Canada to make special envoy on antisemitism a permanent post, Trudeau says
Wed., October 13, 2021,
OTTAWA — Canada will develop a national plan to combat hate with the help of its special envoy for preserving Holocaust remembrance and fighting antisemitism.
The Liberal government will also make the special envoy role permanent, and bolster the position with more resources.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced plans to further the fight against antisemitism and all forms of hate in a virtual appearance at the Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism.
"We need to attack directly the problem of antisemitism with increased urgency and focus all together, because antisemitism isn't a problem for the Jewish community to solve alone," Trudeau told the forum Wednesday.
"It's everyone's challenge to take on, especially governments."
COLTER DEFINES BDS AS ANTISEMITIC
Former justice minister Irwin Cotler was appointed envoy in November 2020 to advance Holocaust education and fight domestic and global antisemitism.
Cotler was part of the Canadian delegation at the forum, and said Canada's national plan is a necessary step in joining Jews in the fight against antisemitism.
"This is central to the building of a democratic culture as well as the promotion and protection of human rights and human dignity," he said in a statement.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs has been advocating for Cotler's role to be made permanent for several years. The group is the advocacy agent of the Jewish Federations of Canada.
"We are pleased to see that the government has heeded our advice, and we thank them for being our allies in the fight against the scourge of antisemitism," association president Shimon Koffler Fogel said in a statement Wednesday.
B'nai Brith Canada, a Jewish human rights organization, says it recorded 2,610 antisemitic incidents last year, the fifth consecutive record-setting year for reports of antisemitism in Canada.
Trudeau told the forum he was deeply concerned about a surge of antisemitism in Canada and abroad, and called it "the canary in the coal mine of evil."
"We've seen so many different radical, extremist groups of various types lashing out at so many different things," he said. "One of the few common things so many of them have is an acceptance of antisemitic stereotypes and tropes that slip into their discourse and that they build so much of their other hatred on."
In July, the federal government hosted a national antisemitism summit where Cotler proposed ideas to fight the phenomenon. The suggestions included more resources for Holocaust and antisemitism education as well as enhanced security and protection for Jewish institutions such as synagogues, schools, community centres and memorial sites.
On Wednesday, Trudeau promised to work with Jewish communities to develop a national plan.
B'nai Brith Canada said it looks forward to helping the government.
"We view this as a true affirmation that the government will not allow the haters to continue to spew their venom," said Marvin Rotrand, national director of B’nai Brith’s League for Human Rights.
Trudeau also urged other governments to adopt the definition of antisemitism put forward by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, as Canada did in 2019.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2021.
— With files from Maan Alhmidi
Laura Osman, The Canadian Press
Former justice minister Irwin Cotler was appointed envoy in November 2020 to advance Holocaust education and fight domestic and global antisemitism.
Cotler was part of the Canadian delegation at the forum, and said Canada's national plan is a necessary step in joining Jews in the fight against antisemitism.
"This is central to the building of a democratic culture as well as the promotion and protection of human rights and human dignity," he said in a statement.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs has been advocating for Cotler's role to be made permanent for several years. The group is the advocacy agent of the Jewish Federations of Canada.
"We are pleased to see that the government has heeded our advice, and we thank them for being our allies in the fight against the scourge of antisemitism," association president Shimon Koffler Fogel said in a statement Wednesday.
B'nai Brith Canada, a Jewish human rights organization, says it recorded 2,610 antisemitic incidents last year, the fifth consecutive record-setting year for reports of antisemitism in Canada.
Trudeau told the forum he was deeply concerned about a surge of antisemitism in Canada and abroad, and called it "the canary in the coal mine of evil."
"We've seen so many different radical, extremist groups of various types lashing out at so many different things," he said. "One of the few common things so many of them have is an acceptance of antisemitic stereotypes and tropes that slip into their discourse and that they build so much of their other hatred on."
In July, the federal government hosted a national antisemitism summit where Cotler proposed ideas to fight the phenomenon. The suggestions included more resources for Holocaust and antisemitism education as well as enhanced security and protection for Jewish institutions such as synagogues, schools, community centres and memorial sites.
On Wednesday, Trudeau promised to work with Jewish communities to develop a national plan.
B'nai Brith Canada said it looks forward to helping the government.
"We view this as a true affirmation that the government will not allow the haters to continue to spew their venom," said Marvin Rotrand, national director of B’nai Brith’s League for Human Rights.
Trudeau also urged other governments to adopt the definition of antisemitism put forward by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, as Canada did in 2019.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2021.
— With files from Maan Alhmidi
Laura Osman, The Canadian Press
Holocaust forum looks at social media's role in antisemitism
Wed., October 13, 2021, 12:43 p.m.·3 min read
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Participants at a Holocaust remembrance conference in Sweden blamed social media Wednesday for contributing to a global rise in antisemitism, while YouTube and Facebook officials pledged to be part of the solution.
Government and social media representatives attending the International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance in Malmo vowed to crack down on hate speech, disinformation and the denial of facts both online and off. Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said the company is “now removing 15 times more hate speech than we were just five years ago. And we are not going to stop.”
The head of the European Union's executive arm, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called Holocaust denial and antisemitism “a threat to Jewish people, but it is also a poison for our democracies, our values and our open societies.”
From Brussels, von der Leyen said the 27-nation EU plans to create “a network of young European ambassadors for Holocaust remembrance." She added: "Who is in a better position to teach the lessons of the Shoah to their peers than our young?”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States was allocating $1 million to counter online antisemitic hate speech in the Mideast and North Africa. Washington also has started “an expanded series of international visitor leadership programs" to confront Holocaust distortion and antisemitism in North Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America, he said.
“Our priorities include condemning and countering antisemitism, ensuring physical security for Jewish communities, supporting Holocaust education, especially for young people, protecting religious freedom and urging countries to commit more deeply to the fight against hate speech online,” Blinken said in a video message.
Pedro Pina, head of YouTube in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, said the video sharing platform owned by Google pledged more than 5 million euros ($5.8 million).
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, the event's host, said other pledges included new memorial sites, museums and educational programs dedicated to preserving the history of the Holocaust and the mass killings of Roma. And he said the one-day conference was “by no means the end of the road."
“On the contrary, this is a powerful relaunch of the work to combat antisemitism, anti Roma-ism and other forms of racism,” Lofven said." The real work starts now. It’s now that our pledges must be turned into concrete action.”
Presidents Isaac Herzog of Israel and Emmanuel Macron of France participated remotely, with the latter addressing the assembly in a prerecorded video message.
The first International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance was held in Stockholm in 2000. International leaders urged all countries at the time to open secret government files on Nazi Germany's extermination campaign, a genocide that killed 6 million European Jews.
Ronald Lauder, the president of the World Jewish Congress, said during a news conference Wednesday that Jewish organizations "want governments to start making laws against putting hate on the internet."
“We will fight and fight that struggle, and we’re not to be silenced," Lauder said. "Silence is what makes antisemitism grow.”
Jan M. Olsen, The Associated Press
Wed., October 13, 2021, 12:43 p.m.·3 min read
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Participants at a Holocaust remembrance conference in Sweden blamed social media Wednesday for contributing to a global rise in antisemitism, while YouTube and Facebook officials pledged to be part of the solution.
Government and social media representatives attending the International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance in Malmo vowed to crack down on hate speech, disinformation and the denial of facts both online and off. Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said the company is “now removing 15 times more hate speech than we were just five years ago. And we are not going to stop.”
The head of the European Union's executive arm, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called Holocaust denial and antisemitism “a threat to Jewish people, but it is also a poison for our democracies, our values and our open societies.”
From Brussels, von der Leyen said the 27-nation EU plans to create “a network of young European ambassadors for Holocaust remembrance." She added: "Who is in a better position to teach the lessons of the Shoah to their peers than our young?”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States was allocating $1 million to counter online antisemitic hate speech in the Mideast and North Africa. Washington also has started “an expanded series of international visitor leadership programs" to confront Holocaust distortion and antisemitism in North Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America, he said.
“Our priorities include condemning and countering antisemitism, ensuring physical security for Jewish communities, supporting Holocaust education, especially for young people, protecting religious freedom and urging countries to commit more deeply to the fight against hate speech online,” Blinken said in a video message.
Pedro Pina, head of YouTube in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, said the video sharing platform owned by Google pledged more than 5 million euros ($5.8 million).
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, the event's host, said other pledges included new memorial sites, museums and educational programs dedicated to preserving the history of the Holocaust and the mass killings of Roma. And he said the one-day conference was “by no means the end of the road."
“On the contrary, this is a powerful relaunch of the work to combat antisemitism, anti Roma-ism and other forms of racism,” Lofven said." The real work starts now. It’s now that our pledges must be turned into concrete action.”
Presidents Isaac Herzog of Israel and Emmanuel Macron of France participated remotely, with the latter addressing the assembly in a prerecorded video message.
The first International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance was held in Stockholm in 2000. International leaders urged all countries at the time to open secret government files on Nazi Germany's extermination campaign, a genocide that killed 6 million European Jews.
Ronald Lauder, the president of the World Jewish Congress, said during a news conference Wednesday that Jewish organizations "want governments to start making laws against putting hate on the internet."
“We will fight and fight that struggle, and we’re not to be silenced," Lauder said. "Silence is what makes antisemitism grow.”
Jan M. Olsen, The Associated Press
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