Commentary
Hamas, the Palestinian-based terrorist organization, launched its biggest attack on Israel in years on Oct. 7. The full-fledged assault, which coincided with the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, seemingly caught the Israel Defense Forces and intelligence services by surprise. More than 380 people are reportedly dead, with another 2,200 wounded.
Gruesome scenes of this attack have been posted on social media. This includes video clips of captured Israelis and dead bodies in the Gaza Strip, with supporters and others cheering on enthusiastically.
These horrific displays are often seen in rogue states, totalitarian regimes, and within the confines of bloodthirsty terrorist groups. You don’t normally expect a similar reaction in a democratic society.
Hence, some celebrations in support of Hamas’s actions that occurred on Canadian soil have created concerns it could turn into something much larger and potentially violent.
Small groups of young men in Toronto and Mississauga, Ont., reportedly went out that night to celebrate Hamas’s attack against Israel. One video that was posted on X by Rebel News had over 5.8 million views as of this writing. The men are riding in cars and trucks in Mississauga, and are enthusiastically cheering and waving Palestinian flags.
Should we be worried about this?
Canadian cities have witnessed many protests and rallies. Most have involved left-leaning activists, but not all. In recent years, we’ve seen the Occupy movement, Black Lives Matter, Freedom Convoy, #MeToo movement, yellow vests movement, Free Iran movement, and statues being toppled during COVID-19.
Toronto also had a significant protest in May 2021 that was organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement. Thousands rallied in support of Palestine, and against escalating tensions between Israel and Hamas at that time.
The right to protest is an important principle in a Western democracy. You don’t have to agree with a particular cause or message, but you shouldn’t restrict an individual’s ability to express themselves openly and freely. If you truly believe in free speech and freedom of expression, you should also be able to tolerate dissent and protest.
The key to this equation is to ensure that physical assault isn’t a component of a rally or protest. If a demonstration becomes violent in nature, this moves well past the free speech argument and into a discussion of either breaking it up or making arrests.
Did this occur during the small demonstrations in Toronto and Mississauga? No.
Could this ever occur if there are larger demonstrations with more people involved? Yes.
Public Safety Canada has listed Hamas as a terrorist entity for years. Former prime minister Stephen Harper was one of the first Western leaders to cut off funding for Palestine after Hamas formed government in Jan. 2006. Nevertheless, support for Hamas exists in Canada as it does in most other countries outside the Middle East.
Statistics for Canadian-based support of Hamas is obviously unknown. The numbers likely aren’t that huge. But if you look at overall support for Palestine and the Free Palestine Movement, there’s plenty of it on Canada’s left.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals tend to be pro-Israel, but notably disappointed the Israeli government by voting in favour of a 2019 United Nations motion in support of “the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.” Jagmeet Singh and the NDP have been far more vocal about Palestinian rights in recent years. Quite a number of radical left groups, including Black Lives Matter, Independent Jewish Voices, and Justice For All Canada, are onside. There’s also Al-Quds Day, an annual pro-Palestinian event, which has attracted racists, antisemites, anti-Israel activists, and others.
Canada’s overall feelings about Israel appear to be less than positive, too.
An EKOS survey for Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East released on Sept. 6 revealed that only 11 percent viewed Israel as a “vibrant democracy,” while 31 percent responded it was a “flawed democracy.” Meanwhile, 20 percent of respondents described Israel as “a state with restricted minority rights” while 38 percent believed it is “a state with segregation similar to apartheid.”
It would be wrong to suggest that everyone who either supports Palestine or has specific concerns with Israel supports Hamas and its terrorist agenda. You can’t paint all of these individuals and groups with the same brushstroke. At the same time, there are probably more than enough sympathetic voices who could potentially get involved in future rallies and protests if the situation continues to escalate.
The celebrations of Hamas’s terrorist attack against Israel by young men in Toronto and Mississauga, while both unfortunate and repulsive, isn’t something we need to be worried about right now. We can’t ignore these events, however, and we need to ensure they don’t get larger, out of control, and violent.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
