Anti-Israel mural in Toronto
Anti-Israel mural in TorontoShalom Toronto

In a press release, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) has condemned the resolution passed by students at the University of Toronto to endorse the racist "Israel Apartheid Week" on its Scarborough campus. 

"Israeli Apartheid Week" is a campaign of anti-Israel propaganda funded by the extreme Leftist Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which aims to put international pressure on Israel to submit to the demands of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. 

“The passage of this racist resolution at the University of Toronto – Scarborough is a clear declaration of hate and intolerance for Jewish and Israeli students, and an effort to add to the voices calling for the destruction of the Jewish homeland,” said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo.

“Interestingly, no resolutions have been passed against the horrific and continuing civilian massacres in Syria or the incitement to murder Israelis by Hamas and Hezbollah; only Israel is targeted for its efforts to survive in one of  the most hostile and dangerous neighborhoods on the planet. This is a clear expression of hatred for the Jewish people and their right to a home on their ancestral land – and a truly depressing comment on the state of education at the university," Beniolo concludes.

The official text of the motion from the Student Union, who passed the motion to host the anti-Israel event, is below. 

WHEREAS Israeli Apartheid Week (IAVV) is an annual, internationally recognized event that cities and campuses all over the world participate in; and WHEREAS the aim of IAW is to raise awareness and promote discussion about topics that affect SCSU members; and WHEREAS IAW is an event that many SCSU members get involved with and plan many ini-tiatives and programming that engage the UTSC community; and

WHEREAS the purpose of IAW is in accordance with the SCSU mandate of supporting self-determination, combating oppression and recognizing fundamental human rights; there-fore

BE IT RESOLVED that the SCSU endorse Israeli Apartheid Week; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the SCSU be in solidarity with campus groups that organize around Israeli Apartheid Week at UTSC.

Anti-Semitism in Canadian campuses has swelled over the past year, with many radical students openly supporting the Palestinian Arabs and opposing Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. Already, several University of Toronto campuses - in Regina, York, Toronto, and Carlton - have approved anti-Israel activities, openly embracing the BDS movement since being approached by pro-Palestinian Nationalist groups in 2005.