Anti-Semitism: A minister and delegates distance themselves from a controversial guest

A minister and several federal representatives distanced themselves from a man accused of anti-Semitism after the doors of parliament were opened to him as part of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People last Tuesday.

The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) has taken issue with the case of Toronto-based Nazih Khatatba, who runs the Toronto-area Arabic-language magazine “Meshwar Media.” In relation to the Holocaust.

Transport Minister Omar Alcabra, who was at the scene, tweeted Thursday that “the person attending the Canada-Palestine Parliamentary Friendship Committee event should not have been invited.”

“What this person said was offensive and anti-Semitic and should be condemned. Anti-Semitism is real and I will continue to speak out against it every time I see it,” he said.

Both Liberal MPs Sameer Suberi and Alliance leader Salma Zahid distanced themselves from the man in question.

The latter noted that more than 150 people attended the event and its invitations were widely circulated in the Palestinian community.

Bloc Québécois MPs Mario Beaulieu and Denis Trudel, New Democrats Matthew Green and Niki Ashton and new Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May were at the scene.

None of them have commented on Twitter about their participation in the show.

According to the Documenting Antisemitism Twitter account, “Meshwar Media” called last week’s bombing in Jerusalem, which killed several people, including a young Canadian, a “class action.”

B’nai B’rith Canada, a Jewish advocacy organization, says the Ontario government has stopped running ads in the Meshvar Media newspaper starting in 2021 because of years of anti-Semitic comments.

For its part, CIJA is asking Minister Alcabra to apologize and declare that “members of the Canadian government should not meet with Holocaust deniers and Hamas sympathizers who glorify the killing of children. This is a scandal.”