Justice Committee on May 23rd, 2024

Evidence of meeting #105 for Justice and Human Rights in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was jews.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Antisemitism and Additional Measures that Could be Taken to Address the Valid Fears that are Being Expressed by Canada’s Jewish Community

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Deborah Lyons Special Envoy for Preserving Holocaust Remembrance & Combatting Antisemitism, As an Individual

Richard Robertson Director, Research and Advocacy, B’nai Brith Canada

Richard Marceau Vice-President, External Affairs and General Counsel, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs

Jaime Kirzner-Roberts Senior Director, Policy and Advocacy, Simon Wiesenthal Center Canada

James A. Diamond Joseph & Wolf Lebovic Chair of Jewish Studies, University of Waterloo, As an Individual

Ted Rosenberg Doctor, As an Individual

Deidre Butler Associate Professor, Network of Engaged Canadian Academics

Cary Kogan Professor, Network of Engaged Canadian Academics

10:15 a.m.

Bloc

Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC

I vote for equality between all religions and all ways of thinking. Thank you.

10:15 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Lena Metlege Diab

Thank you.

Mr. MacGregor, go ahead, please, for the final one and a half minutes.

10:15 a.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Thank you, Madam Chair.

It's obvious that every Canadian student, no matter what their background, needs to enjoy the right to feel safe in a safe and welcoming learning environment, where they can go about unobstructed and enjoy that academic freedom. I think so many witnesses have underlined that this is so important to our democracy as a whole.

Out of this committee's studies and what we've heard from witnesses, there are obviously going to be some short-term, medium-term and long-term recommendations to the government.

In the immediate term, given that the security is so absent for so many Jewish students and academics, what would you like to see to try to bolster the security for Jewish students presently? Is there anything that you'd like to see us recommend to the federal government?

10:20 a.m.

Associate Professor, Network of Engaged Canadian Academics

Dr. Deidre Butler

Thank you.

I interview Holocaust survivors. One of the survivors I interviewed many years ago was David Shentow. He said that when people say they're going to kill you and they hate you, believe them.

I would ask anyone who has any authority and leadership to lead on this issue. When you're hearing things in our universities that are hateful and that are threatening to our students, faculty and staff, believe them, take them seriously and act with whatever ability you have to act.

10:20 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Lena Metlege Diab

Thank you very much.

Thank you to all our witnesses. Your testimony has been critical for our study. If you feel you needed to say something that you were not able to, you have our apologies, but send it in writing. We will have weeks prior to completing our report.

Thank you very much to the witnesses and thank you to our members.

This concludes this session for today. Thank you very much and we'll see you next week.