“Oct 7 2023”

The Ontario public school network is a systemically polluted ecosystem. This isn’t my opinion. The evidence is in, and it stinks to high heaven.

A recent survey on antisemitism in three Ontario school boards, submitted by then federal envoy for combatting antisemitism Deborah Lyons tallied 781 antisemitic incidents in Ontario K-12 schools, most of which occurred in metropolitan Toronto. Many involved Nazi tropes (“Heil Hitler,” “Hitler was right”). One in six were teacher-initiated or involved school-sponsored activities.

In a particularly chilling Oct 2024 incident, an Ottawa six-year-old was told by her teacher that, since one of her parents is Jewish, she is only “half human.” In Nazi Germany, treatment of such children “vacillated between persecution, semi-toleration, and racial reclassification.” Sound familiar?

The Iran-backed Palestinian terror group Hamas said earlier this week that it has delivered a “positive response” to mediators on the latest US proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal with Israel. The group’s leaders, however, continue to talk about the need to continue the “armed struggle” against Israel. For Hamas, the “armed struggle” means launching more terror attacks against Israel and murdering as many Jews as possible. Hamas leaders, in addition, continue to stress that they refuse to lay down their weapons.

The greatest threat to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future isn’t Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran or criticism by Prime Minister Mark Carney and his support for a Palestinian state.

Rather, it’s hundreds of past and present Israeli military and security officials who publicly oppose his plan to re-occupy Gaza City, now in its early stage, along with a growing portion of the Israeli public, including the families of many Israeli hostages.

I don’t think they’ll change coaches in the middle of a winning streak.

No reason for Israel to care much for “world” opinion any longer being damned no matter what they do.

A German court has ruled that a Nazi concentration camp memorial has the right to refuse entry to those wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh scarf.

The higher administrative court in the eastern state of Thuringia on Wednesday rejected a request from a woman to be allowed entry to the Buchenwald concentration camp memorial while wearing a keffiyeh.

According to local media reports, the woman was turned away when she attempted to attend a commemorative event marking the 80th anniversary of the camp’s liberation in April while wearing the scarf.

Ottawa-based Calian GNSS is pausing shipments of GPS antennas destined for Elbit, an Israeli defence firm, after shipping some last weekend, the company told CBC News in a statement.

“Given recent announcements by our Government and others regarding continued concerns for the region, Calian has paused this shipment and all future shipments until further notice,” said Calian’s corporate communications director Shelley MacLean.

The Israeli military says it is calling up about 60,000 reservists ahead of a planned ground offensive to capture and occupy all of Gaza City.

A military official said the reservists would report for duty in September and that most of the troops mobilised for the offensive would be active-duty personnel.

They added that troops were already operating in the Zeitoun and Jabalia areas as part of the preparations for the plan, which Defence Minister Israel Katz approved on Tuesday and will be put to the security cabinet later this week.

The BBC has admitted that a Gazan woman it claimed had died of malnutrition was being treated for cancer.

Over the weekend, the broadcaster reported that the 20-year-old, identified as Marah Abu Zuhri, died after she was evacuated to Italy for treatment while “severely emaciated”.

However, the Israeli military unit in charge of aid, known as the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, claimed shortly afterwards that she had been suffering from from leukaemia.

Hamas has agreed to the latest proposal from regional mediators for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal with Israel, a source in the Palestinian armed group has told the BBC.

The proposal from Egypt and Qatar is said to be based on a framework put forward by US envoy Steve Witkoff in June.

It would see Hamas free around half of the 50 remaining Israeli hostages – 20 of whom are believed to be alive – in two batches during an initial 60-day truce. There would also be negotiations on a permanent ceasefire.

Saint John’s International Culturefest, according to the festival’s website, is supposed to be “a vibrant celebration of multiculturalism, community, and connection.” But it erupted into chaos on Aug. 2, when demonstrators gathered around an Israel booth, engaging in what some members of the Jewish community have described as threatening and intimidating behaviour culminating in an alleged assault and two arrests. No statement was made by the committee organizing the festival or the local police. The story was largely ignored by local media.

This was the scene in St. John’s today, a #CeasefireNOW March.

Are these protesters standing up against anti-Semitism?

Oh, and by the way, is anyone speaking up for the poor souls held hostage by #HamasTerrorists?

Not a Newfoundland or Canadian Flag to be seen. pic.twitter.com/GiYaXVCBkL

— Ken Winsor (@nlmedia11) November 18, 2023

Entertainment industry leaders criticize TIFF’s handling of October 7 film in open letter

More than 1,000 entertainment leaders have signed an open letter released by the non-profit entertainment industry organization Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) critiquing how the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) handled the film, The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue.

The letter is a response to TIFF’s disinviting the film but then offering to work with the filmmakers, following a public backlash. TIFF later announced it would be an official festival selection.

And now back to our usual craziness … Trump Is Hitler!