This petition is titled “Stop Highway 413....” It reads:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario government is pushing ahead with plans to build Highway 413, a redundant and wasteful 400-series highway through the greenbelt that would cost taxpayers an estimated $10 billion or more; and

“Whereas according to a TorStar/National Observer investigation entitled ‘Friends with Benefits,’ powerful developers and land speculators with political and donor ties to the Premier and the PC Party of Ontario own thousands of acres along the proposed highway corridor and would profit from its construction, suggesting that this $10-billion taxpayer-funded highway is about serving the private interests of the Premier’s friends and donors, not the public interest; and

“Whereas the Ontario government’s expert panel concluded in 2017 that Highway 413 would be a waste of taxpayer money that would only save drivers 30 to 60 seconds on their commutes; and

“Whereas that expert panel identified less costly and less destructive alternatives to new highway construction, such as making better use of the underused Highway 407, just 15 kilometres away; and

“Whereas Highway 413 would pave over 400 acres of greenbelt and 2,000 acres of farmland, destroy the habitats of at-risk and endangered species, and pollute rivers and streams; and

“Whereas building more highways ... increases traffic and congestion; and

“Whereas the highway would cause significant harm to historic Indigenous sites;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to stop the plans for building Highway 413.”

J’ai une pétition ici au nom de « Soutenez le système d’éducation francophone en Ontario. »

« À l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario :

« Alors que les enfants francophones ont un droit constitutionnel à une éducation de haute qualité, financée par les fonds publics, dans leur propre langue;

« Alors que l’augmentation des inscriptions dans le système d’éducation en langue française signifie que plus de 1 000 nouveaux enseignants et enseignantes de langue française sont nécessaires chaque année pour les cinq prochaines années;

« Alors que les changements apportés au modèle de financement du gouvernement provincial pour la formation des enseignantes et enseignants de langue française signifient que l’Ontario n’en forme que 500 par an;

« Alors que le nombre de personnes qui enseignent sans certification complète dans le système d’éducation en langue française a augmenté de plus de 450 % au cours de la dernière décennie;

« Par conséquent, nous, soussignés, demandons à l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario de fournir immédiatement le financement demandé par le rapport du groupe de travail sur la pénurie des enseignantes et des enseignants dans le système d’éducation en langue française de l’Ontario et de travailler avec des partenaires pour mettre pleinement en oeuvre les recommandations. »

Je suis très heureux de signer ça et d’amener la pétition à la table avec Michael.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas our government is taking action to increase housing supply to make sure that everyone in Ontario can find housing based on their income and to provide certainty to municipalities to help more Ontarians find an affordable home based on their household income; and

“Whereas changing the definition of affordable housing units would qualify for development-related charge discounts and exemptions which will support the lower cost of building, purchasing, and renting affordable homes across Ontario; and

“Whereas Ontario will be consulting on new regulations to streamline hearings and speed up decisions at the Ontario Land Tribunal that will help set service standards and prioritize those cases that would create the most housing; and

“Whereas Ontario is working closely with the federal government to increase the supply of purpose-built housing by removing federal and provincial portions of the HST that will make it easier and cheaper to build these important housings; and

“Whereas the province is seeing meaningful progress in its plan to build homes. Both 2021 and 2022 saw the most housing starts in over 30 years, with close to 100,000 homes built in each year. In 2022, Ontario recorded close to 15,000 purpose-built rental housing starts, the highest number on record.

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To urge all members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to continue” taking “action tackling the housing supply crisis and making life more affordable for all Ontarians.”

I support this petition, and I will give it to page Michael to deliver.

I rise in this House to present a petition:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario’s social assistance rates are well below Canada’s official Market Basket Measure poverty line and woefully inadequate to cover the basic costs of food and rent;

“Whereas individuals on the Ontario Works program receive just $733 per month and individuals on the Ontario Disability Support Program receive just $1,169 per month, only 41% and 65% of the poverty line;

“Whereas the Ontario government has not increased social assistance rates since 2018, and Canada’s inflation rate in January 2022 was” already “5.1%, the highest rate in 30 years;

“Whereas the government of Canada recognized through the CERB program that a ‘basic income’ of $2,000 per month was the standard support required by individuals who lost their employment during the pandemic;

“We, the undersigned citizens of Ontario, petition the Legislative Assembly to increase social assistance rates to a base of $2,000 per month for those on Ontario Works and to increase other programs accordingly.”

I will be proud to affix my signature to this petition and to return this to the centre table with page Sachkaur.

“Whereas Ontario Place has been a cherished public space for over 50 years, providing joy, recreation, and cultural experiences for Ontarians and tourists alike and holds cultural and historical significance as a landmark that symbolizes Ontario’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and public engagement;

“Whereas redevelopment that includes a private, profit-driven venture by an Austrian spa company, prioritizes commercial interests over the needs and desires of the people of Ontario and it is estimated that the cost to prepare the grounds for redevelopment and build a 2,000-car underground garage will cost approximately $650 million;

“Whereas there are concerns of cronyism by ... Therme Group Canada’s vice president of comms and external relations who was previously” the Premier’s “deputy chief of staff;

“Whereas meaningful public consultations with diverse stakeholders have not been adequately conducted and the Ontario NDP has sent a letter of support for a public request to begin an investigation into a value-for-money and compliance audit with respect to proposed redevelopment of Ontario Place;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to halt any further development plans for Ontario Place, engage in meaningful and transparent public consultations to gather input and ideas for the future of Ontario Place, develop a comprehensive and sustainable plan for the revitalization of Ontario Place that prioritizes environmental sustainability, accessibility, and inclusivity, and ensure that any future development of Ontario Place is carried out in a transparent and accountable manner, with proper oversight, public input, and adherence to democratic processes.”

I proudly affix my signature to this petition and return it to the centre table with page Katherine.

I’m continuing my remarks from earlier today on government motion 39, the censure of the member for Hamilton Centre.

The NDP leader has inexplicably changed her position on the appropriateness of the member for Hamilton Centre’s offensive remarks, and now actively defends her in the face of pressure for real action from the press and the public. It’s important to understand that that pressure is based in thousands of Jewish people murdered, injured and kidnapped; families torn apart.

Speaker, the entire Jewish world is in deep pain. I spent the weekend at Chabad of Durham Region, situated in my riding. There was a lot of pain that weekend palpable in the Chabad—heartbreak, fear. What’s clear, Speaker, is that I, my caucus and the Premier stand firm in our support of Israel and its right to defend itself against violence. Today and always, as a caucus, with the leadership of Premier Ford, unequivocally, we stand with Israel.

Speaker, this Legislature is the place where our voices must rise and cascade through the entire province. We should not be all right until every person responsible for the terrorist acts is held accountable. Now is the time for moral clarity. There can be no question or confusion. The hate rallies celebrating the kidnapping and slaughtering of innocent Israeli people perpetrated by Hamas terrorists are reprehensible and, yes, disgusting. They have no place in Ontario.

I’m grateful, Speaker, to Rabbi Borenstein from the Chabad of Durham Region for bringing everyone together in solidarity this past weekend at the community prayers in Whitby. I praise everyone’s support from the town of Whitby for Israel and other Jewish communities within the region of Durham.

During the meal that followed the prayers, Rabbi Borenstein and other members of the Chabad said that we must never be afraid to teach our children, like my granddaughters Sophia and Annette, the difference between right and wrong, and calling out black and white when others just see shades of grey.

Here in Ontario and across Canada, our Jewish friends and neighbours face the constant threat of violence. It’s another painful reminder of the work left to do to stomp out the cancer of anti-Semitism once and for all. That’s why our government is investing over $25 million, through our Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant, to address the rise of hate against religious and minority groups, including anti-Semitism. The Chabad of Durham Region and Whitby is one of the recipients of that grant from the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.

Everyone in Ontario deserves to be safe in their communities. As a government, we have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to hate. These grants will help provide safe and secure areas so that people can worship in peace. We will continue to protect people living in the region of Durham and other parts of our province.

It’s why our government is investing $150,000 to support the new Toronto Holocaust Museum. Through the Honourable Stephen Lecce, our Minister of Education, it’s why we’ve mandated Holocaust education in our schools. This is what Minister Lecce had to say the day that he made that announcement: “We’re taking action to counter anti-Semitism and hate, because those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. With anti-Semitism on the rise, we are introducing mandatory Holocaust education in elementary schools, expanding resources and straightening anti-hate training for Ontario students, educators, and families.”

At the time of Minister Lecce’s announcement, Michael Levitt, the president and chief executive officer of Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies, noted that, “Recent studies amongst Canadian youth have revealed an overwhelming lack of knowledge about the history of the Holocaust, the ultimate example of what happens when hate is left unchecked. We commend the Ontario Ministry of Education for taking this monumental step....”

Also, Marilyn Sinclair, the founder of Liberation75, had this to say: “My father was a Holocaust survivor whose entire family was murdered in Auschwitz. He spoke to Ontario schools for more than 20 years and always finished his speeches by imploring students to fight hate and protect the freedoms of our great country. Hate begins in the younger grades and this outstanding initiative allows us to teach students what it means to be good citizens. In a time when we are losing Holocaust survivor witnesses, ‘never again’ won’t just be an empty phrase, it will be a requirement.”

In early 2022, when the past member for Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston made derogatory and racist remarks about a federal cabinet minister and used social media to post messages inciting violence, this House swiftly came together to unanimously censure him in much the same words as motion 39 before us today. At the time, the House ordered apologies to be made by the member. It asked the Speaker to assess the sincerity of such apologies, and it ordered the member to desist from further conduct unbecoming a member of provincial Parliament. No apologies were made by Mr. Hillier, but the position of this House disavowing that member’s unacceptable conduct was recorded so the people of Ontario now and in the future would know that racism and discrimination are not things this institution condones or abides.

Today, as I stand here in this Legislative Assembly, we’re asking that the House apply the same standard it has in the past. No one—no one, Speaker—questions the inappropriateness of the member from Hamilton Centre’s statement, not even her own party leader, who was one of the first to condemn it. The member’s statement received almost immediate condemnation from the people of Ontario, and I believe it’s beneficial to review some of that condemnation to this House to be fully aware of how the member has disparaged the reputation of this House.

Speaker, this is what the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs had to say: “Israeli babies beheaded, Israeli young women raped, more than 100 Israeli men, women, & children kidnapped, and 900 & counting murdered at the hands of #Hamas terrorists and this is what Ontario MPP @SarahJama_ has to say.

“This statement is *filled* with lies that will do nothing to create peace & will only serve to foment hatred against #Canada’s Jewish—

There is no longer time left for petitions.

Resuming the debate adjourned on October 19, 2023, on the amendment to the amendment to the motion regarding the censure of the member for Hamilton Centre.

This petition is entitled “Save Ontario Place.”

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario Place has been a cherished public space for over 50 years, providing joy, recreation, and cultural experiences for Ontarians and tourists alike and holds cultural and historical significance as a landmark that symbolizes Ontario’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and public engagement;

“Whereas redevelopment that includes a private, profit-driven venture by an Austrian spa company, prioritizes commercial interests over the needs and desires of the people of Ontario and it is estimated that the cost to prepare the grounds for redevelopment and build a 2,000-car underground garage will cost approximately $650 million;

“Whereas there are concerns of cronyism by Mark Lawson, Therme Group Canada’s vice president of comms and external relations who was previously” Premier “Ford’s deputy chief of staff;

“Whereas meaningful public consultations with diverse stakeholders have not been adequately conducted and the Ontario NDP has sent a letter of support for a public request to begin an investigation into a value-for-money and compliance audit with respect to proposed redevelopment of Ontario Place;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to halt any further development plans for Ontario Place, engage in meaningful and transparent public consultations to gather input and ideas for the future of Ontario Place, develop a comprehensive and sustainable plan for the revitalization of Ontario Place that prioritizes environmental sustainability, accessibility, and inclusivity, and ensure that any future development of Ontario Place is carried out in a transparent and accountable manner, with proper oversight, public input, and adherence to democratic processes.”

I overwhelmingly support this petition. Thank you to Ontario Place for All and all Ontarians who have made this possible. I’m going to hand it off to Danté.

I’ll be speaking on behalf of our caucus. I want to begin by saying that it was a good thing this morning that we voted for motion 18. It was important to condemn the horrifying Hamas terrorist attack of October 7 and to affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself.

I spent of a lot of time thinking about this in the last couple of weeks, reading, rereading things, talking to people in my riding, here in Toronto, thinking about what’s the best way forward for all of us, because I know that in these literally terrifying, scary times, uncertain times, we have to come together. We have to support each other.

Last night, I was home. It was about 11 o’clock at night—I had a lot of meetings yesterday—and my daughter, Kirsten, called me. Kirsten is 45. She’s got two young children. She’s very smart—an improvement on the previous generation, as my dad used to say. She called me—it was late—and I’m glad that she did, because she asked me to explain motion 19. She wanted to know what it meant. I’m glad she called me, because if there’s one thing she knows, it’s what the right questions are. We know all our kids know that, and we find that out at a young age. It doesn’t change.

She asked me, “Isn’t this just dividing us further? Isn’t this just dividing us? And, Dad, it’s not going to bring peace. It’s not going to help or heal families. The only way through this is together.” She’s right—she’s right. This debate is turning the temperature up instead of turning the temperature down. This debate is being weaponized because the government has questions they don’t want to answer.

There’s a lot of emotion with this. There are things the government would rather not talk about. Emotions are really running high, and I’ve got to say, folks, the heckling on this issue—I’ve watched the debates. I’ve listened in here. Yes, we all do it, but the kind of heckling that I’ve seen and the things that people have said—they’re just hurtful. They’re turning it up. That’s wrong.

If we can’t actually come together in this place, how are we going to help people come together out there? Because we’re not going to get through this, our communities aren’t going to get through this, families aren’t going to get through this unless we come together.

I really wish this debate was ended right now. I really wish this wasn’t happening. I also really wish that the member from Hamilton Centre was here to tell us in her own words—

Interjection.

I withdraw, Speaker. Thank you.

“We call for the immediate removal of Jama.”

Moreover, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center noted: “We are outraged by this statement from @SarahJama_ and her refusal to acknowledge the atrocities committed by the terror group Hamas against Israeli civilians....

“Not for the first time, she has caused hurt and harm to the Jewish community and brought shame to Ontarians, including her constituents in Hamilton Centre.”

From B’nai Brith Canada: “@SarahJama_ has never properly apologized to the Jewish community for her prior offensive statements. Now, as our community faces an onslaught of barbaric terrorism, your comments are void of even one word of condemnation against Hamas.

“You do not deserve to sit in the opposition’s caucus in Ontario ... we call for her immediate removal from the”—

What remains before us is an apology to this House for bringing it into disrepute and a deletion of the offensive statement so it is clear that she has truly retracted it.

Now more than ever, Ontario’s Jewish community, including the Chabad of Durham Region, needs our support. They need to be reminded of the best of us. They need to be reminded that there is far more that unites us than divides us, and what unites us is rejecting brutal acts of terror perpetrated by Hamas terrorists and other terrorists around the world.

Hamas’s actions and its unrelenting dedication to terror show no regard for human life. Now more than ever, we wish for lasting peace and freedom for everyone in the region, and that can only be achieved by defeating the terrorist group Hamas for the good of Israel and the Palestinian people, and for the good of all humanity.

Speaker, it’s been my opportunity to speak to the intent, the purpose, of government motion number 39, the censure of the member for Hamilton Centre. In all aspects of what’s before us today, I stand in my place as a representative for the town of Whitby. I stand in my place in support of the members of the Chabad of Durham Region and fully support motion number 39 and look forward to the opportunity to stand in my place and vote in support of it.

I withdraw—what is in her heart. It would help. It would help all of us a lot. I really wish that the apology didn’t take 24 hours. I really wish that. And I wish that my colleague, who I have a lot of respect for, the Leader of the Opposition, was more clear about her own words. We need the Leader of the Opposition to provide clarity, to be clear, because we need to build trust.

I said earlier the only way we’re going to get through this is together. This debate is dividing us. It’s harmful. It’s painful. It pours salt into wounds new and old. Families are scared in my riding and all of our ridings, all families. Jewish families in my riding have family in Israel. They’re scared for their own kids, scared for their own families, scared at what they see happening in this world. There are Muslim families in my riding. They’ve got family in the conflict. They’re scared. They’re worried for them. They’re scared for their kids. My daughter is scared for her kids. And what we have going on in here is an inability to come together to try to heal the pain that’s there, to try to say to people, “We can provide you security. We’re going to try to come together. We have to get through this together.”

One of the intents of the terrorist attack is to create division, to spread the conflict, to create fear. We’re not helping that. We have to make sure that we protect innocent lives, wherever they are. We have to call for peace when it needs to be called for. We have to call out heinous acts of terror and stamp it out. We have to ask for hostages to be returned. We have to make sure that people have the things they need so they’re not starving, and that they’re safe. That’s our job and that’s what families in our ridings—whoever they are, whatever they believe—expect from us. This debate, folks, ain’t doing that—not even close.

The only way through this is together. We’re leaders, and we need to lead.

I ask the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition, respectfully, to do what needs to be done to turn the temperature down, to bring us together, to help us lead the people who need our help. I ask them to do that.

We need to lead—all of us. We don’t have a choice. This debate has become too divisive.

Speaker, after I sit down, Ontario Liberals are not going to participate any further on motion 19 because we feel the heavy weight of responsibility to bring all families in our communities together.

I want to thank you for your time.

Further debate?

Madam Speaker, we can’t start at the end of the story; we have to start at the beginning.

Let me tell you what finds me here, privileged to be one of less than 2,000 people ever elected since Confederation to serve in the Ontario Legislature.

I believe we can all make an impactful change to our province for the better by bringing the best of ourselves, by seeing beyond the impediments and the biases and the intolerances and bringing hopes and dreams to life.

Better begins when everyone feels like they belong and they have a chance to thrive. And yet, at the same time, I am mindful of who I am and where I stand and how I stand in my Ontario—but also a proud member of our Jewish community. I’m reminded of how my family on both sides—my mother’s and my father’s side—came to Ontario, and a little bit later I’ll tell you why that is relevant today. I’ll tell you why hate has no place here, and I’ll tell you why hate is toxic to our democracy.

Today, I speak about a serious matter: of understanding how our words and actions have impact and, from that impact, consequences on those around us. I’ll speak to the values that are inherently ours. I’ll speak to the fears of a grieving community here in Canada, around the world and especially in Israel, and why I support the motion we’re debating today. I’ll talk about why this place is so important—and if these halls of democracy could talk, what would they say now?

To begin, I want to take people on a journey with you, Madam Speaker, and I want to speak about my definition of the sign of a leader. Leaders are those who dedicate the whole of their spirit for a cause greater than themselves—and we do not know when that time will come and under what circumstance will trigger the time for someone to become a leader. The sign of a hero is those who fight for others when they see and when they know it’s right, and when they understand good over evil, no matter the cost and no matter the odds. A leader stands by your side always.

One person stands out for me today, and that’s my Premier, Premier Doug Ford. He reminds me of what Prime Minister Harper spoke of to the Israeli Parliament about 10 years ago, finding himself, at that time, becoming one of Canada’s greatest statesmen. Let’s remember what a leader is: a person with undisputable character and courage, who’s never afraid to say things others don’t want to hear. Now I understand Prime Minister Harper as he said:

“Now ... in the world of diplomacy, with one ... Jewish state and scores of others” who are against it, “it is all too easy ‘to go along to get along’ and single out Israel.

“But such ‘going along to get along,’ is not a ‘balanced’ approach, nor a ‘sophisticated’ one; it is, quite simply, weak and wrong.”

He went on to say, “Unfortunately, ladies and gentlemen, we live in a world where that kind of moral relativism runs rampant.

“And in the garden of such moral relativism, the seeds of much more sinister notions can be easily planted.

“And so we have witnessed, in recent years, the mutation of the old disease of anti-Semitism and” recently “the emergence of a new strain.

“We all know about the old anti-Semitism.”

That’s why, this past Tuesday, just two days ago, I quoted the words of the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, and I’ll say it again: “The hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews.” And we make a great mistake if we think anti-Semitism is only about Jews, because it’s not. It’s about anti-Semites; it’s about people who cannot accept responsibility for their own failures and instead have to blame someone else. That’s why I say, Madam Speaker, we have serious problems here to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. For those who do not want to solve problems, I’ll tell you what: They will make you afraid of it, and they will tell you who to blame for it.

As I’ve said many times, things matter. The founding principles of our democracy, of the best who we are, matter. The rule of law matters. The right to live safely in our communities matters. And the right to live free of hate matters. It matters a lot. Decency matters. Tolerance matters. Respect matters, and caring for every one of us, regardless of our faith and our culture, our religion, our individualities and exceptionalities, matters as well.

Many members who have served here for far many more years than I have have understood the spirit on both sides and the expectations of our behaviour both here and outside the Legislature, and that our conduct outside is as important as our conduct inside. For so many of us, together in this place, we’ve had moments of friendliness, and that’s a fact, but we’ve also had our disagreements. We could be affable and we could be stubborn, and there were times that I’ve witnessed that we were prepared to compromise, but we could also dig in our heels. And some of us, even from the other side, could offer fair counsel to each other, and other times we offered it to you. There were times when we exchanged strong words and we tried not to make it personal. I believe, Madam Speaker, that is the expectation that we have of each other in this place, and there is a line that we can’t cross. There is a line that is sacrosanct in the history and the tradition of this place that binds us one to another. Words matter, actions matter, and we must be accountable for what we say and do.

The record of the member in question speaks for itself. I wish it wasn’t true, but the facts are the facts. You can’t stand up at a BDS rally, which, by its own definition, is anti-Israel—there are no other words to describe it—to stand with movements like that on campuses—and it’s been well-documented. It’s etched into history. I wish it wasn’t the case.

It goes further. We can’t have people disrespecting our police and those who keep us safe. That hurts me to the core. And I know many of us, almost all of us, will always have the backs of everyone who keeps us safe.

Madame la Présidente, je voudrais remercier chaque personne et tous les premiers intervenants qui travaillent fort pour assurer la sécurité de notre province. And I said this, again, on Tuesday: La raison de leur service est pour faire une différence dans la vie des gens lorsqu’ils ne s’y attendent pas.

Well, why? Why do we have an obligation to make a difference in a person’s life every day? Because those are the expectations of civil behaviour.

This past summer, Madam Speaker, I was overwhelmed when I attended the 90th anniversary of the Christie Pits riots, steps from this Legislature. The Christie Pits riots were a dark period, a gross and repulsive example of the worst of anti-Semitism here in Toronto 90 years ago. I was there with our Minister of Education, the member from Eglinton–Lawrence and others, and for those who were there, they remember the meaningful words that were spoken.

I said that we have come a long way from what was once acceptable in the last number of hundred years. Slavery was once legal; it’s hard to believe. Discrimination against people for just how they worship was once acceptable. It was okay not to treat people the same if the colour of their skin was different, and that isn’t right.

For my family, this was a personal journey, because my grandfather Murray Penwick was born steps from this Legislature on a street that doesn’t exist today, called Agnes Street, at the turn of the last century. He was a Jew from a family, of course, that came from Eastern Europe. He worked hard and he wanted to go to university, but people knew around 1930, if not before, there were quotas. You couldn’t get into medical school. So he took the drastic step of changing his name to Penwick, which is a completely made-up name, something to this day I don’t understand, and he still couldn’t get into medical school, but he became, like many others, a pharmacist. Unfortunately, he did not live a long life, but he had a drugstore for many years; I still drive past the location at Vaughan Road and Cherrywood Avenue.

There were examples of anti-Semitism all through our lives. The Christie Pits riots were only one example, but there were others. Right after the Christie Pits riots, some of us remember that none was too many. When somebody asked a federal bureaucrat or minister at the time how many Jews from Eastern Europe, from wherever, can come here to seek refuge, they replied, “None is too many,” which was zero. We’ve come a long way.

I wanted to also acknowledge that out of the Christie Pits riots, we had a wonderful friendship that formed with the Italian community, and it is special to this day. That’s why it’s an honour to sit right behind my colleague Minister Stephen Lecce.

I want to acknowledge something else that has been amazingly special for me, and they’re here with us today: the leaders of the Philippine community of Toronto, who have expressed nothing but concern for the Jewish community, who have stood with us, who will always stand with us in good times and bad, and we will return the favour.

I have to tell you, Madam Speaker, that it’s not only our fundamental right we believe in to live safe in our own homes and communities, and the optimism we should always share, and the fact that we should live free of racism and discrimination. I observed the incredible rally just across the street at the campus of the University of Toronto just a couple of days ago. I observed it, because I couldn’t even get close, because the speech that was emanating from some people there was vile. You can’t hold a placard that says “From the River to the Sea” and not understand what that means. That means the destruction of the democratic State of Israel. It’s completely unacceptable.

I want to go back to say that I wish it wasn’t so. I wish the attack did not happen at the end of a wonderful occasion in the Jewish calendar, where we finish the reading of the Old Testament and then we start again. As we began to think about reading the first words of Genesis—its powerful words, the story of creation—Israel, and there were no other words to describe it, was the victim of a heinous terrorist attack. It was sadistic in every way. People were hunted down in their homes just because they were Jews—at bus stops, at music festivals—and in real time, the terrible rampage was broadcast live through the world. There were no words that anybody could come up with that would explain something that one could find acceptable to the acts of Hamas.

It was absolutely a tragedy—the largest since the Holocaust—and at the same time, the Jewish community has acknowledged the pain of so many that were innocent bystanders on the other side. As I said on Tuesday, it’s a documented fact that many people in Gaza are held hostage by Hamas, and that’s wrong; they deserve, also, to live safely as well.

When we see, even in the days—two days ago, Hamas had provided this misconceived notion that the hospital in Gaza City, which was subsequently confirmed by the Western world and by Israel that this was a missile gone rogue by a jihad or Hamas group—they immediately blamed Israel, and that’s completely unacceptable, and nobody will fall for that.

Let them open up the border with Egypt, so Canadians can leave safely and that emergency supplies can enter.

I have to say that the democratic State of Israel cannot be expected to be an angel when they are dealing with a devil. It is just not realistic. They need to have a way of getting the hostages back. They need to have safe borders. They need to have peace amongst those in the region.

As I said, just a couple of days ago, when the Premier spoke of this to over 15,000 people at Mel Lastman Square, he spoke of moral clarity. It’s about seeing the terrorist group Hamas for what they really are: unabashed, unapologetic, sick, megalomaniac terrorists. That’s what they are.

And that’s why any member of this House must be sensitive to each other and our feelings. We have to realize, as was said by other speakers, that when you walk in that door, you leave any biases that you have outside, so that you treat everybody exactly the way you yourself want to be treated. The best way, the only way we can show respect is by telling the truth, and sometimes the truth hurts, and maybe this is a lesson that we learn.

The leader across from Ottawa is right: We need to turn down the temperature here. That is a very fine statement. But we also need to call someone out if they’ve done something wrong, so that that person can learn.

Learning is okay, and I think this is an example of many communities, as I said on Tuesday, being part of a quilt, a microcosm of something amazing that represents Ontario. Everyone—the Muslim community, the Jewish community, the Filipino community, the Vietnamese community, the Chinese community, the Caribbean community and everyone who has walked through these halls—is part of a quilt. The responsibility is to each other that that quilt does not tear. This is something that we need to do.

And we will, as it was written, always choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong. And that’s hard; I understand that. It’s hard for visible minorities to serve in this chamber on both sides of the House, to reaffirm their faith, and that is something that is hard. But we do it because this is a welcoming place for everyone. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m wearing my kippah, and I’m proud of that. That’s why people express their faith as to who they are. We must always be the conscience of this place of democracy and preserve the values we hold dear now and always. That’s why, Madam Speaker, I support this motion.

Further debate?

I rise today with a heavy heart as the people of Israel and people around the world reel from the unthinkable actions of the terrorist group Hamas and fear for their lives. This is a very serious motion before us today. It has been brought forward because of the words and conduct of the member for Hamilton Centre, words and conduct that are wholly inappropriate and unbecoming of a member of this Legislative Assembly.

Speaker, Israel was assaulted with a heinous surprise attack on a sacred holy day and Shabbat. Hundreds of young people at a music festival for peace were gunned down as they ran for their lives: innocent people, from infants to elderly grandparents, Israelis and Canadians taken hostage; children slaughtered; babies slaughtered; entire families massacred; rape; beheadings; bodies burned alive.

Hamas’s despicable terror attacks have killed over 1,300 individuals with the majority being innocent civilians. They seized nearly 200 hostages, the highest number of Jews killed in a single day since the Holocaust. This was an act of cowardice. This is an act of sheer evil. There is no rationalizing it, no excusing it.

Hamas continues to threaten all residents and citizens of Israel, making no distinction between religion, ethnicity, citizenship or political belief. Our government, in the face of this horrific tragedy, has provided steadfast leadership and moral clarity and expressed its unequivocal support of the Jewish community of Ontario and the global community and that Israel has an absolute right to defend itself and its citizens against such heinous acts of violence.

I proudly stood with Premier Ford and our PC caucus in solidarity with 15,000 mourners at Mel Lastman Square as the Premier resolutely championed the cause of the Jewish people in Israel and the Jewish community in Ontario. This is a time for moral clarity. There is no place for hate and anti-Semitism in our province and country. Indeed, Israel stands as a refuge for Jewish people around the world. Borne out of the need to provide a secure homeland after the horrors of the Holocaust and centuries of persecution, Israel is and will always be committed to ensuring the safety and security of its people.

I myself am an immigrant to Canada, and my family escaped from the horrors and deprivation of the Second World War and the civil war that followed in Greece for the safety and security of life in Canada. From a young age, I learned of the atrocities committed against Jewish Greeks by the Nazis. In March 1943, the Nazis rounded up and deported the Jews of the historic city of Thessaloniki, sending those Greek citizens to the death camps. Interestingly, up to the 19th century, Jews were in fact a majority of the population in Thessaloniki, with 33 synagogues, thriving schools and businesses. In other parts of Greece, the ancient Romaniotes were Jewish families who called Greece their home since the time of Alexander.

When the Nazis invaded Greece, 46,000 of its Jewish citizens from the city were deported to the concentration camps. Throughout Greece, about 70,000 Jews died. Following the war, the few surviving Greek Jews emigrated to Israel, and some to Canada. The Greek Jews that moved to Israel established several villages, including Tzur Moshe, and many settled in the Florentin, Tel Aviv, and the area around Jaffa harbour. This is sacred land—land that had been inhabited by Jews since the beginning of time.

In this House, our government has recognized the inalienable right of the State of Israel to defend itself and its people. This right is based in history. During the horrors of the Second World War, many Greeks, at risk to themselves, protected and hid Jewish friends and neighbours. On the Greek island of Zakynthos, when ordered by the Nazi occupiers to hand over a list of the town’s Jewish residents, Mayor Loukas Karrer and Greek Orthodox Bishop Chrysostomos defied these orders. Instead, they concealed their Jewish neighbours and submitted a list that bore only two names: their own. This historic and heroic resistance resulted in the survival of the entire Jewish community in Zakynthos. This story serves as a poignant reminder that even in the darkest hours of history, people emerged to do what was right and what was just.

I can also tell you about my own personal experience. I had the rare opportunity to be invited to a memorial service at the Kahal Shalom Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in Greece, on the island of Rhodes, to commemorate the loss of 1,604 Jewish citizens of Rhodes who were sent to the concentration camps. Now, in a spirit of peace, the Chief Rabbi of Athens, along with the Imam of Rhodes and the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Rhodes, were there together in prayer and commemoration.

I also belong to a Facebook group named the Israel-Greece Friendship Association. When Hamas attacked, Israeli members came to the Greek members, asking if Greece is a safe place for them to seek refuge. The response was overwhelming. Members shared their personal phone numbers. They assured Israelis that Greece would welcome them with open arms. Members from my birthplace of Kalamata, in Ioannina, and across Greece informed them how to safely travel to Greece. Perhaps most poignantly, members from Thessaloniki, whose Jewish citizens had been decimated by the Nazis, assured Israelis that Greece will protect them and their families.

Now, since 2007, Gaza has been controlled by Hamas. Let’s not deceive ourselves: Hamas is a political and militant Islamist group, and it has ruled the citizens of Gaza in an oppressive de facto one-party state. Since then, they have in essence held all residents hostage to their brutal authoritarian goal.

Fast forward to October 7, 2023, when Israel was attacked from Gaza. The Hamas terrorist organization has thrust its residents of Gaza into a state of even worse crisis. In fact, they are now facing an immediate future without food, power and fuel. Hamas strategically places its headquarters in hospitals, hides its fighters beneath apartment buildings and establishes its offices within schools. It exploits the people of Gaza, who suffer from both Hamas’s oppressive rule and the consequences of conflict as human shields.

It’s vital to recognize that the innocent people of Gaza should have the opportunity for safe passage, as they are not responsible for initiating this conflict and deserve to live free from harm. Humanitarian organizations should be allowed to provide relief to those fleeing the conflict. Innocent Israeli citizens should not be kidnapped and held hostage.

Ontario is home to Jewish and Palestinian people, many of whom have lost loved ones as the result of this senseless act of violence. To quote the Premier, “These attacks are not just another conflict on the other side of the world. The impact is being felt throughout the country, including here in Ontario.”

I would also like to read a statement from Rabbi Stephen Wise, who is the rabbi for our synagogue congregation in Oakville. The congregation is Shaarei-Beth El congregation. This is what Rabbi Wise has said:

“We stand in solidarity with the State of Israel and all of its residents in the midst of the horrifying, deadly attacks of Hamas terror—unleashed by land, sea and air. We grieve the lives lost, which continue to grow in number. Those killed include children and adults of all ages and walks of life. Our prayers from around the world are directed to the land of Israel. We pray for comfort for mourners, healing for the wounded, we pray for the release of those taken captive, and safety for all who have taken shelter. We pray for the citizen-soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, those on active duty, and all who have been urgently called into service as reservists.

“Not for the first time in its history, Israel has been assaulted with a heinous surprise attack on a sacred, holy day—in this case, Atzeret-Simchat Torah and Shabbat. A day of peace and rejoicing has been turned into a day of war and grief. Hamas’s despicable terror attacks have killed, wounded and continue to threaten all residents of Israel—making no distinction between religion, ethnicity, citizenship or political belief. Today we stand with all in Israel whose lives are being threatened. We pray that the Israel Defense Forces will swiftly repel this terrorist invasion, minimizing the devastating loss of life, and will be able to safely recover the captives.”

It is for this reason that I rise today to address a circumstance that as an Ontarian I am ashamed I have to raise. I would like to share with the members a harrowing message I received from a former constituent from my Oakville North–Burlington community, one who now lives in the riding of Hamilton Centre. Here is someone who should be able to trust that their elected official will act in the constituents’ best interests. Instead, this individual reached out to me because they are scared for their safety and their children’s safety. And their elected official’s inflammatory statement put their safety at further risk.

Let me share what this constituent told me when we spoke yesterday:

“I represent and belong to a Jewish community of Hamilton.

“I don’t know who to turn and ask for help, because our MPP is the member for Hamilton Centre, and I’ve heard the Ford government speaking out against her and I was wondering if the government can help me and my Jewish community.

“Given the horrifying nature of attacks and war in Israel, we are scared being in our own country, Canada!

“Last week, Jewish students—children—were attacked in Toronto.

“Several days ago, our children in Hamilton were horrified by cars filled with people flying the Palestinian flag. People screaming toward our children.

“We are asking for help. Everyone has a political opinion; we are not talking about political opinions. We are not talking about Israel or Gaza. We are Canadian citizens, most of the people are not from Israel. They are Jewish children going to Jewish schools.

“We are asking for you to understand us and support us, if you can relate to our fear because we are not going to Muslim or Christian places shouting and chanting death to people. We are peaceful here, that’s why we live in Canada.

“We don’t know what to do if the hate is not being addressed, that’s a big problem.

“It is not fair that children should stay home because of fear in a free country that is not related to Israel or Gaza.”

This is, sadly, not an isolated experience. Many other members of the Hamilton Jewish community have written to me. And here is another one who just wrote to me today:

“I don’t know who to turn to and ask for help from. I heard my MPP publicly supports Hamas.

“The member of Parliament continuously notes the saddening impact this war that was brought on us has on the innocent Palestinian civilians who are being used as human shields by the terror organization of Hamas and deliberately neglects to mention any of the civilians who were actively targeted as valid targets by that same terror organization, later to be raped, butchered, beheaded and burned alive.

“Clearly, we, the Jewish-Israeli communities within Canada, have a lot to worry about and nobody to rely on.

“We are asking for your understanding and your support. We feel that our fundamental rights were taken away wholly: the right to practise our religion in the house of worship and send our children to school with no fear, the right to freedom, we are scared to wear Star of David necklaces, wearing ‘kippa’ ... on our heads or dress as some of our community usually do.

“We don’t know what to do if the hate is not addressed. It quickly became a big problem for peace of mind. It is not fair that children should stay home because of fear in a free country.”

It is shocking that Jewish people living in Hamilton Centre are afraid because of the violence incited by the statements and actions made by the member from Hamilton Centre. Words matter. Actions matter. And I’m proud that our government stands with them and they can rely on our side of the aisle for the support they so desperately need.

Hamas’s leaders recently declared that last Friday would be a global day of jihad—a day for Hamas supporters around the world to threaten Jews wherever they live, including here in Canada. Jews in Canada certainly got the message. People in my own riding of Oakville North–Burlington and across Ontario are terrified of unprovoked violence against them. They have had to remove the mezuzah from their doorstep. They have advised their children to hide their faith. They have been told to avoid places of worship for fear of aggression. In my riding, the Halton police have increased patrols around places of worship. They are afraid, and it is our duty as parliamentarians to advocate and protect them.

To those listening, I have a clear and resolute message for you: We stand with the people of Israel. We stand with the Jewish citizens in Ontario—so that all Ontarians can rely on this government to support you, irrespective of your race, faith or ethnicity.

And to the members opposite, I would like you to reflect on this message from Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Elie Wiesel: “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must—at that moment—become the centre of the universe.”

The truth is indisputable. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.

Let me repeat: We call on the Speaker to not recognize the member for Hamilton Centre in the House until the member reflects and then retracts her statements on social media and makes a heartfelt apology in her place in the House.

I was prepared to speak today about the particular motion in front of us, but I rise with a very heavy heart because of what happened before this debate took place today, and that is—folks, whether you’re Jewish or not Jewish, whether you’ve been to Israel or haven’t been to Israel, we saw a display in a democratic institution today where we could have upheld another democracy in this world, a democracy that stands for many human rights, stands for female leaders’ empowerment, stands up for LGBTQ rights, and instead, when the opposition had an opportunity to act democratically—as stated in the name “New Democratic Party”—they chose to do nothing.

We’ve seen history, time and time again, of governments who’ve done nothing, and we’ve seen at the end of that who suffers, and it has been the Jewish community time and time again. For those who’ve studied history, for those who are interested to learn more, we are all well aware of “none is too many.” Why is “none is too many” significant? Why is that phrase significant? There was a time when Canada could have done its part as a humanitarian leader in the world, and it did nothing. Instead, it turned a boat away and let future families, grandparents, children, people of all ages—it turned them away, deprived them from a free future here in Canada and ultimately sent them to their death.

Here today, we had an opportunity to rise above the noise, to stand up for democracy in this Legislature, and we had folks in this Legislature who did not do so. And as an individual who has fled different conflicts, whose family has fled different conflicts—we’ve all come here for a good reason: To provide voice to the voiceless, to provide both sides. We see many of that reflected in here. That wasn’t done today. It wasn’t reflecting a side; it was the status quo to just do nothing. That was a shame. I am very disappointed and very sad, and that’s why I do rise with a heavy heart.

This House today, for this motion, is seized with a grave issue. It has one of its members engaged in conduct so egregious that official censure is the only possible response. But that’s a question, Speaker: Is that the only possible response? This Assembly is meant to be a place for debate, for disagreement. Disagreements are expected, frankly. We’ve heard them many times. In fact, I think all parties and all members here welcome some of the disagreements. The bar for a censure motion, though, should be high, and it has been high. We do not make the decision to censure a member of this place lightly, nor should we support censure motions for frivolous or partisan reasons.

I’ve therefore approached my decision on this motion with the seriousness that it really deserves, and I have kept an open mind despite the vote that happened earlier today. I’ve read the statement from the member for Hamilton Centre several times, as hard as it was to read. I’ve also made note of her prior conduct, as well as her subsequent behaviour. I’ve observed first-hand the impacts her words and her actions have had on members of the Ontario Jewish community and the hurt that they felt. I fear for their safety. I’m following the debate in this place closely.

Speaker, when we think about the debate here and this democratic institution and the things we uphold, we uphold many rights. Many of those rights are codified in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that guarantees these fundamental rights. For example, a right that all of us represent as we get democratically elected is right number 2(a), “freedom of conscience and religion.” Many people from different parts of the world flee to Canada for this very coveted, respected part of our charter. When you contrast this charter that we have in our country, that all of us represent, with the Hamas charter, the Hamas charter does not give freedom of religion. It actually specifically calls out for the death of the Jewish people.

Let me quote you from the Islamic Resistance Movement, which is one of the links against the “Zionist invaders,” as you call them. This is translated from the original language, but the quote here is, “But the Jews will not be pleased with thee, neither the Christians, until thou follow their religion; say, the direction of Allah is the true direction. And verily if thou follow their desires, after the knowledge which hath been given thee, thou shalt find no patron or protector against Allah.” That’s their 120th verse.

This is the Islamic Resistance Movement, which is against one of the folks that we’re all talking about here when it comes to the conflict. They’re just invaders of the poor folks we talk about in Gaza and Palestine as they have been the invaders of what just recently happened with Israel.

But also look at section 2(b) of our charter, “freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication.” Speaker, Hamas has no freedom of press, no freedom of media or communication.

Then we have, in our charter, “freedom of peaceful assembly; and freedom of association.” We have democratic rights of citizens. Every citizen of Canada has the right to vote. We have set out maximum lengths for Parliament. But Hamas doesn’t have the right to vote for everyone.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights of life, liberty and security: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.”

Speaker, Hamas has no rights for the Jews, unlike Israel, which has rights for every minority that chooses Israel as the place of belonging and their home. In fact, Hamas’s charter specifically calls for the death of Jewish people. Let me quote from you their charter, “The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: ‘O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him.’”

They have the words “kill them” in their charter, Speaker. It’s unfathomable. I can’t stand up and vote for something that has “kill them,” no matter who it is. If it’s a Hindu, a Muslim, an Arab, a Jew, a Christian, I can’t support that. It explicitly says “kill them” in their charter. It’s a shame for anyone that could stand up and support such a thing, and certainly we don’t as Canadians. I hope we do not as Canadians, and I hope that the opposition proves me and others otherwise.

But those are the rights that we have in Canada that are not allotted to those who are represented by Hamas. My heart goes out to those individuals because not all of a them have the ability to democratically vote for their leadership and be able to vote a government like they have here, and that constitutes both the government and the opposition, and, frankly, any third-party members also who get elected.

But, Speaker, to jump ahead a little bit to my conclusion: After I’ve followed this debate intensely, read the comments that the member posted and I’ve come ahead to this conclusion: I believe the member’s conduct rises to such a level that a censure motion is the only acceptable response and I will, therefore, be supporting this motion and now will urge other members to do so. Let me tell you and let me set out my reasons.

Mr. Speaker, more Jews were killed in the Hamas attack on October 7 than any other day since the Holocaust. Of those who were slaughtered, six were Canadians, more remain kidnapped, and we pray for their safe return. We all saw photos. We all watched the videos. We heard the screams of young women being kidnapped, of children crying, of young women violated, of moms being dragged away, of parents remaining brave in the face of terror—and there’s so much horror that has occurred, I cannot read more as I won’t be able to keep it together.

But this affects us all in different ways. We all know how it affected the member for Hamilton Centre. With dead bodies still warm in the grave, the member issued a statement so heartless and vile that her own leader had to repudiate it, a statement that blamed the victim and repeated the blood libel. That statement continues to be at the very top of the member for Hamilton Centre’s social media page for all to read. She’s unapologetic. The statement is a window into her mind and into her heart, into what she really thinks about terrorism and feels about Jews like me.

Speaker, I will not dwell longer on bleak things. Instead, I’d like to spend a few minutes or two addressing a few of the factual claims that the member made in her statement that, I think, deserve a rebuttal. I will speak to them and speak to the failure of the leadership from the Leader of the Opposition.

In the impugned statement, the member called Israel an apartheid state. This is a serious charge. It is a reference to apartheid South Africa. In apartheid South Africa, people who weren’t white were denied the right to vote. They were forced into different schools. They were treated as second-class citizens. Canada, under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, was a global leader in the fight against apartheid South Africa. Later in life, the late Nelson Mandela came to Toronto when Mike Harris was Premier, and I was still in school then—to think that I was still in school then. Mike Harris met with Nelson Mandela, and Nelson Mandela came to thank Canadians for being a leader in the fight against apartheid.

The member’s charge that Israel is an apartheid state is meant to conjure up memories of South Africa under apartheid to emotionally manipulate us, except nothing about South Africa’s analogy applies to Israel. Israeli Arabs have the right to vote. Israeli Arabs serve in its Parliament. Israeli Arabs are full citizens, be they male or female or identify as anything else. In fact, an Arab Israeli has more democratic rights and protections than a citizen of Israel’s neighbours. Speaker, let me repeat that: An Arab Israeli has more democratic rights and protections than a citizen in most of Israel’s neighbouring countries. This is because, unlike many of its neighbours, Israel is a democracy.

I have tried to address the apartheid charge related to Arabs who live within Israel, but what about Gaza? What about the West Bank? What about the deplorable conditions under which they live? I care about them just as much as I care about the conditions of Jews and the conditions they live in in Israel. But Speaker, as for Gaza, Israel evacuated the Gaza Strip in 2005. Even though it’s fashionable to say Israel occupies Gaza, the reality is this hasn’t been true for decades.

Hamas won the election in 2006, and the first thing it did was violently eliminate its main opposition. Hamas hasn’t held elections since then. Instead, it has lined its pockets with humanitarian assistance that has gone into Gaza and launched terrorist attacks against Israel. As for the West Bank, it is mostly under the control of the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority leader is currently in the 18th year of what was supposed to be a four-year term, having repeatedly postponed elections.

Whatever this is, it is not Israeli apartheid. The member’s accusation that Israel is an apartheid state is an insult to the memories of those who suffered under apartheid in South Africa. It is also blood libel against the Jewish people. It is evidence of a new Jewish hate, a new anti-Semitism.

I’ll turn now to another part of the member’s statement. She accuses Israel of being a settler-colonist state. Ms. Speaker, when I first heard the words “settler colonialism,” it brought back memories to my university days. Though you should never ask a woman her age, my time in university is longer ago than I care to admit. But I remember one thing or two about academic jargon. As someone who came from the Soviet Union, I think of George Orwell, who wrote that some ideas are so dumb that only anyone with a PhD would believe them. This is the case with the term “settler colonialism.”

Settler colonialism is a term favoured by professors of decolonization studies and post-colonial studies. It’s very much academic jargon, but it is being abused and applied in the context of the Middle East. The question here is, is it properly being applied to what’s happening in the Middle East? The answer is no. Jews have been continuously present in the land of Israel since Biblical times. If people who have been there for millennia are settler colonialists, then the term “settler colonialism” has no meaning.

Let me put the question another way: If a Jew is a settler colonialist in the land of Israel, in what part of the world is he not or she not a settler? Where can she or he or they call home? Where do they come from?

I think we know the member for Hamilton Centre, and I know how they may answer. They would answer, “Nowhere.” They’d say that there’s “nowhere to go, nowhere to flee—from the river to the sea.” The settler-colonialist charge is bankrupt both intellectually and morally when you indicate things like “river to the sea.” To believe it, you either need to be a radical with tenure in a university humanities faculty, or someone with a two-digit IQ taking one of their classes.

I want to turn briefly to the Leader of the Opposition. Earlier this week, the Leader of the Opposition stood in this place and accused Israel of launching an air strike on a hospital in Gaza that killed hundreds of civilians. We now know this to have been disinformation—disinformation planted by Hamas and accepted uncritically by many different media outlets, spread and amplified by all opposition parties, spurring protests across the province. Now we know the truth. There was no air strike against the hospital. It was a Hamas rocket that failed to reach its intended target in Israel and instead landed in a hospital parking lot. Those deaths rest on the moral conscience of Hamas.

But has the Leader of the Opposition retracted her accusation that Israel launched an air strike against a hospital? Has she accepted the truth of the matter as confirmed yesterday by President Biden and a bipartisan group of American senators? Given that she rushed to accept the Hamas version of events, then spread it in this place, I believe she has a positive obligation to set the record straight—to correct the record, to tell us what she thinks. If she declines to do so, she’s allowing the blood libel that Jews launched an air strike against a hospital to spread yet further. She would be willing into existence the next “jet fuel can’t melt steel” conspiracy theory. Maybe this is her plan.

Increasingly, Mr. Speaker, I’m coming to think that the member for Hamilton Centre is not an outlier within the opposition. Maybe she may be part of its vanguard. Maybe the member for Hamilton Centre said what the opposition secretly believes to be true but are too politically astute enough not to admit it publicly. Perhaps the opposition all wish they could just wear their old university keffiyeh, find an old protest sign and join the rabble on the streets ranting and raving about Zionism every evening at 2 Bloor Street East.

Speaker, let me conclude by returning to the motion at hand, why the member for Hamilton Centre’s statement is so beyond the pale and why she must be censured. My sincere hope is that the Palestinians achieve peace with Israel. The member for Hamilton Centre wants the Palestinians to achieve peace instead of Israel. She wants peace that negates Israel’s very existence, but this is not peace. It is conquest—conquest from the river to the sea. This is why I’ll be voting to censure this member.

Further debate?

Further debate?

I’m here today to speak in favour of this motion and, more specifically, the sanctions to be brought against the member from Hamilton Centre.

Usually, it is my very great honour to have the opportunity to speak on a matter in the House, but sadly, I find there is limited honour in the actions from the member for Hamilton Centre. Specifically, utilizing her position to provide a statement inferring the mere existence of the State of Israel is the reason for thousands of rockets launched at civilians and the invasion of thousands of terrorists who killed, raped and kidnapped Israelis with no regard for the dignity of human life—it’s literally difficult to digest.

Life is complex, but the last week and a half has made me question humanity itself, when a member of this democratic House demonstrates the actions that make me question her position in this House. Perhaps we should go back to the events of October 7. We all went to bed that night not realizing that we would wake to the reality of terror and the nightmare of human slaughter in Israel—human slaughter that was tantamount to 9/11 and the Holocaust. It was unbearable to watch, surreal and disturbing.

It was Saturday, October 7 or, on the Jewish calendar, the 27 of Tishrei, the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret, with the evening of Simchat Torah, which marks the final day of the reading of the Torah. It’s a holy day, supposed to be a joyous occasion, one of the happiest holidays in the Jewish calendar, but as I turned on the television and scanned social media, we discovered that hundreds of young people’s lives were gone, brutally murdered at a music festival located in southern Israel, near the Gaza Strip. The lives were savagely taken by Hamas terrorists, and then families, including women and children, slaughtered in their own homes.

The videos on social media, visuals of inhumane atrocities: children dying; teenage girls being raped, dragged bruised and bloodied, pulled out of trucks; elderly people with dementia, patients who had no idea what was going on or why they were in pain; Holocaust survivors, people who had started their life in terror and now ended in terror as well. Hamas’s attack on Israel was the worst Jewish casualty since the Holocaust. Currently there are over 1,400 Israelis murdered, including six Canadians; 3,000 injured; and over 200 people still held hostage, and we do not know if we will ever see them again. It was horrific, it was inhumane, and it was despicable.

I spent the rest of that day with my neighbours, with members of my community and with my children. I sat in a living room and watched the news as Israeli Canadian reservists who were in Thornhill tried to figure out a way back, to go across the globe and serve their community. These boys are only a few years older than my son, and we were in that living room with them. We listened to them preparing to defend the democratic Israel.

I will say this: There can be no question or confusion; Israel has a right to defend itself and its people in an unprovoked attack. The member from Hamilton Centre used her platform in a way by inferring in the heinous behaviour of Hamas, making the victims and surviving friends somehow responsible for their own tragic fate. The member’s statement was and is offensive and unbecoming of an MPP, but I will continue on with my journey through my community.

That night, I visited the congregation and families of the Chabad Russian Center of Thornhill Woods, where I was greeted by Rabbi Hildeshaim and his wife, Chanie. We celebrated Simchat Torah, the end of the reading of the Torah. At that time, many Orthodox Jews who did not use technology were not even aware of what was happening, not directly. They hadn’t opened up their phones; they’re observant. But rumours had begun to circulate. It was sickening for them to think about what their friends and family members were experiencing in Israel.

Although they were deflated, their spirit was not broken. The rabbi’s wife, Chanie, and I had a brief conversation. She reminded me that we had to lift ourselves above everything that had happened and celebrate regardless. Chanie’s a strong woman, and at any other gathering we would be laughing and perhaps even baking, and I’m thankful for her company and her guidance. Just like everyone else in that room, part of her heart and many of her family members are in Israel.

The following day, I travelled to the BAYT, which is the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto, which is the largest Orthodox synagogue in Canada. Rabbi Korobkin is their stoic leader and just about everyone in his purview has deep ties to Israel. Many of the congregants are dual citizens. Like many members of this House, I represent a community of diversity. Many members of the Thornhill community have a heart that lives not only in Thornhill but also Israel. This connection could also extend to another home in Israel and very close family ties: brothers, sisters, children. And like my son’s friend, many of our Thornhill youth were at that same moment planning to go back to Israel to protect Israel, to fight for democracy and protect its people, who include all spectrums of religions.

In the Knesset, the Israeli legislative assembly, Israeli Arabs sit. Israeli Arabs also sit on the Supreme Court. Israeli Arabs are doctors and professors in every capacity. Full rights: That’s Israel and that’s democracy, and not the depiction painted by the member from Hamilton Centre, that of an apartheid state. So this is hurtful behaviour and unfortunately demonstrates and underscores the pervasive anti-Semitic culture that our government is seeking to stamp out. How was this possible, and how do we live in a world that would perpetrate such evil—an unprovoked attack on Israel.

The member from Hamilton Centre’s statement went far beyond inappropriate. It was hurtful and not of a standard that you’d expect in this House. And I’m sure many of the members of my community would find it extremely hurtful. By this and previous actions, this member is simply not acceptable in this House.

Let’s continue on with the events following October 7 in my community of Thornhill. I then went over to Chabad Flamingo. The Flamingo is a very large congregation with very similar ties to Israel. I attempted to console the people and spoke with their passionate leader, Rabbi Kaplan, who led the congregation in prayer and support. We were deflated. We were shocked.

I also travelled over to visit my friends at the Jewish Russian Community Centre, led by Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman. They, too, were in prayer mode. The rabbi’s daughter was in Israel, and I chatted with the congregants, who so desperately wanted to help their friends and people in Israel. They were making plans to bring supplies for those in need, including emergency food, essential supplies, trauma support, with all supplies to be shipped to Israel.

Last Thursday night, I visited Chabad Lubavitch at 770 Chabad Gate. This is a special place for our community. The address is significant because it represents 770, which is the street address of the world headquarters of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, and that’s located in Brooklyn, New York. The building in Thornhill is significant because it’s considered by many to be an iconic site in Judaism.

Chabad Gate is adjacent to a strip mall that has been riddled with hateful, anti-Semitic incidents for so many years. In fact, another hateful act just happened last weekend. The peaceable business owners have been harassed by destructive, anti-Semitic behaviour for years—having to face this consistently and stopping businesses in that area from functioning on their busiest day, which is Friday, the day right before Sabbath. It’s hateful, it’s sad, and it’s anti-Semitic. And it’s this kind of hateful behaviour and rhetoric that is undeserved—as well as the comments made by the member from Hamilton Centre.

I went into the Chabad Lubavitch and joined their evening session, as beautiful children played around the adults, as we prayed for the souls of those who had been lost in Israel. Rabbi Spalter, also a strong leader, leads his flock with great care and love. He was there with Rabbi Itchy Grossbaum—or Rabbi Itchy, as I call him—a kind leader with an ever-expanding family. I sat with the congregation as family member after family member came up and talked about life’s blessings and their family members who were either about to serve or already serving in the Israeli defence effort, protecting the democratic nation of Israel for their future and, more importantly, those family members ahead of them.

In the words of Golda Meir, “If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel.”

My own rabbi has said that when he now speaks to congregants, he looks to the entrances and exits, and there’s a little bit of fear and caution. And these were words he said to me prior to October 7.

I’ve spoken to countless constituents, each with a connection to the terror. Last week, I called on a constituent who runs a remarkable not-for-profit, only to hear a very sad and crying person on the other side of the telephone. She advised that a family member was one of those held hostage by Hamas, and she also had countless family members in Israel who had been under siege.

I grew up locally. Many of my friends and I went to York University. It was close by and safe, and it offered a variety of courses. I loved campus life.

Many years later, we were delighted when my oldest chose York. It was close by—but at what cost?

When you’re a Jewish student on campus at York, you learn very quickly that there are forces around you that will make you feel uncomfortable about your Jewish identity. The BDS movement is a prime factor. I’ve heard this on countless occasions from constituents. It’s consistent. Specific student unions don’t make the Jewish students feel very welcome, and it’s very sad in a community of learning and vibrancy. I remember a few years ago when a Jewish student group was holding a small Israeli event at York University and there were protesters outside. That protest turned a little upsetting as a parent. A group of student union protesters had gathered in the area outside the room and the Jewish students were locked inside. My child was on campus that night, and that was a very scary night. She wasn’t picking up her phone. I was relieved when I was able to get through to her, but that was hard. What I faced until I could get through to her pales in comparison with what some parents in Israel are feeling right now, knowing their sons and their daughters are held hostage by terrorists.

Over the weekend, the family of a Canadian Israeli woman who was missing since Hamas terrorists ambushed a music festival in southern Israel learned that she had died. Her name was Shir Georgy. She was only 22.

Canadian Ben Mizrachi was one of at least 260 people gunned down by Hamas at the music festival in southern Israel—also only 22 years old, so young.

Canadian Israeli Adi Vital-Kaploun, 33, was killed by Hamas terrorists in her kibbutz near the Israeli border within Gaza. Vital-Kaploun’s family said she died a hero after convincing her killers to spare her two young children and warning her father and husband to stay hiding during the attack.

Alexandre Look, who recently celebrated his 33rd birthday, was also among those killed while attending the musical festival. Alexandre Look, who lived in Montreal, died a hero. His dad said in a Facebook post on Monday that he found refuge with 30 other people in a bomb shelter without a door and he used his body to barricade that entrance.

The pain and the loss of not just Israeli blood, but also Canadian and, yes, innocent Palestinians is unsurmountable. Throughout its 75-year history, Israel has demonstrated endless strength and resilience, yet the member from Hamilton Centre states—and I’m quoting from her post, because, like my friend, we want to get this post information very clearly set out. This was her statement: “For 75 years, violence and retaliation rooted in settler colonialism have taken the lives of far too many innocent people.”

By all accounts, the loss of lives that happened on October 7 was the result of and directly related to the actions of Hamas, a terrorist organization, full stop. As we look to our local communities over the course of the last week, and as I reflect, I received countless calls from concerned parents and scared York University students who face the BDS movement, harassed by organizations that uphold values that are not inclusive, divisive behaviour—so very sad for our humanity—and a joint statement from three student unions that support a recognized terrorist organization, promoting and glorifying violence against innocent Israeli citizens.

This statement failed to acknowledge the death toll of those who have been savagely taken. This is unacceptable and must not be tolerated. The glorification of a murderous terrorist group that has butchered innocent lives is vile. We don’t expect any member of this House, regardless of the side they sit on, to justify terrorist attacks on thousands of innocent Israeli lives. An apology was eventually provided by the member for Hamilton Centre, but how does the saying go? When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.

In the last several days we’ve seen hate rallies celebrating the kidnapping and slaughtering of innocent Israeli people. That, too, is very difficult to watch. Our friends at the Israeli consulate now suffer undeservedly with nightly demonstrations. To quote our Premier, “These hate rallies are another painful reminder of work left to do to stamp out anti-Semitism once and for all.... These rallies have no place here in Ontario,” or Canada.

As a parent, I’m grateful to the Minister of Education for implementing mandatory Holocaust education in schools. As Winston Churchill used to say, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” No matter the origin, the sentiments are eternal. We are destined to repeat the past if we do not learn from it.

Right now I’m grateful for many things in my community. I’m grateful for the extraordinary leadership in Thornhill and that our Premier denounced this act of terrorism, because, quite simply, it was the right thing to do. I’m thankful for my colleagues who periodically check in with me and ask about the people in my riding, providing support and compassion for a bleeding community.

And I’m thankful for the support of our amazing York Regional Police professionals, who have made us feel safer during these very difficult times. I’m very cognizant of the combined effort of the GTA police forces, including Durham, Toronto and the OPP, who are working around the clock for our community while my community is challenged by unprovoked hate.

And I want to thank the Premier for his powerful speech in support of Israel at Mel Lastman Square. There were 1,500 people gathered in Mel Lastman Square, members of every community, not just those of the Jewish faith, and I was proud to stand beside so many of my caucus colleagues shoulder to shoulder in support of this cause—municipal, provincial and federal.

There were so many local efforts that should not go unnoticed. When a cargo plane was scheduled to leave Canada for Israel, our community stepped up. As far as the eye could see, there were drop-off locations for supplies. People streamed in. They gave what they could. That cargo plane left loaded. Thornhill sent its most valuable cargo, our children, to travel back to Israel and protect democracy. There was an anonymous man who stood at the airport and paid for tickets for any reservist that was flying back to Israel to serve. He bought 250 tickets. People coming together and caring for one another—I’m seeing it now, light through darkness.

Last week, we witnessed a day of rage where there was a call for violence against the Jewish people globally, and my community, already wrapped in fear, who are very mindful and cognizant of the Holocaust and the Jewish community realized that “never again” is happening now. The painful lessons of history weigh so heavy on us, and I’m mindful of the innocent Palestinians caught in a desperate situation with Hamas using them as human shields—no respect for humanity, dignity or life.

I support this motion, as I am mindful that the member from Hamilton Centre has a history of destructive social media postings. In a previously deleted post, prior to being elected, the member from Hamilton Centre’s postings included one where she said that police across this province kill babies. I quote her from her post: “Police in Ontario have a record of arbitrarily killing babies, Black, Indigenous, racialized, disabled civilians (many of whom are Muslim) & those who are in crisis.” This tweet was deleted, by the way.

This is dangerous territory for an elected member to display, and a modicum of decorum is lacking at the very least. When this information is combined with others along with the motion presently in question, there can be no doubt in my mind that the member lacks suitability in her role. I wholeheartedly support this motion in favour of censure against the member from Hamilton Centre. Her anti-Semitic ideology, whether intentional or not, in this war only feeds the fire, and it is comparable to pouring gasoline to wildfire, wreaking havoc on the ideology of democracy in this House.

I want to thank every member for their contributions.

Further debate.