Ontario NDP double-speak on ‘Israel Apartheid Week’

By Guest Column —— Bio and Archives March 11, 2010

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TORONTO, March 11, 2010 – B’nai Brith Canada has expressed disappointment at statements Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath made in an open letter to New Democrats, denouncing a recent motion unanimously passed in the Ontario Legislature condemning ‘Israel Apartheid Week’ (IAW). Horwath labeled the motion to condemn IAW “divisive by nature,” even though the New Democrats in attendance in the Legislature voted in favour of the motion.

“The fact that the Ontario NDP leader is denouncing the anti-IAW motion, while at the same time members of her caucus voted in favour of it is hypocritical,” said Frank Dimant, B’nai Brith Canada’s Executive Vice President. “The unanimous support for the resolution to condemn the hate-fest known as ‘Israel Apartheid Week’, which often leads to antisemitic outbursts, was a very important non-partisan stand against antisemitism in Ontario. “We would expect the provincial leader of the NDP to take a more principled position on this issue - having members of her Caucus support the motion, while at the same time issuing a letter denouncing, is unhelpful double-speak.” B’nai Brith Canada has been active in Canada since 1875 as the Jewish community’s foremost human rights agency