Latest news with #CIJA


Toronto Sun
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Public safety minister urged to take domestic threats from Iran seriously
CIJA calling on Anandasangaree to prevent further infiltration by Iranian agents, ban glorification of terror Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Photo by Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA — Calls are growing for Canada to start taking the threat posed by Iran seriously. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Among them is the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, which is urging Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree to secure Canada from further infiltration by Iranian agents and agitators and to ban the glorification of terror in Canada. 'It's really important that while things seem to be wrapping up with a ceasefire in terms of the current hostilities between Israel, the United States and Iran, that Canadians understand that the threat from Iran extends beyond its nuclear and missile programs,' said CIJA interim president Noah Shack. '(Iran's) export of terrorism endangers global security and puts Canadians at risk, both abroad and here at home, and there are real public safety concerns in Canada when it comes to the Iranian regime that are in sharp relief right now.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Former federal justice minister Irwin Cotler — himself the subject of a foiled Iranian assassination plot — told The Globe and Mail this week he fears the Iranian regime may have activated 'sleeper cells' to carry out acts of violence within Canada. Previous news reports have suggested that as many as 700 people affiliated with the Iranian government or Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may be in Canada. That also includes Iran's funding of terrorist groups worldwide, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestinian terrorists such as Hamas, as well as indications of Iranian money funding far-left and extremist pro-Palestinian groups in Canada. RECOMMENDED VIDEO While flags of the Iranian regime are common sights at Canada's anti-Israel rallies, last weekend's pro-Iran demonstration in downtown Toronto — sponsored and/or supported by public service unions like CUPE and OPSEU — featured troubling language from participants, ranging from flags and signs supporting the continued attacks and eventual destruction of Israel to people holding photos of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'If I were a member of one of these unions, I'd be asking some tough questions — is my union representing my interests or are they standing up for a vile, theocratic dictatorship that brutally oppresses its own people while spreading death and destruction around the world?' Shack said. 'There's an urgent need for a gut check about who's leading these unions and what are they doing to actually represent their members.' bpassifiume@ X: @bryanpassifiume Read More Toronto Blue Jays Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA NHL World

Globe and Mail
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Canada's UN vote on Israel criticized as departure from past position
Canada joined 148 other countries in voting in favour of a United Nations resolution that calls for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza, despite opposition to the motion from the U.S. and Israel. The vote Thursday took place days after Ottawa imposed sanctions against two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers for 'inciting violence against Palestinians' in the West Bank, in a rare rebuke to an allied country. It's another example of how Canada's policy toward Israel appears to be shifting under Prime Minister Mark Carney, who took office in March. A major Jewish-Canadian lobby group condemned the Canadian government's vote, saying it marked a significant departure from Ottawa's previous position at the United Nations. 'The resolution makes no demand for Hamas to disarm or be excluded from Gaza's future. It ignores Israel's right to self-defence, dismisses its legitimate security concerns, and says nothing of the existential threat posed by a genocidal terrorist group,' the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) noted in a statement. CIJA noted that last September, when Justin Trudeau was still prime minister, Canada abstained from a similar UN resolution vote on the grounds, according to the Department of Global Affairs, that Canada could not 'support a resolution where one party, the state of Israel, is held solely responsible for the conflict.' The Jewish-Canadian group argued that Canada's vote will only embolden Hamas, the Palestinian militant group fighting Israel. Hamas is designated as a terrorist group by Ottawa. Canada, Western allies sanction two Israeli lawmakers for incitement of 'extremist violence' The resolution also called for the release of all hostages held by Hamas, and unrestricted access for the delivery of desperately needed food to 2 million Palestinians. The vote in the 193-member General Assembly was 149-12, with 19 abstentions. Speaking before the vote, Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon vehemently opposed the resolution. He denied that Israel was using starvation as a weapon of war, calling the accusation 'blood libel,' and insisted that aid is being delivered. Experts and human-rights workers say hunger is widespread in Gaza and that Palestinians are at risk of famine if Israel does not fully lift its blockade and halt its military campaign, which it renewed in March after ending a ceasefire with Hamas. Ottawa did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bob Rae, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations in New York, told the General Assembly Thursday that the Canadian government 'profoundly regrets' that the resolution 'does not with explicit language, condemn Hamas's horrific terrorist attacks on October the 7th, 2023, in which over 1,200 people were killed' in Israel. He said Hamas's taking of hostages, 'many of whom were killed, still remain in captivity, and is entirely unacceptable to us and frankly, I think, to this assembly.' Mr. Rae said he is sorry that an amendment could not be made to the resolution, adding that Canada continues to condemn Hamas and 'it is clear that Hamas must disarm and that the organization cannot have any role to play in the future governance of Gaza.' Thursday's vote also comes ahead of a UN conference next week that aims to reinvigorate an international push for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. The United States has urged countries not to attend. NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson said voting for the resolution is the 'bare minimum' Canada should be doing to help Gaza. She said Ottawa should be suspending its free-trade agreement with Israel, take more action to end all weapons trade with Israel and recognize the state of Palestine. Asked about the criticism of the Canadian government from CIJA, Ms. McPherson said the group 'seems very out of touch' on some things. 'There are children that are dying right now of hunger.' With reports from the Associated Press and Reuters


CBC
09-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
National Holocaust Memorial in Ottawa defaced with 'feed me' graffiti
Social Sharing The Ottawa Police Service's hate and bias crime unit is investigating after the National Holocaust Monument was defaced with red paint, officers at the scene told CBC on Monday. The concrete memorial on the Kichi Zibi Mikan near Lebreton Flats was found splashed with red paint on Monday morning, including the words "feed me" painted in capital letters. Cleaning crews from the National Capital Commission, which manages the monument, were removing the paint with pressure washers. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), a Jewish Zionist lobby group, called the graffiti vile and antisemitic. "Since October 7, Canada's Jewish community has been under siege — and too often, we're told this isn't about Jews, it's about Israel. But this? This doesn't feel like it's about Israel," CIJA's media director Nicole Amiel wrote in an email, referencing the 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. It is not known who defaced the monument or why, but the slogan appeared to be a reference to Gaza, which the United Nations on Friday described as the "hungriest place on Earth". Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told reporters in Geneva that Gaza is the only defined territory in the world where the entire population of two million people is at risk of famine. "The aid operation that we have ready to roll is being put in an operational straitjacket that makes it one of the most obstructed aid operations, not only in the world today, but in recent history," he said. The UN and its partners have "tens of thousands of pallets of food and other life-saving assistance" ready to enter Gaza, but only a "trickle" has been allowed to enter, Laerke said. "The aid has been paid for by the world's donors, who expect us on their behalf to deliver it. It is cleared for customs, it is approved and it's ready to move," he said. 'Disgusting and cowardly' Ottawa Centre MP Yasir Naqvi called the defacement of the Holocaust memorial "a disgraceful, antisemitic act of vandalism." In a post on social media, he wrote: "The National Holocaust Monument honours the memory of six million Jews and all victims of Nazi atrocities. Defacing it is not protest — it is hate, and I condemn it." Conservative co-deputy leader Melissa Lantsman called the defacement a "disgusting and cowardly act." Posting online, she wrote: "Parliament is just steps away — that's where dissent belongs. Defacing sacred ground in honour of the millions of victims of the Holocaust in the middle of the night with spray paint isn't protest, it's vandalism. Someone this pathetic deserves to be identified and held accountable."


CTV News
05-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Body of Israeli-Canadian Judih Weinstein held by Hamas recovered
This undated photo provided by Hostage's Family Forum shows Israeli hostage Judih Weinstein and Gad Haggai, whose bodies have been recovered from Gaza by Israeli security forces. (Hostage's Family Forum via AP) OTTAWA -- Israel has recovered the bodies of two hostages taken in Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war in the Gaza Strip, including one Canadian citizen. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the remains of Judih Weinstein and Gad Haggai were recovered and returned to Israel in a special operation by the army and the Shin Bet internal security agency. 'Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the dear families. Our hearts ache for the most terrible loss. May their memory be blessed,' he said in a media statement. Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small community near the Gaza border, announced in December 2023 the deaths of Weinstein, 70, and Haggai, 72, both of whom had Israeli and U.S. citizenship. Weinstein was also a Canadian citizen. Iddo Moed, Israel's ambassador to Canada, said in a social media statement that this is a 'painful moment that brings closure to the family.' 'We will not rest until all remaining 56 hostage are back home,' Moed said. Noah Shack, interim president of the Canadian Jewish advocacy organization CIJA, said their hearts are with Weinstein and Haggai's children and grandchildren. 'Judih embodied the very best of Canada and Israel. An educator for children with special needs and a passionate peacebuilder, she dedicated her life to coexistence -- teaching meditation to both Palestinian and Israeli children. She didn't just believe in peace; she lived it,' Shack said in a media statement. The military said the two were killed in the Oct. 7 attack and taken into Gaza by the Mujahideen Brigades, the small armed group the military said also abducted and killed Shiri Bibas and her two small children. The army said it recovered the remains of Weinstein and Haggai overnight into Thursday from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. The couple were taking an early morning walk near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of Oct. 7 when Hamas militants stormed across the border and rampaged through several army bases and farming communities. In the early hours of the morning, Weinstein was able to call emergency services to let them know that both she and her husband had been shot, and to send a message to her family. Weinstein was born in New York and taught English to children with special needs at Kibbutz Nir Oz. The kibbutz said she also taught meditation techniques to children and teenagers who suffered from anxiety as a result of rocket fire from Gaza. Haggai was a retired chef and jazz musician. 'My beautiful parents have been freed. We have certainty,' their daughter, Iris Haggai Liniado, wrote in a Facebook post. She thanked the Israeli military, the FBI and the Israeli and U.S. governments and called for the release of all the remaining hostages. The couple were survived by two sons and two daughters and seven grandchildren, the kibbutz said. At least 10 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes in Khan Younis overnight, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies. It was not immediately clear if the strikes were related to the recovery mission. In Gaza City, three local reporters were killed and six people were wounded in a strike on the courtyard of the al-Ahli Hospital, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It did not immediately identify the journalists or say which outlets they worked for. The Israeli military said it was looking into reports on the strike at al-Ahli. The army says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it is embedded in populated areas. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages. They are still holding 56 hostages -- around a third of them believed to be alive -- after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages from Gaza and recovered dozens of bodies. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The offensive has destroyed large parts of Gaza and displaced around 90 per cent of its population of roughly 2 million Palestinians. The United States, Egypt and Qatar have been trying to broker another ceasefire and hostage release after Israel ended an earlier truce in March and imposed a blockade that has raised fears of famine, despite being eased in recent weeks. But the talks appear to be deadlocked. Hamas says it will only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. It has offered to hand over power to a politically independent Palestinian committee. Netanyahu has rejected those terms, saying Israel will only agree to temporary ceasefires to facilitate the return of hostages. He has vowed to continue the war until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. He has said Israel will maintain control over Gaza indefinitely and will facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of its population to other countries. The Palestinians and much of the international community have rejected such plans, viewing them as forcible expulsion that could violate international law. -- With files from The Associated Press David Baxter, The Canadian Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025.


Global News
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Body of Canadian killed in Hamas attack recovered, Israel PM says
Israel has recovered the bodies of two hostages taken in Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack that ignited the conflict in the Gaza Strip, including one Canadian citizen. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the remains of Judih Weinstein and Gad Haggai were recovered and returned to Israel in a special operation by the army and the Shin Bet internal security agency. 'Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the dear families. Our hearts ache for the most terrible loss. May their memory be blessed,' he said in a media statement. Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small community near the Gaza border, announced in December 2023 the deaths of Weinstein, 70, and Haggai, 72, both of whom had Israeli and U.S. citizenship. Weinstein was also a Canadian citizen. Story continues below advertisement Iddo Moed, Israel's ambassador to Canada, said in a social media statement that this is a 'painful moment that brings closure to the family.' 'We will not rest until all remaining 56 hostage are back home,' Moed said. Noah Shack, interim president of the Canadian Jewish advocacy organization CIJA, said their hearts are with Weinstein and Haggai's children and grandchildren. 2:28 Israel-Hamas: Family of Judih Weinstein Haggai recalls peaceful nature, poetry 'Judih embodied the very best of Canada and Israel. An educator for children with special needs and a passionate peacebuilder, she dedicated her life to coexistence — teaching meditation to both Palestinian and Israeli children. She didn't just believe in peace; she lived it,' Shack said in a media statement. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The military said the two were killed in the Oct. 7 attack and taken into Gaza by the Mujahideen Brigades, the small armed group the military said also abducted and killed Shiri Bibas and her two small children. Story continues below advertisement The army said it recovered the remains of Weinstein and Haggai overnight into Thursday from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. The couple were taking an early morning walk near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of Oct. 7 when Hamas militants stormed across the border and rampaged through several army bases and farming communities. In the early hours of the morning, Weinstein was able to call emergency services to let them know that both she and her husband had been shot, and to send a message to her family. Weinstein was born in New York and taught English to children with special needs at Kibbutz Nir Oz. The kibbutz said she also taught meditation techniques to children and teenagers who suffered from anxiety as a result of rocket fire from Gaza. Haggai was a retired chef and jazz musician. 'My beautiful parents have been freed. We have certainty,' their daughter, Iris Haggai Liniado, wrote in a Facebook post. She thanked the Israeli military, the FBI and the Israeli and U.S. governments and called for the release of all the remaining hostages. The couple were survived by two sons and two daughters and seven grandchildren, the kibbutz said. 2:29 Israel-Hamas: Families remember victims of Oct. 7 attack At least 10 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes in Khan Younis overnight, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies. It was not immediately clear if the strikes were related to the recovery mission. Story continues below advertisement In Gaza City, three local reporters were killed and six people were wounded in a strike on the courtyard of the al-Ahli Hospital, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It did not immediately identify the journalists or say which outlets they worked for. The Israeli military said it was looking into reports on the strike at al-Ahli. The army says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it is embedded in populated areas. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages. They are still holding 56 hostages — around a third of them believed to be alive — after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages from Gaza and recovered dozens of bodies. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The offensive has destroyed large parts of Gaza and displaced around 90 per cent of its population of roughly two million Palestinians. The United States, Egypt and Qatar have been trying to broker another ceasefire and hostage release after Israel ended an earlier truce in March and imposed a blockade that has raised fears of famine, despite being eased in recent weeks. But the talks appear to be deadlocked. Story continues below advertisement Hamas says it will only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. It has offered to hand over power to a politically independent Palestinian committee. Netanyahu has rejected those terms, saying Israel will only agree to temporary ceasefires to facilitate the return of hostages. He has vowed to continue the conflict until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. He has said Israel will maintain control over Gaza indefinitely and will facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of its population to other countries. The Palestinians and much of the international community have rejected such plans, viewing them as forcible expulsion that could violate international law. — With files from The Associated Press