Federal NDP Leader Avi Lewis is facing backlash after online comments tied Jewish responsibility to stopping the Gaza war.
The Story
NDP Leader Avi Lewis is drawing criticism after remarks posted online that some interpreted as blaming Jews collectively for failing to stop the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
According to the report, Lewis made the comments in the context of Yom Kippur, writing that he was reflecting on geopolitics during the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
In his post, Lewis said his reflection includes the view that “we failed to do our part to stop an ongoing genocide committed in our name,” a line that has become the focus of the controversy.
Jewish Liberal MPs Anthony Housefather and Ben Carr said the framing is wrong, arguing it is not appropriate to hold Jews responsible for actions taken by Israel.
The federal government’s official definition of antisemitism, referenced in the report, warns against collective accountability for Israel’s actions because it can encourage anti-Jewish hatred.
Advocacy groups and supporters have linked ideas of collective responsibility to incidents targeting Jewish institutions, including an attack near a synagogue reported in Belleville, Ont., on Sunday night.
The sequence of comments and pushback is unfolding in a heightened period for Canadian politics, where debates over the language used to discuss the Israel–Gaza conflict have repeatedly intersected with concerns about antisemitism.
For Canadians following national party politics, the dispute highlights the practical consequences of political rhetoric, particularly when it touches on identity-based responsibility and the federal government’s guidance on what constitutes antisemitism.
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