B’nai Brith Canada has condemned the report just released by City of Toronto manager Joe Penachetti, which finds that participation of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA) in the Pride Toronto Parade does not violate the City’s anti-discrimination policy.
“As community groups across Toronto work to promote understanding and mutual respect, Mr. Penachetti fails to get the message,” stated Frank Dimant, CEO of B’nai Brith Canada. “His conclusions, which would allow the City to fund Pride Toronto regardless of the inclusion of QuAIA, clearly miss the fact that the term ‘Apartheid’ when applied to Israel is inflammatory, and hateful toward all supporters of Israel.
“We hope that Mayor Rob Ford and City Council will follow the precendent set last year by the Province of Ontario, whose sitting MPPs unanimously condemned the term ‘apartheid’ as an incitement to hatred when used to demonize the democratic, Jewish State.
“We call on Pride Toronto to pay heed to their stated values of diversity and mutual respect. It was those core values that gained them the support of the wider community, and it is those core values that should be respected here.”
