Ontario School Board Investigating High School’s Use of Palestinian Protest Song on Remembrance Day

Canadian Armed Forces members salute after the Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Nov. 11, 2023. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) says it will conduct a “thorough investigation” into reports that a local school used a Palestinian protest song in its Remembrance Day ceremonies on Nov. 11.

Sir Robert Borden High School allegedly played “Haza Salam” in Arabic during its ceremony. The song has become connected to protests about Israel and the ongoing war in Gaza.

The school board told The Epoch Times in an email that it will investigate, making sure the issue is addressed “appropriately” and “meaningfully.”

“Student well-being is our priority, and we are committed to ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment for all students,” OCDSB general manager of communications Diane Pernari said in the email.

Pernari said no further comments will be made until the investigation is complete.

In a letter to families, principal Aaron Hobbs offered his apologies to those who were offended.

“At Sir Robert Borden, we pride ourselves on creating a respectful and inclusive environment for all students, regardless of their background, faith, or identity. Our intention during the ceremony was to foster a message of peace and remembrance, reflecting on the importance of unity and reconciliation,” the letter said.

“However, we recognize that the song chosen - while intended to highlight themes of peace - also inadvertently caused offence and discomfort to some students, and for that, we regret our choice.”

Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod raised concerns over the incident on social media.

“It was a politically charged move including a Palestinian war song at a Remembrance service for Canadian veterans,” she wrote in a Nov. 12 post on the X platform.

Independent MPP Goldie Ghamari said Nov. 11 ceremonies are about Canadians.

“It’s not racist to expect taxpayer-funded institutions to observe Canadian traditions in Canada’s official languages,” she said in a Nov. 12 post on X.

Independent Ontario MP Kevin Vuong also spoke out about the issue.

“If Principal Aaron Hobbs thinks #RemembranceDay is about ‘a white guy who has done something related to the military’, he has clearly never been to a service & has no business being a school administrator, never mind one entrusted with educating children,” Vuong wrote in an X post, referring to a reported comment by the school principal.

The Jewish Federation of Ottawa also took to social media to express concern.

“Including a song associated with one side of an ongoing foreign conflict—especially one currently contributing to division and tension in our communities—reflects poor judgment for a public-school setting,” the organization said.