Avi's VERSION

Eleven wishes for humanity in 2011

1. That people of good will continue to realize that antisemitism, hate and intolerance is
     a destructive social illness that harms civil society.

2. That anti-Israel and anti -Jewish groups direct their anger at countries which oppose
     human rights (including gay rights and women’s rights) instead of undermining those
     which promote them.

3. That women’s rights in oppressive middle-eastern and African countries become the
     new rallying cry of feminists and all human-rights activists concerned with gender-
     apartheid.  This will lead to a natural and evolutionary democratization of tyrannies.

4. That the world community, especially the signatories of the Rome Statute, pressure
    the UN Security Council to indict Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the
    International Criminal Court on charges for the incitement to promote genocide; and
    that action be taken to promote freedom in Iran and curb its nuclear aspiration.

5. That university campuses in the free world reaffirm freedom of speech based on
     academic integrity, scientific method and the legitimate search for truth and justice. 
     That they refuse to provide credibility to those who sow discord through
     events like “Israeli Apartheid Week” and incitement by speakers who preach hatred.

6. That the proliferation of hate on the internet (websites and social networking) be
     increasingly regulated by governments around the world. Freedom of speech should
     never be confused with abuse of this cherished freedom.

7.  That the world should see less daily reports of bombings, terror plots, rogue states
     and civil strife, and a greater focus on the human condition and how we can address
     issues such as poverty and education in Canada and around the world.

8. That the media provide proportional attention to urgent human rights issues
     happening in around the world, particularly in places like Darfur, Congo, the Ivory
     Coast and North Korea.

9. That the world curb its dependency on oil and subservience to oil rich nations that
    continue to abuse human rights and acquire new eco-friendly and sustainable energy
    sources.

10. That anti-Israel advocates realize that - like suicide bombings and rocket fire from
      Gaza, the delegitimization of Israel will not achieve peace; peace is a two-way street
      to be achieved through mutual recognition and a halt to incitement and violence.

11. That the spirit of human compassion and caring will prevail among all humanity and
      that democratic freedom shall be realized for every nation on earth.

You can help us make these wishes come true, while taking advantage of a 2010 charitable tax receipt, by donating today. You can do so by calling 416-864-9735 x21 or at www.fswc.ca.

I wish you and your family good health, happiness and success in 2011.

Avi Benlolo

President and CEO

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies

One on One with Avi Benlolo

December 8, 2010

1/ The University of Toronto thesis claiming that Holocaust education is ‘racist’ has gotten a lot of press coverage in recent days.  Do you think it is productive to expose such issues - thereby giving them media attention - or is it best to not react and control their exposure?

That is the million dollar question. Certainly giving exposure to a marginal person or group is never a great idea. On the other hand FSWC decided early on - when news on this issue first erupted – that rather than issue a press releases we would discuss the matter quietly with the University administration to see if any resolution could be found. You will notice our name is not associated with any of the earlier articles in the news – and that was purposeful.

So how did this issue make it to the media? The truth of the matter is that whether we inform the media or not, the media- especially the left-wing media, seeks to expose these issues on their own, and that’s exactly what has happened. This story has not been driven by the Jewish community but rather by the media. The same thing happened with George Galloway. In many cases the Jewish community is blamed for over-exposing these matters when in fact it is the media that seeks to promote controversy and sell newspapers.

Our response has been to react to this incident of hatred by doing something positive: establishing a Post-Graduate Scholarship Program to support Master and PhD candidates who are focused on publishing academic papers on the legitimate rights and aspirations of Israel and the Jewish people. A constructive and positive way of dealing with these difficult issues is the most beneficial and productive approach.

2/ With the writing of this antisemitic thesis, have the promoters of the ‘apartheid Israel’ narrative come out of the closet, so to speak?

I think that, simply put, they are becoming much more radicalized and hateful and that’s not surprising - a decade has already passed since we first saw anti-Israel action on university  campuses prior to Israel Apartheid Week and the hosting of  radical speakers. It all adds up and increases the fundamentalism against the Jewish people and the state of Israel. It’s not just a slander on the state of Israel - it’s clearly targeting the Jewish people. Sadly, I think we are going to see more of if.

3/ Between Palestinian attempts to claim ownership of the Western Wall in Jerusalem and the above-mentioned academic efforts, it seems the world is entering a dangerous new phase of antisemitic activity. How are we to understand such attempts and what can we do to counter them?

It’s very clear that the interest in delegitimizing the state of Israel and promoting hatred against the Jewish state and by extension against the Jewish people is increasing. There is no question about that – hate crime statistics bear out the truth of this statement. I believe the way to deal with that is through education; we have to educate students, teachers, journalists, police officers and the public at large about this issue and bring it to light. This is exactly what we at FSWC do. We have our own workshops, our opinion pieces in the media, we track hate groups, we work with political leaders and we believe we have to expose hate and intolerance and at the same time work to build bridges with as many people as possible.

And education works. After spending a lot of time with many people from diverse communities I’m proud to say that most Canadians get it. They understand radicalism, terrorism and hate against the state of Israel and they don’t buy into the radical left wing rhetoric. I think you can see that Canadians are voting these left wing destructive attitudes out of office at all levels and I would encourage media institutions like the Toronto Star to realize that fact.

4/  You recently met the Turkish Ambassador to Canada at the November Conference on Antisemitism. Do you feel the rapprochement that began with Turkey sending aid to Israel to battle the fire will lead to a thaw in the Israeli-Turkish relationship?

I think the assistance provided by Turkey to Israel during the fire emergency is clearly a very positive step in the right direction; sometimes it takes a tragedy to bring people and countries together. Israel and Turkey have a very long standing relationship and I think everybody in the Jewish world wants to see that relationship continue to flourish. When I met Ambassador Rafet Akgunay at the Conference on Antisemitism last month I sensed he has a very strong affinity to the Jewish people and our concerns; he and his wife spent time at the Turkish embassy in Israel in the 1980’s and in fact one of his children was born in Israel. By the same token he was delighted to discover that my in-laws hail from two of the major cities in Turkey – Izmir and Istanbul. He is a very genuine individual and we look forward to hosting the Ambassador at a FSWC event in the very near future.

5/ As we head into the holiday season we hear numerous news reports on the problems with airline security and security scans, and suggestions that we adopt an Israeli style passenger- focused system. Do you think it would be realistic for Canadian airports to adopt the Israeli system?

There has been a lot of controversy about security in recent weeks, particularly about being “patted down.” Personally I have no issue with going through security: I want to be safe and secure and I have nothing to hide. On the other hand there are some sensitivities, especially when it comes to children. The Israeli system is a very good one- people are screened while they are still in their vehicles before they even enter the airport - both drivers and passengers are asked various questions to pre screen potential hazards, and at the airport there are undercover agents to check for people and items that look suspicious. If security is the issue of the day, this system is one that Canadian airports may wish to investigate further.

6/ Despite Castro’s seeming newfound regard for the Jewish people, US citizen Alan Gross continues to be held in a Cuban jail on charges of spying. How can Canada, whose relationship with Cuba is far better than that of the US, help free Gross from Cuba?

This issue was brought to our attention in the summer when US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton spoke to Jewish groups about the matter. Due to Canada’s special relationship with Cuba and the high level of Canadian tourism to that country we thought Canada could put some pressure on Cuba to release Mr. Gross. We have been told the US government is actively working for his release and, as this is an American matter, Canada cannot get involved.  

7/ What do you make of the claims by some Egyptian authorities that Israel is behind the recent shark attacks in Sharm El Sheikh?

I only think this issue goes back to everything we deal with at FSWC - the continuous accusations and innuendos in the Arab world pointing to various Jewish conspiracies for anything bad that happens to them. This is just another unfortunate and laughable example. Unfortunately for the millions of people in the Middle East, who are illiterate, they believe this and it only serves to foment and increase hate against Israel and the Jewish people.

8/ York Region Police Chief Armand La Barge is retiring this week after a 37 year career with the force. What are your views on the Chief and his relationship with the Jewish community?

FSWC was delighted to participate in the Chief’s retirement party and we are going to miss him deeply. I had the privilege of hosting and travelling with Chief La Barge to Poland this past March where we visited Warsaw and other townships where Jews once lived, as well as the Majdanek and Auschwitz concentration camps. The Chief was very involved and committed to the mission and sensitive to the plight of the millions of people who were killed by the Nazis, and I know the new leadership will continue his legacy of understanding and involvement with the Jewish community.

9/ The guest speakers for this year’s Spirit of Hope event are very different from Elie Wiesel and Salman Rushdie who were FSWC panelists in 2010. What are your expectations for this year’s Benefit?

We have had so many dynamic panels and I believe this Spirit of Hope Benefit is going to be the best one yet. Our speakers, including Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Thomas Friedman, Arianna Huffington and Fareed Zakaria will engage in such a high level of discourse about ideas and events that are of concern to everyone in the world, including freedom of speech, terrorism, women’s rights in the Middle East and Africa, the economy and other topical issues, that I strongly feel this is an event that cannot be topped.

One on One with Avi Benlolo

December 3, 2010

1.     How do you respond to the recent claim by the Palestinian Authority that the Jewish people have no spiritual or historic ties to the Western Wall in Jerusalem?

The fact that the Palestinian leadership has been trying to erase Jewish history and connection to the land of Israel for years, especially since the Oslo accords, means this newest claim comes as no surprise. We’ve seen throughout our history that others have tried to erase Jewish presence. The truth is that while the Al Aqsa mosque was built in 670 AD, the first Temple was built by King Solomon in 968 BCE, more than 1,600 years earlier. Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Koran, while it is named 654 times in the Hebrew bible. In every single Jewish prayer for life rituals from birth to death, the name of Jerusalem is invoked.  From the annual Passover toast, “Next Year in Jerusalem” ending the Seder, to the iconic crushing of the glass to remember the destruction of the Temple at a Jewish wedding, Jerusalem remains central and sacred to Jews and Judaism. We pray toward the Wall and Jerusalem, while Muslims face Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The case is quite clear and no one in their right mind would ever contest the fact that Jerusalem is Jewish.

2.     We recently received a request for assistance concerning an antisemitic attack that took place in Australia. Can you speak to the reach of FSWC not only in Canada, but internationally?

I think that the cache of the Wiesenthal Center, unlike many other organizations, is that we are truly international and as such are recognized around the world for our work. We see time and again how our words spoken in Canada are echoed elsewhere around the planet; a good example would be an article about Auschwitz I recently wrote for the Toronto Star that was reported on by a Polish newspaper. Regarding the Australian matter brought to us by one of our donors, we know that if we voice our opinion here to the Australian High Commissioner, we hope and believe that the Australian government will take a stronger stand knowing that people around the world are watching.

3.     The leaders of Canadian universities are meeting privately this week to discuss issues of academic freedom. Do you have any faith that something positive may come of this conference?

The universities are struggling to come to a policy decision on handling the discontent and discord on their campuses. I’m glad they’re meeting – it’s a discussion they have to have. If they come out of this meeting saying freedom of speech is sacrosanct but we will no longer stand for external hate mongers coming onto our campus, - that would be the right direction. I am glad to see they are taking the impact of these issues on their reputations, functioning and relations with external communities seriously.  

4.     Now that George Galloway has come to Canada, spoken at universities across the country and gone home, what do you think his ultimate impact on Canada has been?

People like Galloway who are divisive and hateful should never be discounted.  They always attract similar types who are drawn to fomenting hate and intolerance.  Galloway’s movement is an “anti-Canada” movement for its ridicule of the Canadian government, Canada’s role in saving Afghanistan and freeing its people from oppression and Canada’s support for Israel – the only democracy in the Middle East.   Galloway has rallied thousands of people across this country to believe ideals which are simply wrong: his information is fabricated and intolerant. The greatest danger in what he did was to incite further radicalization and polarization on campuses across the country. Most Canadians are not yet aware of the forces in Canadian universities that are planting seeds to sow civil strife in the coming years. It’s nice that Galloway has collected his speech money and his fame, and gone home leaving nothing constructive in this country.  No one who has ever dedicated their life to hate has ever accomplished anything productive, positive or long-lasting.

5.     Do you think he should have been allowed to speak on university campuses?

I believe university administrations are doing a disservice to Canada by permitting bigots and hate mongers exposure on campus. This is not a freedom of speech issue; when there is tremendous insensitivity to other Canadians and a threat to our security, and when the speech causes hatred, discord and divisiveness- this is un-Canadian. It is not a question of freedom of speech. It’s just a matter of respect, tolerance, appreciation and compassion for others.

6.     The Toronto community will soon have the opportunity to speak about the presence of Queers against Israeli apartheid (Quaia) in the Gay Pride parade at Community Advisory Panels.  What is your position on the presence of Quaia in the parade?

It appears to me that these community consultations are only window-dressing. I’m not entirely convinced that they’re sincere and that they will resolve the problem of Quaia marching in the 2011 parade. We saw this happen last winter when Pride created focus groups to determine how to handle Quaia and Pride swung back and forth; Pride ultimately fooled the city by saying it would not permit Quaia in the parade, received city funding and turned around and let them march. Unfortunately, we don’t have much faith that Quaia will be disallowed this year, and I think the City of Toronto, under new Mayor Rob Ford and new Councillors should proceed to de-fund Pride as a matter of policy and a matter of course.

7.     Do you think the Jewish community should present a show of strength or boycott the parade if they are allowed to march?

FSWC will discourage all our members from participating in the Pride parade if Quaia is permitted to march. This is very different from what happened last year when the Jewish community in good faith came and marched together, but it doesn’t look at this point like Pride will do the right thing. We will continue to object vociferously to hate and intolerance toward the Jewish people and Israel anywhere, including the Pride organization.

8.     What are your thoughts on the Globe and Mail article concerning the lawsuit pitting two Messianic Jewish groups against each other?

I think this article is very revealing about how these messianic groups operate.  What it tells us is that the Jewish community and Jews in general are shamelessly targeted by well funded and organized Christian groups.  The article reveals that Jews for Jesus and Chosen People Ministries Canada fall under the umbrella group of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities – representing some 3000 Christian institutions. What other faith group is targeted for conversion in this country? Is there a ‘Muslims for Jesus group’? A ‘Hindus for Jesus’? When you consider Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms and its statement concerning religious freedom and tolerance under the multiculturalism umbrella, it’s clear there isn’t a place for these groups to operate and receive charitable donations.

9.     What is your position on the paper written by a U of T student titled: “The Victimhood of the Powerful”, and how should FSWC deal with this and similar matters of antisemitism in the academia?

The paper this student wrote is full of fallacies and inaccurate data. For instance, she notes 50 people were killed by Baruch Goldstein in Hebron, when the true number is 29. She hides behind the cover of her Judaism and admits she holds tremendous resentment toward her Jewish upbringing, which may be why her language is so hateful to Israel. There is one thing that is very important for everyone to understand: even if you’re Jewish, you do not have the right to foment hate and antisemitism against the Jewish people and to slander the state of Israel by wrongfully labeling it an apartheid state and advocating on behalf of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, which is what she has done.

I have encouraged the University of Toronto to appoint an academic review committee to evaluate the merits of this and similar papers and to evaluate as well this individual receiving a Masters Degree for such poor and disgraceful work.

10.  Why do you think people should consider financially supporting FSWC?

I think the answer to that question is quite simply that joining FSWC provides such a high return on a donor’s investment. We have a strong and effective staff that is not tied to bureaucracy or layers of administration and whose work with schools, teachers, the police and the media is highly effective. We are passionately committed to preserving the memory of the Holocaust, ending antisemitism and promoting tolerance, justice and human rights. We have a strong and growing following within the Jewish community and increasingly outside of the community, and these people listen to the opinions the organization voices about issues in society and apply these views to their own lives.