Jooish

🇨🇦 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SOFTENS STANCE ON ANTI-ZIONISM FOLLOWING MUSLIM GROUP'S COMPLAINT The federal government is facing questions over its position on anti-Zionism after Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree qualified an earlier government statement linking anti-Zionism to antisemitism. On September 24, Public Safety Canada published a report describing anti-Zionism as “a contemporary manifestation of antisemitism.” The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) subsequently objected to the government's characterization. In an October 16 letter responding to the NCCM, Anandasangaree adopted more qualified language, stating that denying Jewish people the right to self-determination “may, depending on the context, be considered a manifestation of antisemitism.” He further clarified that criticism of Zionism, Israeli government policies or Israel itself should not automatically be considered antisemitic. Scoop2Cents: the times we live in are confusing. Considering that "Zionism" means different things to different people, the same follows for "anti-Zionism." As religious Jews, we are far less concerned with our "rights" than we are with our responsibilities. Separately, the Satmar Rebbe and the leaders of Agudas Yisroel opposed ideologies referred to as "Zionism," yet they were most definitely not antisemitic. However, antisemites, who hold Israel to a different standard than any other country solely due to its Jewish identity, most definitely are.