Further debate?

I’m honoured to speak to this motion this afternoon. Speaker, over the last few days, many of our institutions have failed us, but more importantly, they have failed our students. Their inability to condemn anti-Semitism and, quite frankly, their silence is disappointing and equally disturbing as the hateful statements that we’ve seen. I have been shocked and appalled by social messages and the statements coming from organizations and members from our post-secondary community supporting the atrocities that have been committed against innocent civilians.

I want to be clear: I am very concerned about Palestinian students that have family and friends trapped in Gaza during the military operations against Hamas. But I will not tolerate the harmful and dangerous actions coming from those within my sector.

This government has been abundantly clear on our position regarding celebratory statements on the killings of Israeli civilians by Hamas terrorists. The celebration, justification and/or denial of the atrocities committed by Hamas or other affiliated terrorist groups have no place in Ontario and certainly not in our post-secondary institutions, and therefore should be grounds for misconduct.

Speaker, on October 11, I sent out a memo to all post-secondary institutions to remind them of one of their priority obligations: to ensure that each and every campus is healthy, safe and a respectful learning environment. I want to inform the Legislature that I followed up regarding this memo by meeting with college and university presidents last Friday. At the meeting, I informed institutions that they need to work with one another to adopt appropriate measures to address any incidents of hate, racism and discrimination at their institutions. That includes ensuring students are not faced with discrimination, harassment or hate on campuses.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, the world saw the atrocities of the Holocaust and said “never again.” Ontario and the rest of Canada have made it their mission to ensure the justification of difference and otherness within our institutions becomes a thing of the past.

I want to thank the leadership of our colleges and universities for coming together under such short notice to work together. I specifically want to thank the leadership of McMaster University, York University and the University of Toronto, which have responded quickly to matters developing on their campuses and have developed plans to continue their work to ensure the safety of students on campus.

However, over the past several days, it has become apparent that some post-secondary sector members, student organizations and a member of this chamber have failed. Campuses are supposed to encourage debate and free speech. They should never be a place that incite and justify violence and hate speech. There is a line that has been repeatedly crossed, without any response from their members.

After seeing the statement by the York University students’ union and the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union that praises Hamas terrorist actions as necessary—it’s absolutely appalling. The student union defended the actions of Hamas and other affiliated terrorist groups. They defended rape, torture and mass murder. They knew the crimes they were justifying and supporting. While Ontario watched in horror at what was unfolding in Israel, individuals in our post-secondary institutions were laughing, celebrating and justifying these horrific acts. I was speechless, as were all Ontarians.

We’ve asked institutions to respond and ask student unions to take down their posts justifying violence and hate. To those who have removed their posts, either through self-reflection or at the direction of others, thank you. But actions still have consequences.

Today, Speaker, I call upon York University and the University of Toronto Mississauga to investigate and, if necessary, bring non-academic misconduct reviews regarding the actions of the executives of both respective unions for their statements.

The students on the executive who signed the letters are—and I’m going to name the students. I’m sorry if I mispronounce their names, but I think it’s important that their names are in Hansard, because these students put their names on letters in public, supporting Hamas:

—the York Federation of Students executive team: Ashley D’Souza, Rehaan Lachporia, Gemner Sandoval Fuentes, Olivia Ferguson and Shiniah Mark;

—the York University graduate executive team: Alireza Gorgani, Arefeh Shamskhany, Nathi Zamisa, Faezeh Esmaeili, Ali Gholami and Marjan Abdolahi;

—the University of Toronto Mississauga executive team: Gulfy Bekbolatova, Ruth Alemayehu, Kiki Ayoola, John Liang, Jasnoor Sandhu and Layana Alnabhan; and

—the Glendon College Student Union.

Speaker, let me be abundantly clear: Students who support terrorism must be held accountable for their public statements. But they were not alone. We also saw professors and teaching faculty join them in these statements. The executive at CUPE 3906 at McMaster University, who represent the teaching assistants, sessional professors and post-doctorate staff, glorified—yes, glorified—the violence as it was occurring and doubled down on their celebrations afterwards.

A social work professor, Dr. Jessica Hutchison at Laurier, justified—yes, actually justified—the sexual violence and mass murder. This is a social work professor. I have no words. But I do, however, want to acknowledge Laurier’s president, Dr. MacLatchy, for unequivocally condemning the attacks and addressing this matter with the professor. This is the leadership we need to see more of in this sector.

An Osgoode Hall law professor, Heidi Matthews, attempted to justify and diminish the murder of Israeli children by Hamas. She had in 2019 also stated: “The intent to kill ... a Jew even because you hate them does not equal the intent to destroy Jews ‘as a group.’”

A University of Toronto law professor, Mohammad Fadel, re-posted, celebrating “Hamas fighters” and nothing to apologize for or feel guilty about regarding the massacres on Israeli civilians.

As I’ve said and we’ve heard here today, it’s difficult to find words. These comments are despicable. These individuals thought they could hide behind the ivory tower. Well, it’s time for them to touch grass. These are the individuals who teach our students. They hold significant authority over the students they teach. How are our students supposed to feel safe when they have anti-Semites teaching them? How are our students supposed to prepare for the world when they feel obligated to conform their answers to the twisted world views of their professors or teaching assistants?

I’d also like to take a moment to mention that they were not alone, even in this House. MPP Jama has tried to justify the atrocities that unfolded. She apologized for the post, but she was documented attending rallies which glorified the crimes committed by Hamas terrorists. According to Documenting Antisemitism, the rallies she had attended were organized by those known for promoting Holocaust denial.

Some may criticize me for naming them in this forum, but there’s no doubt there are more who share their views but do not post them online.

I’ll ask you one last question: How can leaders in the public sector allow them to continue to openly spout anti-Semitism? In this forum, we have the privilege to hold people accountable, without fear of retribution, and to stand up for those who cannot do it themselves.

I know Jewish students who are afraid to go to class, and I don’t blame them. A grandmother confided in me that she’s afraid for her grandchildren’s safety on campus.

Let me read to you a family group text that was sent to me by a good friend the other day. This is from Bubi:

“Hi everyone—I am very concerned by the fact that CHAT was threatened with violence today—thankfully it was contained & didn’t develop into anything more serious but just should make us aware of what could happen!

“Terrible atrocities happen to Jewish people but there are so many who will not see or care about that—they will just see & care how Israel retaliates!

“I just want to send a message to our students—be careful & try to keep a low profile on campus for the next while—please be aware!

“I don’t want to scare anyone—just ask you to be smart & stay safe!” Love “your Bubi who loves you.”

I received many calls, emails, DMs from students, from parents but even from faculty members, who are afraid for their safety on campus. We have consistently heard from students at York University. They are fearful for their classmates who watched on social media as the people they study beside espouse vitriol.

In our meeting on Friday, post-secondary institutions gave us their word that students will feel safe on campus. Be assured, the government and I, as the minister, will hold them accountable. To those who celebrate terror, to those planning to bring this hate to our campuses, let it be known that you will be held to account.

Further debate?

Further debate?

I will be splitting my time with my colleagues MPP Hazell, MPP McCrimmon and MPP Shamji.

Madam Speaker, there is no question that what we are seeing unfold and the escalation at which it is happening is horrific and almost unfathomable. I share the painful feelings and have the utmost sympathy for every single person, child and community who is affected by the violence. Israeli and Palestinian civilians both deserve our concern.

I condemn the despicable acts and actions carried out by the terrorist organization Hamas and the further violence and fear they have evoked. This is not the world we want to live in.

I would like to acknowledge the work that has been done to bring about change. Heart to Heart is a youth leadership program here in Ontario for Palestinian and Jewish citizens of Israel. They are dedicated to empowering youth with the tools and skills they need to create a more inclusive and peaceful society, for that is our goal, a goal we can hang on to as we face the reality of divisiveness and its violent outcomes. Heart to Heart was created to counter the culture of division and fear—the fear that exists between these communities, the reality of structural racism and inequality in Israeli society—and to create an empowered generation ready to fight this system and demand better.

Although it may not be fair that young people inherit problems from previous generations, with the right tools, they can find the creative solutions needed to chart a new path. We believe that youth have a valuable role to play in creating change, not only as future leaders but as meaningful actors right now. Heart to Heart participants are a ray of hope and a reminder of what is possible when people are given the opportunity to come together, to learn and to listen. Programs like Heart to Heart and countless others that serve to achieve this goal need to be brought into the spotlight, for it is never too late.

We need to all have hope and work together in this chamber, compassionately and collegially, for peace.

Madam Speaker, I stand here with a very heavy heart. Every single one of us in this chamber is reeling in shock and dismay at what is transpiring at this moment in the Holy Land, which began early Saturday morning last week when the vicious terrorist group Hamas broke through the border fence from Gaza to Israel and massacred hundreds of civilians. They killed men, women and children, young and old, Jew and Bedouin Arab alike.

This was terrorism. This was cruelty, not only to strike civilians, but to strike Jewish civilians on Shabbat—an echo of countless violent moments throughout the history of the Jewish people.

Israel has a right to defend itself within the confines of international law, much like any other sovereign state. In the comfort of this House and the stability of Ontario, we can say that with ease. We are safe here, far away from marauding gunmen and exploding of rockets. Over there, it is war, and all war means is that thousands of people—Israelis, Palestinians, Canadians, Americans, United Nations personnel, Doctors Without Borders volunteers—will die.

What are we doing to stop the bloodshed? It was an Ontarian—a Torontonian—who came up with the UN’s peacekeeping initiative: the Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson. That is who we should aspire to be, but all we can offer today is words. We could be debating sending funds to assist, medical personnel, material support to civilians and to the federal government as they try to get Canadians home.

I came to Queen’s Park to make the world a better place, so let’s all work to accomplish that. I stand against hate which divides, which only ever leads to suffering. I stand for peace. We must all stand for peace for the innocent civilians of Israel and Palestine, because as we give our speeches here, thousands of innocent men, women and children are dying, and that is a tragedy for all.

It is without hesitation that I condemn Hamas and its massacre of Israeli civilians. There is never a justification for this kind of violence.

The Hamas attack on October 7 was defined to inflict maximum suffering on Israeli civilians. It was the realization of the worst violent fantasies Hamas could imagine. The goal was to administer as much pain as possible to the victims, to the victims’ family and friends and to Israel forever after. Thirteen hundred lives were lost; 150 people were taken hostage. Families were fractured. Children will grow up without their parents; parents will now grow old without their children. Some families were wiped out entirely.

But the suffering reverberates beyond those lives. In Canada and around the world there is growing unrest. People of all faiths and backgrounds are unsettled and feeling unsafe amidst rising anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. My heart is with all those who are suffering, all those who have been lost and all those who continue to suffer in the wake of the carnage Hamas wrought.

But we must remember: Hamas is an illegal terrorist group who rules Gaza with an iron fist. They do not represent all Palestinians. The truth is that Palestinian people deserve better. They deserve leadership that does not plunge them into war with atrocities they knew would trigger a political response.

In the days since the Hamas massacre, Israel has asserted its right to defend itself, and we join them in calling for hostages to be released, civilian life to be preserved and peace for all mankind.

Further debate?

Speaker, with great thought to what other members in this House have said, I rise to speak to this motion today from a particular point of departure.

For years, I was a university professor. I taught and studied human rights both in Canada and around the world. I had the privilege to study with students from Israel and Palestinian communities, from places all over the world, and that life experience has led me to say the following to contribute to this debate.

I think we need, right now, a very serious response among political leaders to the ongoing horrors in Israel and in Gaza. My contribution to this debate is that I believe it’s time to raise our voices for peace with justice, and I’ll describe this afternoon what I mean by that.

Back home, like I heard from the member for Thornhill and many others, I have been talking to Jewish and Palestinian neighbours who are grieving in a deep state of trauma for having lost loved ones, and many more who are living their lives, right now, terrified. They have been quite clear to me that there is one important thing I immediately have to do for them, and that is to offer them support, to offer them comfort for what they’ve lived through, the atrocities of October 7, and what they continue to live through in what is truly one of the most horrifying weeks I’ve seen in my lifetime.

The war crimes committed by Hamas against Israeli civilians last Saturday have shocked us; they have shaken the community I serve. Hundreds of civilians maimed, executed or kidnapped have had direct impacts on my city and they must be condemned unreservedly.

The same is true for Israeli military attacks that have hurt Palestinian civilians. Speaker, apartment buildings—entire buildings—have been levelled. Entire families have been killed. Food, water, fuel and power have been cut off. Border crossings have been bombed and blockaded as people have tried to escape. The use of deadly white phosphorus, a chemical weapon, has been verified by journalists. These are not actions against Hamas. This is terrifying ordinary Palestinians, and it has to stop.

If this was a serious debate, we would be insisting on what the United Nations has demanded: an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and a humanitarian aid corridor into Gaza. We would demand justice for all victims of war crimes and their families. We would be insisting that every Canadian seeking to flee this violence can get home safely. But sadly, Speaker, that is not what this motion does. It’s not about trying to comfort those who are grieving—all of those—ending an escalating rise of violence or seeking justice for war crimes against civilians. This motion, sadly, as it currently reads, inflames a dangerous moment, and I think that’s a terrible choice. That’s not the leadership the world needs right now.

This morning, I heard government members—I listened to them closely—say that we must support whatever Israel believes is necessary to “eliminate Hamas from Gaza.” We heard that Israel has always shown restraint, balance and upheld the rule of law. But, Speaker, that is not what I have seen with hourly and daily updates. That is not what I have seen following human rights in this region for decades. Israel is now being led by a government that includes members who openly speak of hatred and violence. That is one of the reasons they, in Israel, have been faced with mass protests by Israelis for months. But the truly horrible, heinous events of October 7 have created a new era of hatred.

I’ve seen the Israeli Minister of Defence, as the member from Scarborough Southwest said already, refer to Palestinians as “animals.” I’ve heard the Prime Minister of Israel promise to turn Gaza into “a deserted island.” I’ve been stunned as Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s interior minister, often invokes the need for a new Nakba, Arabic for “catastrophe,” referencing the last mass expulsion of 750,000 Palestinians so long ago.

Speaker, these are examples of dehumanization. This is how a public is prepared for war. They are meant to justify atrocities that we must do everything in this House to avoid. They will not bring back loved ones who are dead or hostages who are currently held, but they will put Palestinian body bags in ice cream trucks, stored there because the morgues and hospitals in Gaza are currently at capacity. That was the image on my television two nights ago. That cannot be the solution.

Here is what history teaches me, Speaker, and it’s a hard lesson: You can bomb the world to pieces, but you cannot bomb it into peace. We can, and we must, do better. We should listen to Yonatan Silver, son of Vivian Silver, a peace activist from Winnipeg who was taken hostage from her kibbutz in Saturday’s horrific attacks by Hamas on Israel. Yonatan just told CNN, “I didn’t want war before, and I don’t want war now.” He is demanding that his mom be released by negotiation, not by descending Gaza into a humanitarian nightmare.

We should listen to Farah El-Hajj, our staff colleague at the Ontario NDP, who has lost 18 family members in Gaza this week—18. Apparently, 10 more are still buried under a massive rubble of concrete. Farah’s family are not Hamas members; they’re not soldiers; they’re not terrorists. They’re Palestinians and their lives have to matter.

Like many people, as I have heard in this debate, my heart has been shattered, broken, as I’ve spoken to people who have lost loved ones in Israel and in Gaza. To be honest, I’ve often felt powerless to do anything about it, because from where I sit, things seem to be only getting worse. But you know what? As I got ready for my remarks today, I’ve remembered something that history has also taught me: We can do something. We can join with voices around the world who are calling for an end to the bloodshed, for pursuing a road of peace with justice. We need a mass movement around the world for a ceasefire, and we need it now.

Now, I understand some of my colleagues may think that’s impossible in Israel and in Gaza. I’ve heard in debate today that Palestinian children are raised only to hate. But in my own lifetime, Speaker—I’m 51 years old—I’ve studied military conflicts from around the world, and I have seen in my own research and talking to people in Ireland and in Colombia that it is possible to work for peace with justice. These were countries torn apart by violence and war. Peace was possible there because people put in the effort, and it is still possible in Israel and Gaza, but it must come with justice.

The perpetrators of the horrific tragedies on October 7, the terrorist attacks and the crimes against Israeli civilians must be held accountable, and those responsible for the deaths of Palestinian civilians, like the bombing this afternoon of a hospital and a school, must also be held accountable, and a much longer commitment to peace in this region is so long overdue. Our province and our country, we have to choose to be part of that conversation.

That isn’t possible if Hamas believes it can terrorize Jewish communities, committing heinous acts of cruelty. That isn’t possible with an Israeli government intent on punishing innocent civilians for actions that are no fault of their own. And I am not making an argument of moral equivalence here; I am making a case for moral consistency. We must consistently support the human rights of every single person without exception. That is the only way I believe our hearts and souls can stay intact at moments like this.

It’s how we build peace, but building peace isn’t a slogan. It’s what happens every day, all over the world. It’s what happened when Vivian Silver, who has been taken hostage by Hamas terrorists, drove sick Palestinians to Israeli hospitals. That was her activism for her kibbutz. She built peace. She also organized against the Netanyahu government’s attacks on civil liberties, working with neighbours, building peace.

It’s what happened when Farah El-Hajj had the courage to tell us her story at a time of profound, overwhelming grief, and it is what happens when we listen to each other in debate, instead of screaming over each other, as is too often the case in this House.

Speaker, I call on Canadians across this country to demand this road of peace with justice. It’s a road with dignity. It’s a road that may be hard to see right now, but our ancestors have walked it, and we can choose to walk it.

Further debate?

I rise to support this motion and the House’s condemnation of the ongoing and reprehensible attacks being carried out against the people of Israel by the terrorist organization Hamas.

To my friends in the Palestinian community, I stand with you and your concern for those loved ones who are back in Gaza who are being used as human shields by these terrorists.

As of today, over 1,400 Israelis lie dead at the hands of Hamas. An additional 3,400 have been injured. Hamas’ terrorist attack on October 7 resulted in the highest number of Jews killed in a single day since the Holocaust. Among those killed are six Canadians: 22-year-old Shir Georgy, who was killed while enjoying a music festival; 33-year-old Adi Vital-Kaploun, who has been described by her family as a beautiful woman who brought love and lightness to the people around her; 22-year-old Ben Mizrachi, described by his teachers as being a kind, wonderful and community-minded young man who had a positive influence on everyone around him; 33-year-old Alexandre Look, who was described as a hero wanting to protect the people he was with, by his father; 21-year-old Netta Epstein, who jumped on a grenade to save the life of his fiancée; and Tiferet Lapidot, a brilliant young woman who had just celebrated her 23rd birthday.

We will keep them in our prayers, and we will not let their names or their stories be forgotten.

Speaker, in 2019, I supported the passage of an Act to combat antisemitism, and I thank my colleague from Eglinton–Lawrence for putting forward that legislation with me. This act utilizes the working definition of anti-Semitism and the list of illustrated examples adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance plenary on May 26, 2016. Jewish Ontarians have been protected from discrimination and hate amounting to anti-Semitism under this act.

I remember, Speaker, the first time I got to go to a Righteous Among the Nations ceremony at the Jewish consulate here in Toronto. They were honouring a Dutch family, teachers who hid Jewish people in the Second World War. Their daughter was there to accept the award on behalf of her parents, who had passed away. I remember people asking me, “Why did you bring forward this anti-Semitism act? You don’t have a large Jewish community in your riding. You are not Jewish yourself,” and I can’t help but think of the words of the daughter of these brave Dutch people who hid Jews. She said, “You know, it’s interesting. We never talked with my parents about why they did what they did. They never talked about it with their friends, why they did what they did. They just did it because it was the right thing to do.” And we stand here today with this motion in front of us because it is the right thing to do.

Here today, I pledge once again to stand with Jewish Ontarians, many of whom are grieving the losses of friends and family in Israel, and condemn the heinous crimes Hamas has carried out against Israel and the anti-Semitic rhetoric of those who support Hamas’s frenzied evil.

I spoke to a Jewish friend last week. She told me, though tears, that they had come to her cousin’s school with knives. That happens here. We cannot allow that to happen under our watch. I just listened to the Minister of Colleges and Universities call out names, and have them recorded in this House, of people who stand for this kind of terror in this province. That is unacceptable. We cannot allow that to happen in our nation and in this province.

Canada is home to the third-largest Jewish population outside of Israel, and the majority of these Canadian Jews live in Ontario. Over the course of the last week, Jewish Ontarians have shown remarkable resilience in the face of various anti-Semitic threats directed towards Jewish schools, including hate-fuelled threats made to Jewish high school students at the Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto. There have also been blatant displays of support for terrorists in our province, as some demonstrators flew both Hamas and Taliban flags at a protest in Mississauga this past week.

By condemning Hamas, our government will make it clear to Ontarians, especially Jewish Ontarians, that we unequivocally support Israel, rebuke the actions of terrorists and stand against anti-Semitism. To that end, there are those who have branded Hamas as freedom fighters or revolutionaries. Freedom fighters do not enter kibbutz after kibbutz, opening fire indiscriminately on civilians. Freedom fighters do not intentionally target civilians at music festivals. Revolutionaries do not rape innocent mothers and daughters, and revolutionaries do not kill innocent babies and children too young to even comprehend the fervid hatred that is being exacted upon them. These are the actions of terrorists, and we must not allow moral equivalences to be made between terrorists who descend on music festivals full of innocent young people with the intent to rape and kill as many Jews as possible, as Hamas has done, and the IDF soldiers who have retaliated against Hamas combatants who used civilian lives as shields and whose terrorist base of operations was once located underneath a hospital.

To compound their misery, those in Gaza are facing a water crisis in addition to the violence of war. Yet, in shocking video released by Hamas themselves, Hamas soldiers can be seen digging up water pipes in Gaza, which were then re-lathed and machined into missiles to fire at Israel.

If there was even a shred of doubt left in the mind of those still defending the barbaric actions of Hamas, recent photos have shown Hamas soldiers blocking the evacuation of Gaza residents from the conflict zone. The only people twisted enough to trap the people they claim to represent in what is becoming an inhospitable stretch of rubble can be described only as terrorists, and their actions hurt both Israelis and Palestinians alike.

We cannot negotiate or come to a peaceful resolution with terrorists. War is ugly and must be avoided at all costs. However, when a sovereign state is faced with an existential terrorist threat, defensive measures must be taken.

If Hamas stopped fighting today and released the Israeli hostages they still hold, peace could return immediately. In contrast, if Israel stopped fighting, Hamas would continue to rape, murder and torture every Israeli until the state of Israel and every Jew within it was totally and violently destroyed. Every drop of blood spilled needlessly in Gaza, both Israeli and Palestinian, is on the hands of Hamas. It is Israel’s inalienable right as a legitimate and sovereign state to protect its people and its border.

Israel and Canada have long stood as partners on the world stage. Our friendship with the Israeli people is rooted in our shared values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. It is the duty of our government to condemn Hamas’ attempts to erode these values and support Israel’s right to defend itself in accordance with international law and in Gaza.

While the situation in Gaza remains chaotic and shrouded by the fog of war, three things are clear:

—Hamas is a terrorist organization and must be condemned;

—anti-Semitism has no place in Ontario or anywhere; and

—I and we stand with the sovereign state of Israel and recognize its inalienable right to defend itself and its people against this horrific violence.

Madam Speaker, I will continue to pray for peace.

Further debate?

Je voudrais commencer par donner mes sympathies aux familles. Je pense que tous ici en Chambre ne peuvent pas réaliser l’horreur que ces familles vivent, comme c’est là—qu’ils soient palestiniens ou israéliens. Je pense que tout le monde souffre de la guerre. C’est inacceptable que le Hamas ait attaqué. Ce sont des terroristes, et il faut le reconnaître.

Nous, les Ontariens et les Ontariennes, avons l’ultime privilège de nous réveiller chaque jour dans le confort de nos maisons, avec nos familles en sécurité, sans jamais nous demander si nous allons revoir notre famille à la fin de la journée. Nous ne pouvons réellement pas comprendre ce qu’on prend pour acquis.

Le cycle de violence en Israël et en Palestine brise le coeur des communautés partout dans le monde, y compris dans les foyers des Ontariens et des Ontariennes. Toutes nos pensées sont avec nos voisins, nos amis et nos collègues qui ont de la famille ou des connexions dans la région. Toutes nos pensées vont aussi avec les victimes de l’attaque du Hamas le 7 octobre dernier contre des civils israéliens. Nous condamnons et avons toujours condamné les attaques terroristes qui sèment la détresse et font des victimes civiles, qui pensaient retrouver leurs familles à la fin de leur journée. Ces attaques ont brisé les coeurs de tous les Ontariens et les Canadiens.

La violence dont la communauté internationale est témoin depuis est inquiétante et se déroule à une vitesse alarmante. Des milliers de civils innocents, qui n’ont aucune responsabilité des décisions de la tranche politique, paient avec leur vie. La mort violente de milliers de civils, le règne de la peur et les milliers de blessés ne portent aucune gloire et doivent toujours être condamnés.

Les Canadiens juifs et les Canadiens palestiniens vivent une détresse psychologique inexplicable. Les événements qu’ils voient défiler chaque jour dans les nouvelles peuvent enclencher la peur, des inquiétudes profondes et un sentiment d’impuissance que nous partageons avec eux. Soyez certains que nous répondrons présents pour que ces citoyens canadiens reçoivent toute l’aide en santé psychologique qu’ils peuvent avoir pour qu’ils ne se sentent pas seuls dans ces moments d’une difficulté inexplicable.

Il est important que chacun d’entre nous se pose la question à savoir si nos actions sont alignées avec la paix et la cohésion sociale. Dans cette pensée, il est inconcevable de célébrer les attaques du Hamas. Chaque personne qui a célébré cette attaque est fautive d’avoir intensifié la violence. C’est franchement condamnable. Ces actions ont gravement blessé la communauté juive et ne sont pas justifiables. Nous devons être solidaires envers la communauté juive et condamner ces célébrations.

Nous avons aussi été témoins de messages racistes qui mettent tous les Palestiniens dans le même bateau que le Hamas pour justifier la violence sur les civils innocents, qui ne sont pas représentatifs de cette violence. Cela a aussi gravement blessé la communauté palestinienne et n’est pas justifiable. Nous condamnons aussi les messages de certains membres du Parlement israélien qui demandent une deuxième Nakba.

Je répète : il est important que chacun d’entre nous se pose la question à savoir comment nous alignons nos actions et nos paroles à appeler à la paix et à la cohésion sociale. Lorsqu’on célèbre les douleurs des autres, ce n’est pas ce qu’on fait. Il faut absolument mettre l’effort nécessaire, parfois un effort demandant, de parler par la paix. C’est de reconnaître l’humanité qui nous unit plutôt que nos différences, de reconnaître la souffrance que porte chaque communauté, pour crier pour la paix et non la haine.

Notre rôle comme députés dans une province où nous vivons dans la sécurité et le confort est parfois difficile à placer et à concevoir dans une telle situation. S’il y a une chose que je sais, c’est que nous avons la responsabilité de diffuser la paix.

La paix, c’est rapatrier les Israéliens-Canadiens pour leur sécurité.

C’est aussi faciliter un corridor humanitaire pour la bande de Gaza, demander la fin du siège total sur Gaza et demander au gouvernement fédéral de pousser pour cela dans ses compétences en matière de relations internationales.

C’est aussi rejoindre notre parti au fédéral lorsqu’il demande une solution diplomatique plutôt que militaire au conflit qui dure depuis des décennies. Je le joins aussi lorsqu’il demande que le Canada fasse tout en son pouvoir pour respecter nos valeurs canadiennes, qui sont la protection des civils, le respect du droit international, la mise en place d’un cessez-le-feu et la désescalade du conflit.

Notre rôle, encore une fois, comme député dans un pays qui représente la paix et la suprématie du droit : nous avons cette responsabilité de faciliter un processus de paix. Nous devons agir et utiliser notre voix pour la sécurité de tous dans la région, pour le respect des droits et libertés des Israéliens et des Palestiniens de façon égale, sans différenciation dans leurs droits.

Je suis un député du nord de l’Ontario, une région qui selon toute apparence est loin du conflit, mais une région qui représente très bien ce que c’est d’être Ontarien. Nous sommes une population de paix. Si vous allez dans le Nord, vous allez voir que le racisme et la haine n’ont pas leur place en Ontario. Les crimes de haine sur les synagogues et les mosquées n’ont pas leur place. Les rapports qui montrent une augmentation de ces crimes suite au conflit sont horribles.

Encore une fois, j’appelle tous à prendre un pas en arrière et de se demander si nos propres actions amènent à la paix. Clairement, des actes de racismes flagrants n’ont absolument pas leur place, ni en Ontario, ni au Canada, mais clairement nulle part ailleurs.

Nous sommes aussi une population de compassion. Dans ce cas, nous sommes tous ébranlés que les Ontariens juifs et les Ontariens musulmans se voient devoir augmenter la sécurité dans leurs lieux de culte et culture.

Lorsque nous voyons des nouvelles sur ces centres hébreux ou des synagogues rapportant des événements de vandalisme et de harcèlement dans leurs lieux de rassemblement, je suis choqué. Cela n’a pas sa place et n’aura jamais sa place dans notre province.

Lorsque nous voyons des nouvelles sur des mosquées et des centres culturels islamiques qui rapportent des événements de vandalisme et de harcèlement dans leurs lieux de rassemblement, je suis aussi choqué. Cela ne représente pas et ne représentera jamais les Ontariens et les Ontariennes. Ces actions naissent de mauvaises conceptions qui assimilent tous les individus à des actions condamnables. Encore une fois, tous les Israéliens ne sont pas leur gouvernement, tous les Palestiniens ne sont pas le Hamas, et tous les musulmans ne sont pas pro-terrorisme. Rappelons que tous les Palestiniens ne sont pas musulmans.

Ce conflit va au-delà de la religion. C’est un cycle de violence auquel il faut mettre fin. Ce conflit n’est pas une question de partisanerie. Ce n’est pas une question de langue ou d’identité.

Encore une fois, je reviens à ma pensée qui a initié mon intervention. Nous sommes l’une des populations les plus sécuritaires sur la planète. Nous avons la chance de ne pas remettre en question si nous allons rentrer à la maison. J’ai le privilège de ne pas pouvoir imaginer une journée où je ne peux pas parler à ma femme ou mes enfants. Alors j’exprime ma profonde compassion pour les Ontariens ici qui, même en habitant notre pays aussi sécuritaire, ne savent pas si des crimes haineux seront dirigés envers eux dans un endroit où ils exercent leur liberté religieuse. Ça me désole.

Il faut condamner les actes de violence. Chaque personne dans cette assemblée parlementaire doit réellement se demander si elle augmente la violence dans ses propos. Nous n’avons pas de place à l’erreur lorsqu’on parle de questions de vie ou de mort.

Comment peut-on s’assurer de ne pas augmenter la violence? C’est très difficile de faire ces choix. Il faut déjà éviter de rentrer dans les stéréotypes pour ne pas généraliser. Mais aussi, c’est en demandant le corridor humanitaire, en demandant la fin du siège de Gaza, où l’électricité, la nourriture et l’eau sont bloquées. C’est aussi demander une solution diplomatique et la fin de solutions militaires violentes. Nous demandons au gouvernement fédéral de faire son travail en ce sens dans son champ de compétences.

C’est aussi condamner tous les actes de violence et les actes terroristes du Hamas comme les attaques violentes envers les civils palestiniens.

C’est ce que nous allons continuer à faire et c’est ce que je demande à mes collègues de faire aussi.

Further debate?

Madam Speaker:

Human beings are members of a whole,

In creation of one essence and soul.

If one member is afflicted with pain,

Other members uneasy will remain.

If you’ve no sympathy for human pain,

The name of human you cannot retain.

This poem, written eight centuries ago by Iranian poet Sa’adi, decorates the gate of the United Nations building entrance. His poem Bani Adam, which means “the children of humanity” in English, calls for the breaking of all barriers in humanity.

“Never again” is a phrase that’s been constantly repeated since the end of the Holocaust. However, on October 7, the world looked on in shock and horror as “never again” unfolded right before their eyes. Over 1,400 and counting innocent Israelis, including men, women and children, as well as numerous foreign nationals, were brutally raped, executed, burned alive, beheaded and taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. Six Canadians have lost their lives so far; two are still missing. These terrorists shot dogs. They executed Holocaust survivors. They laughed. They tied up adults and children and burned them alive. As more footage comes out and more stories are shared, our collective horror as humanity rises.

There’s one story, Madam Speaker, one story in particular, one picture I see every time I close my eyes, and I can’t get it out of my head. It’s a picture of a young girl in a wheelchair wearing a purple shirt, her smiling father standing beside her at the Supernova music festival. Ruth Peretz is a 16-year-old Israeli with cerebral palsy who loves music. She and her father were last seen at the desert music festival that was attacked by the vile terrorists. In released footage, Arik, her father, was seen carrying Ruth with Hamas terrorists chasing them down. Both are now being held hostage in Gaza. Ruth has cerebral palsy. She has urgent medical needs.

What Hamas did is absolutely an act of monstrous barbarity. It was the single-largest targeted massacre of Jews in one single day since the Holocaust.

Speaker, now is the time for moral clarity, not moral relativism. Hamas is an evil, genocidal, terrorist organization. Hamas is a listed terror group in Canada and has one main goal: the eradication of Jews and the annihilation of the state of Israel—in other words, genocide. That vile goal is enshrined in its charter of terrorism. Hamas builds military bases in hospitals, schools and apartments. Hamas digs up water pipes and uses them to make missiles. Hamas holds innocent Gazans hostage, using them as human shields. They spread misinformation. They kill Palestinians for their own political gain and share it through their terrorist news networks.

Thousands of innocent lives have been lost since Hamas’s brutal and monstrous attack, both in Gaza and Israel. My heart breaks for every single innocent life lost: Palestinian, Israeli, Canadian and all others. But let me be very clear: Be they Palestinian, Israeli, Canadian or foreign nationals, Hamas is responsible, absolutely responsible for every single innocent life lost in this war, full stop. Hamas terrorists must release and return all hostages and lay down their arms. I support Israel’s inalienable right to defend itself, I support Israel’s right to exist, and I support Israel.

As reports of the gruesome and horrific massacre came out, the response here in Canada was just as vile. Canadians looked on in shock and disgust as people took to the streets, dancing, celebrating and passing out sweets in response to Hamas’s terrorist attack. On Monday, hundreds attended pro-Hamas rallies in Canada, including Toronto, calling for the eradication of Israel and celebrating Hamas’s terrorist massacre of civilians as an act of resistance.

When a Toronto news reporter questioned attendees, they were not able to explain why the rally was not in response to Hamas’s terrorist attack or deflected with whataboutism. Since then, one of the organizers posted a picture, praising a Hamas terrorist on his Instagram, and the main organizer of the account made a post, questioning the Holocaust itself.

Footage from hate rallies in Canada and around the world show people chanting “gas the Jews,” tense moments with police and saying “Khaybar” to pro-Israel supporters, which is a reference to the seventh century slaughter of 100 Jews by Muslims. Terrorist flags of ISIS, Hamas, Taliban and more have been seen in rallies right here in Ontario. This is not something I ever thought I would see in 2023 here in Canada, and it is horrifying.

This anti-Semitic behaviour glorifying Hamas’s terrorist massacre is nothing short of radical extremism propagated by the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, the Islamic regime in Iran. For those who are unaware, Hamas is trained, funded and armed by the terrorist Islamic regime in Iran. This is the same radical extremism that Iranian Canadians have been sounding the alarm on at demonstrations calling for the end of the terrorist Islamic regime in Iran, the same demonstrations that made “Woman, Life, Freedom” a rallying cry for peace and democracy around the world, the same demonstrations that helped the world finally understand that the Islamic regime in Iran does not represent Iranians, and Iranians have been fighting against the Islamic regime for decades.

Friday, October 13, was declared by an ex-Hamas leader as a Global Day of Jihad, a call to Muslims around the world to rise up and exterminate Jews around the world. Canadians took it seriously: Police forces across the country increased security in Jewish community centres, schools, synagogues and more.

Those who attended the pro-Hamas rallies this week claim it was about freedom and human rights, but where were they when Iranians were calling for the end of the Islamic regime and calling for freedom and human rights in Iran? They were nowhere to be seen.

While Canadian politicians of all stripes were quick to condemn these pro-Hamas hate rallies, some did not and that silence is deafening.

One horrifying and spine-tingling sentiment that I’ve seen on social media time and time again from people in the Jewish community is the following: “This week, I’ve learned which friends would hide me during the next Holocaust, which friends would not and which friends would hand me over. I’ve got ‘friends’ in all three categories. I see you.” Chilling.

The Jewish people are living their darkest days right now, living their worst nightmares since the Holocaust. I cannot even fathom what it must feel like to live in fear, to walk down the street and look at someone and think, “Will this person hate me just because I exist, just because I’m Jewish?” But Madam Speaker, even in these darkest days of loneliness, fear and isolation, in the face of the worst anti-Semitism seen since the Holocaust, there is a beacon of hope. The sun is slowly rising, and I’m referring to the lion-and-sun flag.

Since the horrific terrorist attack by Hamas, Iranians in Iran and around the world have been standing in solidarity with the people of Israel. #IraniansStandWithIsrael was a hashtag that was trending on X for days. Every single peace rally organized by Israel and the Jewish community has been flooded with Iran’s lion-and-sun flag and attended by hundreds of Iranians in a show of solidarity. Iranians inside Iran have been chanting slogans and secretly raising the flag of Israel in defiance of the terrorist Islamic regime’s anti-Semitic, Holocaust-denying and pro-Hamas policies. Jewish Iranian soldiers have been sending messages of support to Iranians through the Israel Defense Forces’ Farsi channel on X, saying that they are in this together against the terrorist Islamic regime.

Madam Speaker, one of my fondest memories of this past week—it’s been a very, very dark week, so I don’t say this lightly—is when I was attending the rally supporting peace for Israel on Monday night in Toronto. After the rally, I noticed a standoff. On one side, there were a lot of Israeli flags, and on the other side, pro-Hamas counter protesters had shown up. It was very tense. I walked to the front of the lines to get a better look, and as soon as I got there, amidst the sea of blue and white, I saw two Iranian lion-and-sun flags standing right in front of everyone else—raising them high and waving them. I’ve never been more proud to be Iranian Canadian.

The reason that Iranians are speaking out on behalf of Jews in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and around the world is because of our shared history and friendship between Iranians and Jews. The history of Jews in Iran dates back to late biblical times. After establishing the Persian Empire, King Cyrus the Great allowed all subjects to participate in governance. He borrowed the good deeds of other cultures in the first sign of his commitment to diversity through culture. He set the Jews free from their Babylonian captivity that had taken place decades before. Cyrus the Great facilitated their return to the promised land, Israel, and he became a notable figure in the Jewish scripture as a saviour who helped them build the Second Temple in Jerusalem. This great event in Jewish and Persian history took place in the late sixth century BC, by which time there was a well-established and influential Jewish community in Persia.

For 44 years, the terrorist and illegitimate Islamic regime in Iran has tried to erase our shared history, has tried to say that Jews and Iranians are enemies, but they cannot erase our history. These radical extremists who have been funding terrorism in the Middle East, these radical extremists who have helped Hamas attack Israel, who support this cause, who call for the eradication of Jews in Israel cannot erase our shared history spanning almost 3,000 years.

Again, Madam Speaker, in these darkest times, I’ve never been more proud of the brave Iranian people who have been spearheading the fight to call out pure evil. The lion and sun of the Iranian people will always stand not behind but beside the blue star of Israel, because that is what friends do. That is what humanity does. That is what it means to stand up and speak out in the face of pure, unmitigated evil.

Madam Speaker, I am so proud to be part of a government that has unequivocally spoken out against the heinous terrorist attack by Hamas. There is no other way to describe what happened. It is the darkest form of terrorism we have ever seen. It is pure evil. There is no “yes, but.” There is no moral equivalency when you are burning babies, when you are killing people and then raping their friends next to them and then executing them. There is no justification whatsoever. Anyone who thinks so needs to take a good, hard look at themselves in the mirror and question whether or not they are human.

Madam Speaker, I’m going to end with what I said at the beginning:

Human beings are members of a whole,

In creation of one essence and soul.

If one member is afflicted with pain,

Other members uneasy will remain.

If you’ve no sympathy for human pain,

The name of human you cannot retain.

I stand with Israel. Thank you.

Seeing it is almost 6 o’clock, we are going to move to private members’ public business.

Debate deemed adjourned.

Report continues in volume B.