Universities in Canada have become hotspots for vulgar antisemitism, professors testified Thursday at the Commons justice committee. Blacklock's Reporter says the surge in antisemitic incidents on campuses has escalated following the Hamas attacks on Israeli citizens on October 7, MPs were told."Antisemitism is flourishing on campuses," said Cary Kogan, a psychology professor at the University of Ottawa. "It has reached crisis levels and represents a serious threat to Canadian democracy. It should trouble us all."Dr. Ted Rosenberg, a former assistant professor at the University of British Columbia medical school, resigned on January 4, citing rampant antisemitic behavior from both students and faculty. "UBC medical professors and senior residents posted blood libels about organ trafficking, Christ killing, and antisemitic conspiracies with impunity," Rosenberg stated. "They reposted demands that Zionist physicians, Jews like me, were racist and should be removed from the selection process for postgraduate resident positions. These are not innocuous political differences."Liberal MP Anthony Housefather (Mount Royal, Que.) questioned Rosenberg on the universities' handling of anti-Semitism since October 7. "If you were to grade the universities in Canada, not singling out one university but as a whole, on how they are handling anti-Semitism since October 7, what grade would you give them?" Housefather, who is Jewish, asked. "F," replied Rosenberg.James Diamond, the chair of Jewish studies at the University of Waterloo, testified about being mobbed by anti-Israel protestors at the University of Toronto. He described being surrounded by "masked thugs" who shouted profanity and told him to "go back to my country." Diamond said, "The only reason I could offer for having had that very shocking, insulting, humiliating encounter was because I was visibly Jewish. I was wearing a yarmulke on my head."Dierdre Butler, an associate professor of Jewish studies at Carleton University, recounted numerous incidents of antisemitism. "A Jewish student was called a ‘dirty Jew’ by his lab partners," Butler said. "The student appealed for help. His professor instructed him to stop complaining." She also noted that a Jewish student's mural calling for peace was defaced with threats, including, "I am going to kill you," and that posters advocating for the return of hostages had been repeatedly torn down.Butler highlighted that a nationwide student club is actively seeking anonymous tips to identify faculty members and courses that include "Zionist narratives" to "keep our campus safe from Zionist perspectives." She added, "Jewish students often aren’t reporting these incidents because university policies are not being applied."Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, Ont.) criticized university administrators. "Frankly, I think it is an embarrassment for the universities, their presidents, their governing councils and everybody associated with the institutions and the governance of those institutions to allow what is happening right now on those campuses," Lantsman said. "I would be embarrassed as a student, as an alumnus."Jaimie Kirzner-Roberts, senior policy director with the Canadian branch of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, echoed these sentiments. "We have seen universities become a breeding ground for the vilest anti-Semitism, a breeding ground for anti-Semitic hate groups," she said. "We have seen this all before in our long history and we know where it leads. This is why we know the time for action is now.""Students, faculty, and staff have been able to engage in the ugliest hate speech and glorification of violence and terrorism against Jews without any fear whatsoever of consequence. Jewish students have increasingly found themselves targeted by abuse from their peers and singled out by their professors."
Universities in Canada have become hotspots for vulgar antisemitism, professors testified Thursday at the Commons justice committee. Blacklock's Reporter says the surge in antisemitic incidents on campuses has escalated following the Hamas attacks on Israeli citizens on October 7, MPs were told."Antisemitism is flourishing on campuses," said Cary Kogan, a psychology professor at the University of Ottawa. "It has reached crisis levels and represents a serious threat to Canadian democracy. It should trouble us all."Dr. Ted Rosenberg, a former assistant professor at the University of British Columbia medical school, resigned on January 4, citing rampant antisemitic behavior from both students and faculty. "UBC medical professors and senior residents posted blood libels about organ trafficking, Christ killing, and antisemitic conspiracies with impunity," Rosenberg stated. "They reposted demands that Zionist physicians, Jews like me, were racist and should be removed from the selection process for postgraduate resident positions. These are not innocuous political differences."Liberal MP Anthony Housefather (Mount Royal, Que.) questioned Rosenberg on the universities' handling of anti-Semitism since October 7. "If you were to grade the universities in Canada, not singling out one university but as a whole, on how they are handling anti-Semitism since October 7, what grade would you give them?" Housefather, who is Jewish, asked. "F," replied Rosenberg.James Diamond, the chair of Jewish studies at the University of Waterloo, testified about being mobbed by anti-Israel protestors at the University of Toronto. He described being surrounded by "masked thugs" who shouted profanity and told him to "go back to my country." Diamond said, "The only reason I could offer for having had that very shocking, insulting, humiliating encounter was because I was visibly Jewish. I was wearing a yarmulke on my head."Dierdre Butler, an associate professor of Jewish studies at Carleton University, recounted numerous incidents of antisemitism. "A Jewish student was called a ‘dirty Jew’ by his lab partners," Butler said. "The student appealed for help. His professor instructed him to stop complaining." She also noted that a Jewish student's mural calling for peace was defaced with threats, including, "I am going to kill you," and that posters advocating for the return of hostages had been repeatedly torn down.Butler highlighted that a nationwide student club is actively seeking anonymous tips to identify faculty members and courses that include "Zionist narratives" to "keep our campus safe from Zionist perspectives." She added, "Jewish students often aren’t reporting these incidents because university policies are not being applied."Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, Ont.) criticized university administrators. "Frankly, I think it is an embarrassment for the universities, their presidents, their governing councils and everybody associated with the institutions and the governance of those institutions to allow what is happening right now on those campuses," Lantsman said. "I would be embarrassed as a student, as an alumnus."Jaimie Kirzner-Roberts, senior policy director with the Canadian branch of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, echoed these sentiments. "We have seen universities become a breeding ground for the vilest anti-Semitism, a breeding ground for anti-Semitic hate groups," she said. "We have seen this all before in our long history and we know where it leads. This is why we know the time for action is now.""Students, faculty, and staff have been able to engage in the ugliest hate speech and glorification of violence and terrorism against Jews without any fear whatsoever of consequence. Jewish students have increasingly found themselves targeted by abuse from their peers and singled out by their professors."
