OTTAWA — In Early June, independent MP Kevin Vuong, representing Spadina-Fort York, introduced a petition that was tabled in the House of Commons against anti-semitic chants.
Vuong’s petition was signed by 13,000 Canadians and was developed with the support of the Canadian Women Against Anti-Semitism (CWAA). It calls on the government to designate certain antisemitic chants as hate speech. Phrases such as “from the river to the sea”, among others, are becoming commonplace amongst pro-Palestinian protestors in Canadian cities and on college campuses. Vuong and the signees believe that phrases calling for the eradication of Israel cross a line into unacceptable anti-semitism.
Vuong spoke on behalf of the petition in the House of Commons, saying that it “calls for definitive action from the government to provide clarity to law enforcement agencies and provincial and territorial attorneys general, as well as for it to examine and provide clarity on the legality of other slogans, such as “globalize the intifada” and “long live October 7.”
Vuong is also calling on the government to convene a national antisemitism summit focused on immediate measures to combat hate speech.
After introducing the petition, MP Vuong reported harassing behaviour around his home and involving members of his family. Vuong shared details of the harassing behaviour with both parliamentary security and Toronto police. He claims that, as he and his wife were out for a routine walk, they were followed and photographed by an unknown woman in a slow-moving car. Vuong submitted photos of the driver along with their licence plate.
Vuong’s route also featured several protestors with signs condemning the MP’s support for Canadian Jews, with accusations of supporting genocide.
The rate of antisemitic incidents in Canada continues to rise, including reports of harassment and intimidation against Jewish Canadians and their visible allies like Vuong. There is a widely shared “list” of incidents in Canada that keeps growing, revealing an unmistakable pattern of anti-semitic acts across the country. In the month of June alone, the Anshei Minsk Synagogue in Toronto experienced a rock being thrown through the window, and the front door of the Beth Jacob Synagogue in Kitchener was smashed.
Jewish leaders hope that, by introducing petitions like this, they can more clearly make the distinction between criticisms of Israeli policies and criticisms of the existence of the state itself, or of the Jewish people more broadly. They can also remind Canadians of the ominous pattern of anti-semitic acts.
Vuong has been a vocal supporter of Israel and the Canadian Jewish population as protests against the ongoing war against Hamas have peaked in the previous months. He has spoken out against acts of antisemitism on numerous news and commentary programs, as well as in the House of Commons. He also marched in Toronto’s 50,000-person-strong Walk With Israel in early June, helping to raise more than $1.2 million for the victims of the atrocities of October 7th.
Vuong has offered reassurances that the intimidation will not deter his support for the petition and the fight against antisemitism. When chants do call for the dissolution of Israel altogether, Vuong hopes that his support will give strength to the community to stand against hate speech.
“No one will dictate how my wife and I live,” Vuong declared. “We stand up for what is right and won’t abandon our values in the face of threats.”
