A TALE OF TWO MAYORS
Edmonton mayor’s social media post on Middle East violence leads to debate
A 2019 file photo of Amarjeet Sohi.
Asocial media post from Edmonton's mayor about the ongoing violence in the Middle East this weekend has drawn sharp criticism as well as support.
"When events unfold across the globe, they can have a deep impact on people who live in our city," Amarjeet Sohi posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. "The attacks taking place in Israel and Gaza targeting innocent civilians are horrific.
"I know that many Edmontonians have friends and family in these areas, and I am extending my support and empathy to them. We stand with you and share in your hope for a just and lasting peace in the region."
Sohi's post came as people around the world continue to watch in horror as violence continues to escalate in the wake of a deadly attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
After crossing into Israel on Saturday, hundreds of Hamas gunmen spent hours gunning down civilians and kidnapping others in the country, according to The Associated Press. Palestinian militants also fired thousands of rockets at Israel.
Israel has since retaliated with airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and by sealing off the territory from food, fuel and other supplies. The Associated Press reported on Monday afternoon that the death toll had risen to nearly 1,600 on both sides.
Israel, whose right-wing government includes some ministers who oppose the idea of any Palestinian statehood, is facing calls to crush Hamas' military capability while Hamas says it is preparing for a long battle to end Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory.
Since Sohi posted his statement on social media Sunday afternoon, it has received hundreds of replies ranging from sharp criticism to outright support of his comments.
Duane Bratt, a professor of political science at Mount Royal University, said while many politicians in Canada have very clearly expressed their support for what they say is Israel's right to respond to the attack while also condemning Hamas' actions, some, like Sohi, "are playing a much more both sides issue."
"I think some of it is legitimate in the sense of they're looking at the repression of the Palestinian people for decades, going back to the 1947 war, or especially the creation of Gaza and the West Bank after the Yom Kippur War," he told Global News on Monday.
"And even though Israeli forces have left Gaza, ... it remains what Palestinians and their sympathizers call an open-air prison. They're basically blockading. There's a wall and a security perimeter preventing them from getting into Israel proper. They're surrounded by the Mediterranean (Sea) on one side and the Egyptian border on the other.
"The levels of poverty, the density of the population is horrendous. So there has been ongoing sympathy for the Palestinian people for a long period of time
However, Bratt said, "we need to separate that from Hamas."
"Hamas is a terror group. They're listed as a terror group by Canada and many other countries and so Hamas didn't come out Saturday and attack military installations and government installations in Israel — they targeted civilians and indiscriminately killed civilians."
Bratt said he believes Sohi is "trying to balance out the legitimate concerns of Palestine versus the atrocious terrorist attacks."
"But the problem is by playing that card they have alienated all groups," he said.
Global News reached out to Sohi's office on Monday to ask for an interview about the reaction to his statement on X. This article will be updated when we receive a response.
Adam Zepp, the community relations committee co-chair of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton, told Global News on Monday that he found Sohi's statement to be "unacceptable."
"I just think for an elected official in Canada to make a statement like that, it's disgusting," he said. "Anything that normalizes, that whitewashes, that forms any sort of equivalence — moral or otherwise — is extremely harmful.
"It was a terrorist attack on civilians."
The Jewish Federation of Edmonton announced it is holding a solidarity rally at Beth Israel Synagogue on Monday evening.
"We're a community in mourning," Zepp said, adding that since Israel is considered the homeland for Jews, many in his community feel like Hamas' attack was "against all of us."
On Sunday evening, a rally was held in Edmonton's Castle Downs Park to show support for Palestinians and to call for an end to the violence.
Mousa Qasqas was at the rally and spoke to Global News as the event got underway, saying he is a spokesperson for the Palestinian community in Edmonton.
"We here condemn terrorism and any killing of innocent civilians, but Israel doesn't do the same," he said. "Gaza is being bombed as we speak.
"The people of Gaza can't leave."
Qasqas cited international humanitarian laws and said they give Palestinians the right to fight against Israel to resist occupation. The Geneva Conventions lay out the rights of those resisting occupation but also underscore that civilians should not be targets of attack.
"The problem is the occupation itself," Qasqas said, adding he believes political leaders around the world are engaging in "selective condemnation" when it comes to violence involving Israelis and Palestinians, and that "the narrative in general has to change."
— with files from Global News' Sarah Reid and Kabi Moulitharan and The Associated Press' Josef Federman and Issam Adwan
The mayor's message to not 'support terror' sparks conversation of equating all Palestinians with violence, crimes
Joy Joshi
·Writer, Yahoo News Canada
Tue, October 10, 2023
Councillor James Pasternak (second from left) tells the crowd to quiet down after they boo Mayor Olivia Chow as she takes the stage during a solidarity rally in Toronto, Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jessica Lee (The Canadian Press)
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is being criticised for denouncing the pro-Palestinian rally that took place at Nathan Phillips Square on Thanksgiving in Toronto.
The demonstrations saw hundreds of people gather in the heart of the city to march peacefully and chant slogans while waving the Palestinian flag and signs following the surprise attack of Hamas on Israel that has now turned into an outright "war" as per the latter’s government.
The Toronto mayor issued a public statement condemning the rally and stating that the demonstrations were not authorized.
“The rally to support Hamas at Nathan Phillips Square today is unsanctioned, without a permit and I unequivocally denounce it. Glorifying this weekend’s indiscriminate violence, including murder and kidnapping of women and children, by Hamas against Israeli civilians is deplorable,” read Chow’s statement shared on X, formerly Twitter, under her official handle.
The post garnered the attention of various other users rather immediately, who were quick to point out that “there are no permits in Toronto for rallies.”
“Just to be clear: THERE ARE NO PERMITS IN TORONTO FOR RALLIES.There is no permit to apply for, no authority that can issue it, no application you can fill. Not even for private property. Olivia knows because Jack went to Supreme Court on this in 1984,” X user @hussask who likes to talk about migration, anti-colonialism and resistance posted online.
Another X user reaffirmed @hussask’s claim while calling out Mayor Chow for her stance on the Nathan Phillips Square rally.
“Toronto’s mayor is wrongfully trying to stop a peaceful, anti-apartheid rally at Nathan Philips Square today. she says no permits were obtained for a public space that, as per NPS website, does not need permits for “demonstrations, protests, and marches,” posted Huda Hassan, who is a writer and a media cultural studies professor at New York University as per her profile bio.
Yahoo News Canada can confirm the eligibility criteria listed under the Nathan Phillips Square booking section on City of Toronto’s website, disallows permits to be issued for demonstrations of similar nature as the one on Monday afternoon.
“Nathan Phillips Square is an event space and event permits are issued for cultural events only. Permits are not issued for commercial events, sampling activations, demonstrations, protests, vigils and marches,” the website reads.
Demonstration's labelling as 'pro Hamas' called short-sighted, 'fear-mongering'
While Mayor Chow's post became the target of many of her follower’s disapproval, some others also took issue with her labelling the rally as “pro Hamas.”
“Just because the Hamas are Palestinians doesn’t mean all Palestinians are Hamas. The Palestinian flag predates the Hamas. Hamas only exists because of the 75+ year humanitarian crisis that Palestinians have experienced because of the government of Israel,” posted On Canada Project Editor-in-Chief, Sam Krishnapillai on X.
Some Torontonians even accused Mayor Chow of making “fear-mongering” comments in light of recent events.
“As a member of the Jewish community I am deeply disappointed by the hateful, false and fear-mongering comments made by @MayorOliviaChow. There is no place for these offensive anti-Palestinian comments. I hope Mayor Chow retracts this ill-informed statement,” said White Jewish Settler Alisa Gayle on X.
Another social media user accused Chow of spreading wrong information on the matter.
“It’s a rally organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement in support of Palestinians civilians, not one in support of Hamas. This is blatantly wrong info from the Mayor,” said film critic James Mackin.
However, there were others who supported the Mayor’s stance on the issue.
“Anyone supporting and advocating for a designated terrorist organization must be arrested and charged whether it be in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, or anywhere else. This is a global security threat and it must be dealt with by the law. These statements are not good enough,” said the Imam of Peace on X, whose work deals with ideologically tackling the spread of Islamic extremism.
Toronto Sun columnist Brian Lilley also approved the mayor’s stance.
Yahoo News Canada has reached out to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow for a response.
While the topic is received as immensely sensitive and delicate online, knowledge gaps among the general members of the public only seem to widen As the situation on the ground continues to worsen around the Gaza Strip.
Latest figures coming out of the Middle East suggest 1,600 have already died as Israel looks to amp up the attack after formally declaring a war on Hamas following the tragic events that occurred over the weekend.
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