Mr. Speaker, on Friday evening, armed vandals forced their way into the Mariperez Synagogue in Caracas, assaulted a security guard and spent several hours defacing this place of worship with anti-Semitic and anti-Israel graffiti.
Canadians condemn with a single voice this barbaric and deeply offensive act, just as we condemn all acts of anti-Semitism wherever and whenever they occur anywhere in the world. Such acts are an affront to the values of Canadians and to all civilized people. Acts of hatred against any faith deserve condemnation and, given the long history of anti-Semitism as the prototype for all other forms of religious and racial bigotry, this particular attack impels us to an immediate and uncompromising response.
With these considerations in mind, Canadians stand in solidarity with the good people of Venezuela in condemning this uncivilized act.