Jewish union members were horrified to see their union flags at a rally in Toronto on October 5, 2024, that featured explicit calls for the annihilation of the State of Israel.
Flags belonging to CAPE (Canadian Association of Professional Employees), CUPE Ontario (Canadian Union of Public Employees), OPSEU (Ontario Public Service Employees Union) and PSAC (Public Service Alliance of Canada) were seen in various social media posts and news articles reporting on the event, that was ostensibly advertised by the unions as an International Day of Action 4 Palestine, calling for a Labour Solidarity Contingent.
However the rally, occurring almost exactly to the day of the solemn anniversary of the October 7 massacre and kidnapping of innocent Israelis by the terrorist organization Hamas, promoted the end of the State of Israel with violent chants such as, “we don’t want two states, take us back to ’48!”, “death is in us and fear is in you”, “long live the resistance!, and “there is only one solution, Intifada Revolution!”. There were banners and signs glorifying “resistance”, and martyrdom of Canadian recognized terrorist entities.
This shocking display of hatred was extreme in nature and demonstrates a significant escalation in the dangerous rhetoric we are seeing on our streets. Attendance by some public sector unions at the rally promotes this hateful rhetoric and indicates a total lack of solidarity and concern for their Jewish members, especially at a such a sensitive time. Their participation in this rally, alongside calls for violence toward Israel and Jewish people, points to implicit acceptance on their behalf.
Advocacy for one group that rejects or justifies the suffering of another is the antithesis of the values of Canadian labour unions. Anti-democracy and anti-Western sentiment heard increasingly at these rallies is a threat to Canada and Canadian values, without which unions would not exist. Furthermore, the decision to participate in such a rally only seeks to cause division and animosity within our labour unions.
The Canadian Jewish Labour Committee stands with Jewish union members in calling for an end to the alienation, exclusion and discrimination as a result of their unions’ biased and one-sided actions.