Look, I'm not saying Canada still isn't a great country — it is — but those aren't paradise numbers.” Advertisement 5 Article content The comedian then pivoted to directly addressing Canadians, explaining that the segment wasn't done out of joy but “as a cautionary tale to help my country.” “The moral of that tale is, yes, you can move too far left and when you do, you wind up pushing the people in the middle to the right. At its worst, Canada is what American voters think happens when there's no one putting a check on extreme wokeness,” Maher continued, citing transgender Ontario public school teacher Kayla Lemieux, who went viral after images circulated of the educator wearing massive prosthetic breasts in class. “They say in politics, liberals are the gas pedal, and conservatives are the brakes, and I'm generally with the gas pedal, but not if we're driving off a cliff,” he said near the end of his monologue. Advertisement 6 Article content In 2015, Maher invited then-Minister for International Trade Chrystia Freeland to discuss the growing public backlash against Syrian refugees. “This idea that somehow we do share values that all religions are alike is bullshit, and we need to call it bullshit,” the comedian said during the conversation. Maher's remarks triggered Freeland to underscore how, “now more than ever,” countries need to show respect for “diversity,” and pointed to everyday Canadians as a beacon of tolerance different from the United States. “We in Canada are not going to say Muslims are worse than Christians, or are worse than Jews, or worse than atheists,” the Liberal Party cabinet member said at the time. “Not as people, the ideas are worse,” Maher responded. Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Bill Maher roasts Canada, calls the country a "cautionary tale" of what the US could be Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Loading... Latest National Stories News Near Elliot Lake This Week in Flyers

Article content Comedian Bill Maher spent nearly 10 minutes of his HBO show Real Time skewering Canada for being more dysfunctional than the United States and a lesson in what America should avoid.