Over the past several weeks, Doppler has received a number of communications related to our stance when it comes to antisemitism related to Jewish people. Most of them were not suitable for publication. One individual, whose comment we did not publish, has written to our advertisers accusing us of hate speech and racism toward Palestinians.
First, let me say that we believe that people with attachment to Muskoka and East Parry Sound do not live in a bubble. We are all affected by national and international events, and Doppler, as a major news source here with over 100,000 individual readers, has an obligation to reflect this.
One cannot deal with the dangerous increase in antisemitism against Jewish people in Canada and around the world without referencing how, this time around, it came about. In that context, I have previously written about the reality of the situation in that part of the Middle East.
Hamas is a terrorist organization that governs Gaza and invaded Israel last October, murdering, raping, and beheading before taking more than 200 hostages, many of whom are either now dead or still in captivity. That is a fact.
This was an act of war, based on their core objective that “from the river to the sea Palestine shall be free” in plain language refers to the eradication of Jews. I mentioned this briefly in a commentary I wrote in May when I said that “Hamas and most Palestinians are dedicated to the extermination of Jews in the Middle East. It is essentially part of their DNA.”
The reference to DNA was intended as a figure of speech, and in hindsight, I might have used a better analogy. But the verifiable fact remains that many young Palestinians have generationally been indoctrinated at a very early age to hate the Jewish people. As for the Palestinians themselves, polls continue to confirm that the majority support Hamas and their ultimate objective.
It is clearly against this background that Jewish antisemitism has risen so sharply in Canada. The opening paragraphs in an article written in Saturday’s Toronto Star by Rosie Dimanno entitled “We’ve let antisemitism be normalized, “says it all in her first few paragraphs, which read as follows:
“A home that displays a mezuzah- signifying a covenant with God and blessings on the home – has been defiled with a note that reads: “You and your Jewish family are going to die.” Elsewhere, “Long live Hitler” graffiti-scrawled on the curb. In Toronto, suspected arson at a Jewish-owned grocery store, bullets fired at a Jewish girl’s elementary school, among the targeted attacks included in the most recent hate-crime data provided by police – out of nearly 190 incidents this year, nearly half have been antisemitic.”
On top of this, there has been a rash of antisemitic hate toward Jewish people, with slogans and vitriol too vicious and too antagonistic to print here. Synagogues and Jewish businesses have been vandalized. Jewish people in Canada clearly feel threatened. Even here in Muskoka, we have heard from Jewish Canadians who are concerned about their safety.
Has Canada come to this? Is Rosie Dimanno correct when she believes we have allowed antisemitism to become normalized? If she is, then surely every credible news source in this country, big or small, has an obligation to speak out against it.
Doppler is on record for opposing hate speech and racism. We have also supported a cease-fire in Gaza for humanitarian reasons. We believe that many innocent Palestinians have been victims of this war initiated by Hamas.
Of course, Doppler depends on revenue from our advertisers and our generous financial contributors, and we are concerned that some of them have been drawn into this unfortunate situation. But we have faith in them to know that calling out any form of antisemitism is the right thing to do and that the vast majority of people in Muskoka and East Parry Sound would agree with that.
Sincerely,
Hugh Mackenzie
Publisher
Huntsville Doppler
South Muskoka Doppler
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Thank you for writing this.
I too have researched the history behind this multi-generational situation and you have correctly reiterated what I have read.
I just can’t fathom the hate generated towards Canadian Jews, let alone any Jewish person, when you truly understand the circumstances for what has been going on.
I am totally disillusioned by the actions of fellow Canadians.