ONDP expels member for referring to “Zionist Lobby”
On November 26, 2022, Henry Evans-Tenbrinke attended an Ontario NDP provincial council meeting which included a discussion about the party’s disciplinary action against MPP Joel Harden earlier that year. Earlier that month, Harden had been forced to apologize after criticizing Israel for human rights violations, and was accused of being antisemitic by pro-Israel groups[i]. During the discussion at the NDP council Evans-Tenbrinke, a longtime activist with the ONDP, commented on the party's disciplinary action against Harden. Evans-Tenbrinke suggested that the party had caved to the "Zionist lobby," leading an unnamed participant to lodge a complaint against him for using what was claimed to be an antisemitic term.
Suspension of nursing student Arij Al Khafagi
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On Monday, Nov. 21, 2023, Arij Al Khafagi, a fourth-year nursing student at the University of Manitoba was suspended due to social media posts she made expressing opposition to Israel’s violence against the Palestinians in Gaza. In addition to her suspension, Al Khafagi received a five-year reprimand on her academic transcript, despite being an exemplary student, and president of the Nursing Students’ Association.
Indigenous Artist’s Forced Resignation from AGO
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Wanda Nanibush left the Art Gallery of Ontario AGO in what was described as a mutual decision. However, insiders indicates that her resignation came against the backdrop of her long-standing public support for Palestinian rights, which had become a point of contention within the gallery and its wider community. This tension was exacerbated by the Israel’s violent response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Nanibush's prior advocacy had included drawing parallels between the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada and Palestinians, particularly in a 2016 feature for Canadian Art magazine[1]. Stephan Jost, AGO’s CEO, acknowledged Nanibush's honesty and her role in elevating Indigenous art and artists at the museum, despite these causing "difficult conversations."[2]
Sanctioning pro-Palestine law students at TMU
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On October 20, 2023, more than 70 students from Lincoln Alexander School of Law (LASL) at the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) published an open letter declaring support for “all forms of Palestinian resistance” and emphasized the role of Israeli oppression and apartheid in culminating the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.[1] Among other things, the letter demanded that TMU reverse its neutral position on Israel-Palestine which “implicitly denies colonialism and upholds racism and Islamophobia.”[2]
Reinstatement of Dr Ben Thomson By Mackenzie Health
On October 13, 2023, Dr. Ben Thomson, a nephrologist at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital was given a one-month suspension without pay following social media posts he made in support of Palestine. In his tweet, Thomson was warning against the danger of spreading misinformation that is used to dehumanize Palestinians and justify Israel’s genocide in Gaza.[1] The tweets made by Thomson received criticism from colleagues and anonymous individuals online who labelled Thomson antisemitic and called for him to be fired.[2]