As a member of parliament for Burlington, Ontario, messy The Boo join the new Odle people said and also echo thoughts. Thank you for joining us today for this important announcement. I want to take time to acknowledge the presence of the Honorable Minister Kamal Cara, Canada's Minister of diversity, inclusion and persons with disabilities. The Honorable Dr. Sachs Minister of mental health and addictions and Associate Minister of Health, parliamentary secretary pan demoff on behalf of the honorable Melanesia li the Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Special Envoy on combating anti semitism and Holocaust preservation. Professor Irwin Cotler at Miss Deborah Lyons and Mr. Boucher, not so a representative for the Center for Israel and Jewish affairs. And I would like to acknowledge my parliamentary colleagues who are here in the audience, if you could just please stand and wave so everyone sees you.
Thank you very much to all of you for joining us today. Today's announcement holds particular significance as like members of our community, all Canadians and the rest of the world. We have witnessed the large scale and brutal attacks by Hamas against Israel, and are deeply concerned about the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. And for many of us, this might be the first time that we're gathering together since last week's horrific terrorist attack in Israel and so I just want to begin by sharing my condolences because too many of us have family and friends that have been impacted, perhaps that we have lost in the region. And so I just want to take a moment to acknowledge the pain and the hurt that so many of us are feeling right now. You know, Holocaust remembrance and combating anti semitism is more important today than it has been in a very long time. We've seen some of the really awful anti semitic comments that have been made particularly over the past week. And it just reminds us all of why this is so important. And when we talk about fighting anti semitism, it's because how impactful this can be. But we also know that anti semitism is a gateway in general and when we come from one community, you come for all communities. Many of you know that I'm the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. My grandfather was from Jetsun, Czech Republic. He was sent to today's events that just outside of Prague, and then off to the house and then Auschwitz Birkenau. Miraculously, he survived him and his brother. Everybody else in our family perished in the Holocaust. And when we think about why we need to preserve this, why do we need to preserve this memory why we need to talk about this? Is because 6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust. millions of others were murdered in the Holocaust. And we see what happens when someone can look at someone and say you are lesser than human when your humanity is not reflected back, the awful things that people can do, and the words of never again, resonates so strongly. With all of us here today. And it's why our government is so committed to preserving the memory and the truth of the Holocaust, and combating anti semitism. Canada's appointment of its new special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating anti semitism reiterates our steadfast commitment to fighting anti semitism and preserving Holocaust Remembrance here at home and around the world. I know that we are operating on a relatively tight schedule today with a number of distinguished speakers that we want to hear from following this there will be a media question session, and following the media question period there will be a group photo. I will now hand over the floor to minister Kamal Cara who will deliver remarks to start today's important announcement as the Minister of diversity, inclusion and persons with disabilities Minister Cara plays a central role in our government's whole of government approach to combat hatred, discrimination, and racism in all its forms. I know she always has the right words to remind us of the importance of conquering division with unity and to celebrate our diversity, as there is far more that unites us than divides us, Mr. Kerr.
Thank you, Karina, for that kind introduction and thank you for being here and for your relentless voice. For Canada's Jewish community. Thank you. I think it goes without saying that. These past few weeks have been incredibly difficult for the Jewish community. I've heard from many friends, colleagues, neighbors, just how incredibly hurt and anxious people feel. It seems everyone knows someone that has been directly impacted. No words can describe the immense loss that has happened. And I truly want to take a moment to offer everyone here my deepest condolences and take a moment right now to respect and honor. The Innocence lives lost the shockwaves from Hamas as brutal terrorist attacks have been felt in Jewish communities throughout Israel. Canada, and the entire world. I wholeheartedly condemn these attacks, and grieve for the innocent Israeli and Palestinian lives lost and the damage that this has done to years and years of hard earned trust. between people. And right now, we're also deeply concerned about the ever evolving humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Here in Canada, we have once again been reminded that anti semitism and Holocaust denialism continue to be an unacceptable daily reality facing far too many Jewish Canadians. And I want you to know, that we will always stand up in the face of hatred and intolerance. Our government will always stand shoulder to shoulder with Jewish Canadians in the fight against anti semitism, both here at home and around the world. You know, I always say that diversity is a fact. But inclusion is a choice. And it is that choice. The choice of appreciation, appreciating our differences, rather than being afraid of them, is what lies at the heart of what it means to be a Canadian. It is a choice we must actively make every single day. And as I look around the room, I know it is a choice that everyone is making. Right now, by being here, and trying to have these very difficult and discussing these tough challenges ahead. We are choosing to stand up against Holocaust denialism. We're choosing to stand up in the face of hatred. We're choosing to stand up in the face of intolerance. And we must always choose to unite around our differences, rather than let them divide us. This is an incredibly brave thing to do. Because when we come together, and when we lean on each other, especially when the times are toughest. This is when we bring out the best in each other and I want to thank you all for being here for each other, trying to work towards a better future for all Canadians. So we will keep fighting anti semitism and all forms of hatred, discrimination, racism. And injustice, wherever and whenever we see it. And today, I'm extremely proud to announce that we are continuing that fight by appointing Canada's new special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating anti semitism former ambassador Miss Deborah Lyons.
Miss Lyons thank you for taking on this very big challenge. During this extremely critical time, I have no doubt that you will make us all very proud as a special envoy. And I know I speak for many of us here today that you give me and you give all of us hope. That despite times being so difficult, now, there is going to be a time when things are better for everyone here in this room and outside these walls. And of course, we wouldn't be here without the tremendous tremendous leadership of an individual that we all know. And today's also an opportunity to thank the honorable Professor urban Kotler for your unwavering and dedicated service to Canadians.
Canada's first Special Envoy you have been a champion for moving critical policies forward like doubling of Canada's contributions to the international Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. And I truly cannot wait to see how Deborah will build on the many accomplishments in this role. So thank you, on behalf of all Canadians from coast to coast to call us, let me once again say thank you to these both incredible Canadians that we're so proud to have.
You both remind me personally I will say, of our uniquely Canadian values of empathy, of compassion, of inclusivity. That will not only get us through these difficult times, but in and make us stronger, because I fundamentally believe that there is more that unites us than divides us. So let us lean on each other and support each other through these challenging times. Every Canadian deserves to feel safe in their homes, on the streets, to feel safe in their places of worship, and safe to be who they are. And our government will always be here to support you every step of the way. And I'm hopeful that as we move forward from here today, that we will have the courage to continue to rise above our differences to come together and to build a better, more resilient society, one that is free from anti semitism and all forms of discrimination and hatred. Once again, I want to congratulate Deborah on your appointment. Thank you so much for taking on this incredible challenge. Thank you, merci. And I will now pass the mic on to our incredible colleague, Minister Sachs.
Good morning, everyone. Sit on Bozo. It's really an honor and a privilege to be joining all of you today. And the many members and leaders and allies who are here with us to support our Jewish communities from across Canada. And there are many of you in the room and for that we are grateful. I'll start with a personal thoughts. This past December in Israel with my daughters. My 15 year old made the observation as we drove towards my father's home that every building along the way, has a family after family that was Jewish. I nodded silently Yes, with the realization that my children who had been raised primarily here in Canada in the diaspora, that their experience with who they were as young Jewish teens was profoundly different than my own childhood. Growing up in a small farming community, known as I'm gonna shove in Israel, and never questions my identity, whether or not to hide it if the school schedule would accommodate the Jewish holiday calendar or sharing that identity would be on a need to know basis only. My now 18 year old on campus shared with me this week that she hides her serve David necklace gifted to her after completing her show not to lose her national service this past year. When she gets on the metro to go to school, the heartbreak as a parent, and also the fear is something that is at times all consuming. Being Israeli and Jewish, for me was simply to be I have lived with that certainty of center my entire life. And that is truly been a gift. Last Saturday morning, that certainty was shattered, lives lost and horrific violence and terrorism. Families and Communities torn apart and left in ashes. The shock has left is grieving. hearts broken and a deep fear that is as old as time for Jewish communities in Israel and around the globe. In the wake of masters large scale terrorist attacks against Israel, the world's was again reminded that anti semitism is not a relic of the past. It is a daily reality experienced by Jewish communities here in Canada and around the world. But I'm not without hope. Because I know that we have allies as the Prime Minister has stated time and again anti semitism is not a problem for the Jewish community to confront alone. In the wake of those who glorify and celebrate these horrific acts of terror, we've been unequivocally clear that such hate has no place in Canada and we all have an obligation to speak up against it wherever and whenever it occurs. And that is our commitment to everyone on this stage amongst colleagues and communities. We have friends here friends. The rising anti semitism is really lone. The lone sign of hate or the last expression of intolerance and societies we know that and every community has a right to feel safe and included in the promise of Canada and to every community needs allies. This has been a time where the Jewish community has needed allies more than ever before and is grateful for the for that ally ship of the Government of Canada and so many who are in this room at this difficult moment. Personal side there are many of you who have texted me during this time and I'll sneak in to say thank you in the words of Holocaust survivor and psychotherapist Viktor Frankl, forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. As Minister Kara said diversity is a fact in this country. We choose inclusivity each and every day. And while the events of this past week have been traumatic, it reinforces our why. Why we need the role of a special envoy for preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating anti semitism and we are so happy that it is you did. This role is so important because it will help us deepen the relationship with our allies and to build the bridges with them that we need to educate, to advocate to support and yes also to heal through the work of the special envoy in our collective communities, we will build the candidate in society that we value most one that includes and embraces all of us. I want to thank Irwin Cotler for his dedication to this important role. You've been such a great teacher and mentor to myself. And so many others in this room and across Canada. And looking forward to this important work continuing with our new Special Envoy tip Alliance. Thank you everyone. I will now pass the mic to my colleague pantoum off Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Thanks again.
Bonjour. Merci de Baca presents Ojibwe. It goes without saying that this past week has been a difficult one for Jewish communities here in Canada and around the world as my colleagues have already mentioned, following the brutal terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, innocent civilians are being targeted and unacceptable and the violence must stop. I know many people here today know someone who has suffered a loss and my heart goes out to you. I'm honored to be here today on behalf of Minister Melanesia Lee who is returning from her trip to the region. Over the weekend she has been working nonstop to oversee Canada's response to coordinate with her counterparts and to help de escalate the crisis. With today's announcement our government is renewing our commitment to one of our most important responsibilities, remembering the millions of people who were brutally murdered, honoring the heroism of those who survived and ensuring that by fighting anti semitism and hate in all their forms, such an atrocity never happens again. Perhaps no Canadian has contributed more to this important work. The professor Irwin Cotler, who has served tirelessly as our first Special Envoy since his appointment in 2020. On behalf of Canada, I thank Professor Kotler for his service and his dedication
and I'm absolutely thrilled that he was able to join us here today to welcome his successor former Ambassador Deborah Lyons. I have no doubt that Ambassador Lyons will undertake this role with confidence, integrity, and energy. She served Canada for more than a quarter century with dedication and distinction including his deputy ambassador to the United States, Ambassador to Afghanistan, and most recently ambassador to Israel, just to name a few. And in each of these roles, she's demonstrated a deep commitment to the values that we as Canadians hold dear. This new role she's undertaking is unique. It will be challenging and at times difficult, especially at such a critical moment. She will lead Canada's engagement with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and work to strengthen global efforts to fight the scourge of anti semitism. Jewish communities both here and at home, around and around the world are facing an unacceptable rise in anti semitism, anti semitism and the conspiracy theories that often accompany and threaten our world. They erode trust in our institutions and in each other, the very glue that holds our society together. Our government is extremely concerned by the alarming anti semitism as well as Holocaust distortion and denial that exists both online and offline. We know all too well that this can lead to violence. And let me be clear, no person or group should ever be subjected to hatred, discrimination or prejudice. At every level, Canada will work with partners around the world to educate everyone on the true horrors of the Holocaust, to remember to combat hate and to share the lessons of the past. Every one of us has the responsibility to challenge anti semitism, racism and hate wherever and whenever they occur. I'm reassured that with our new Special Envoy Deborah Lyons, Canadians have an unwavering ally in our efforts to do just that. Mitzi deputize Deb wax up day civil and I will now turn it over to Professor Irwin. Caitlyn, thank you
thank you all for your kind words. This morning just we Trezevant dtca to participate on that cause community new restaurant, landed country line going through the ration. Go through 90 Semitism going through laser atrocity, the mass aid to set loot, calculate per new meme. Ask it the second diesel district new vessel and what we say and more importantly in what we do. We make a statement about ourselves as a people. We make a statement about ourselves as people I'm delighted therefore, that my successor in this compelling role at this compelling time. Is Ambassador ever light. I have to tell you when I came in Harry are back Miller said to me well, I guess you're glad that your one year appointment is now over after three years. And I could not be happier because I've been trying for 18 months to have Deborah Lyons think she is the best person not only to succeed me, but the best person to be in this role to be in this position of leadership the right person in the right place at the right time.
Brings and I speak here from firsthand witness test who brings a unique repository of both experience and expertise in a role was not only been the supreme diplomat whether it be as Canadian ambassador to Israel, the UN representative in Ghana, but she's been on the front lines. She has seen up close with mass atrocity is all about in Afghanistan and the like. She has that kind of interpersonal skills that will not only make people want to work with her, but that will mobilize alongside her so welcome Deborah. It is an absolute pleasure to know that not only that you're succeeding me, but that I'll have the opportunity to be able to work with you in common cause on behalf of all of us here, so thank you we meet today really added an important historical and flexion moment Minister caribou well when she said you know there really no words we meet in the shadow of October 7 One of the worst days if not the worst days in Jewish history since the Holocaust, and I don't use these words lightly or easily. A day of mass atrocity, whose skin scale and scope of pure evil as US President Biden is almost an infallible a day of mass atrocity anchored in anti semitism. The oldest, longest, most endearing, most toxic and as we have seen, most lethal of hatreds for Hamas is not only a terrorist organization, that would be bad. Enough. It is an anti semitic genocidal terrorist organization. Not because I say so. But because they proudly proclaim it in their own founding charter in 1988, which publicly calls for the destruction of Israel and the killing of Jews, wherever they may be, and who have continued to proclaim it all these years until it finally metastasized. In the mass atrocities of October 7. As it happens, I was in Jerusalem on that fateful day, Saturday, October 7. My family and I were in Israel to celebrate the wedding of our son, which have taken place a week earlier. And that Saturday, October 7, as we awaken was supposed to be a particularly festive Jewish Sabbath. It was the last day of Sukkot which is a unique Jewish holiday, a Jewish Thanksgiving, a holiday that commemorates the forging of the Jewish people after the Exodus from Egypt, and also a holiday that commemorates our common humanity, our mutual obligations to each other. It also fell on the day of Simchat Torah, which translated literally means the celebration of the Bible, because on that day, we read the last book of Moses, and we start the first reading of the first book of Moses, all over again, the ritual, therefore, of the Bible reading and the night before on Friday night, in the same synagogue, where we had celebrated my son's marriage the week before, we had a wonderful celebration. On the eve of Simchat Torah. And so I awoke with my family on Saturday, October 7, to go to the synagogue, to celebrate the others. But as we were about to depart for the synagogue, the air raid sirens began to blare across Jerusalem. It foreshadowed what was to be a day of mass atrocities. Before long we found that missiles were being launched 500 missiles and rockets in the first few hours of Saturday, October 7. We never made it to the synagogue. We were ushered into bomb shelters, the bomb shelters in our apartment, and as we huddled in those bomb shelters the horrors began to emerge. It was as if you were witnessing mass atrocities in real time. You have to understand that my apartment in Jerusalem is only 60 Miles 70 kilometers away from where the assaults were taking place. Israel's a tiny family state. It's as if, if you were in Montreal, you would be hearing about mass atrocities in Senegal. That's how it was. And we were hearing about anguished cries of people who were suddenly being attacked, and there was nobody there to protect them, calling for help. No one could understand how this was happening until it began to unfold that this was a multi pronged attack, air, sea, land attack by commas, a criminal act of aggression, was going to find expression in mass atrocities. And the mass atrocities began by the end of that day, we were told that they were 350 dead and some 800 wounded. That alone was multiple nine elevens but as we meet today, the numbers dead are close to 1500. The numbers wounded and maimed. I'm more than 3500. The hostages are more than 30 and I don't want to deal in abstract statistics. Behind every number is a suffering family. And because Israel is a family state is a suffering people. And when we speak of commas, it's not only a threat to the Jewish people. Tragically, it's a threat also, to the Palestinian people to threat to the Palestinian people, over whom they have held that people hostage all these years over whom they have engaged in mass, domestic repression. And so Hamas is an enemy of the Jewish people. It's an enemy of the Palestinian people. It's an enemy of itself. And that's what we're up against. And regrettably, the Palestinian people ended up being human shields, and ended up themselves being hostages to this murderous terrorist, anti semitic group, letting us understand once again that while it begins with Jews, as we say, it doesn't end with Jews. And as it happened, all this took place against the backdrop of a resurgent global anti semitism, which we may not have been fully appreciative of, that was itself mutating and metastasizing. Over time. anti semitism is grounded in one foundational generic historical truth. And that is that of the Jewish people, of Jews, of Israel as a Jew among the nations, as being the enemy of all that is good. And the embodiment of all that is evil. And that's what played itself out on October 7. And just before I left to Israel, I met with our prime minister and also spoke with our foreign minister and Melanesia Lee, and I shared with them some of the principal findings of my tenure as special envoy. I'm going to summarize them in one liners, because they are the backdrop to everything that occurred on October 7, and they are the challenge to everything that is facing us as we move forward.
I'm going to be a numerating them at one liners for the sake of time, but realize that behind each of these one liners, is a profound finding and one of profound pain and suffering. Number one, and this is before October says that we are witnessing the highest levels of anti semitism that we have experienced since audits of anti semitism began 50 years ago. Number two, we are witnessing the highest level of anti semitic beliefs. The number and here we have a study from anti Defamation League and the number of Americans who believe six or more anti semitic tropes that is that the Jews control the media control the economy, then that has doubled in the last five years. We're talking about millions, millions of Americans who believe in six or more anti semitic tropes. Number three, the internationalization of anti semitism. When I say that I don't only mean the geographical internationalization or the I mean the inter connectedness so that when something happens in the UK, it replicates itself in Canada. I'll give you one dramatic example. Then the Hamas attacks of May 2021, which resulted in a dramatic rise here in Canada of anti semitism at the time. You had a convoy going to the streets of London, England, saying eff the Jews will rape your daughters. The next day, we had a similar convoy going through the streets of Toronto. And so you've got the globalization in that what happens in the Middle East also has its own followed in Canada, October 7, mass atrocities not restricted to Israel. We have seen the hateful, anti semitic demonstrations, taking place from Melbourne, to Montreal, from Berlin to Toronto, the globalization of hate the glorification of those who committed those attacks which leads me to the next particular finding. Also a very disturbing one, that we are witnessing the highest level of anti semitic hate crimes ever. In the last statistical finding that has been released. Canadian Jews 1% of the population are the targets of 67% of religiously motivated, hate crimes. Number five, the explosive incendiary anti semitism on the internet. Wherever you look at Twitter now x, there are more than 10 times anti semitic incitement against the Jewish than the rest of the world combined. These are horrific data, but they tell us about the nature of the particular universe that we are confronting. A seventh is the laundering of anti semitism under the very cover of anti racism itself, we even found Leith my roof, not only an anti Semite, but somebody who was anti Francophone, anti indigenous, etc, actually being the beneficiary of a grant from our anti racism directorate here and he is not the only one, as we have discovered, we have the laundering of anti semitism under universal public values under the protective cover of the UN, under the authority of international law, under the culture of human rights, under the struggle of anti race it this metastasizing through the laundering under the foundational values that underpin our country that underpin us, internationally. And brings me to the last two findings and there are more but I want to close with things. The erosion of ally ship groups with whom we used to work together in common cause Jews now find themselves rather alone. I remember as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, there was a fire bombing of a Jewish Day School that I had attended as a telemarketer. And at the same time there had been a an assault on a mosque. And so I brought together the Jewish leadership and the Muslim leadership and I said we need to work together in common cause and released at that point, the first ever national initiative against racism and hate and a council on national security. That is code was co chaired by a Muslim and a Jew. You know, I find that now, a lot of this has been done all over again, people don't even know that we had a national initiative against racism and they that we had a council on national security, but at least we were working there in allyship in common cause, unfortunately, that is being eroded. And that is painful. And we have to return to working together because as we've learned the only two well, that well it begins with Jews. It doesn't end with Jews. The most important historical finding is an anti semitism is toxic to democracies. It's an assault on our common humanity. It's the canary in the mineshaft of global evil, it cannot be fought, nor can it be won by Jews alone. We have to work together in common cause because in combating anti semitism, we are protecting our democracy. We are protecting our individual and collective human rights. We are protecting our individual and collective human dignity, just as in combating all forms of hate. Whether they be against indigenous people, blacks, people of color, Muslim, Asian Canadians and the like. We are her comments.
