The University of Toronto, York University and Ryerson University hosted Israeli Apartheid Week events to commemorate Al-Nakba, the catastrophe, which is the name Arab invaders have given to Israel’s Independence Day. Jihadis consider any Jew escaping death a catastophe. Here is a report from the University of Toronto.
Anti Israel bias (the new anti-Semitism) at the University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a world-renowned institution, generously funded by the taxpayers. It is the place where insulin was discovered. It is also the birthplace of “Israel Apartheid Week” (IAW), an annual, week-long, anti-Israel symposium with associated anti-Semitic activities that in four short years has spread to campuses throughout Canada, as well as in the United States, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The stated aim of IAW is “to push forward the analysis of Israel as an apartheid state and to bolster support for a boycott, divestment, and sanctions campaign”. The IAW includes presentations by individuals that are on record either calling for the destruction of Israel, supporting terrorism against Israel, denying the Holocaust, and/or expressing anti-Semitic views. This event has also been used as a platform to spread anti-Semitism outside of the university system. In 2007, the IAW at the U of T included a “Day of Action” to initiate a boycott of a book retailer owned and operated by prominent Jewish philanthropists with ties to Israel.
A UN resolution designates “apartheid” as a crime against humanity. Therefore, to label Israel as an “apartheid state” is to convict supporters of Israel at the university and elsewhere as accessories to a reprehensible international crime. IAW creates an atmosphere on campus that is hostile to Jewish students and to students and faculty that have affinity for the Jewish people or Israel. A Jewish student organization on campus has filed formal grievances with the University administration in response to this event. Faculty members have also asked the administration to shut it down. Indeed, last year, 70 non-Jewish and Jewish Professors signed a letter respectfully requesting that it be stopped. In addition to student and faculty groups, Hillel, the Canadian Coalition for Democracies and B’nai Brith have all expressed concerns over the hosting of IAW by the U of T.
The University administration has acknowledged that members of the University community have raised concerns about these events and have reported feeling deeply offended and hurt as a result. Despite this, their position is that Freedom of Speech must be protected. However, the application of this critical university policy would appear to be somewhat biased. The University would rightly prevent any student group from organizing an overtly racist or sexist symposium, but the IAW, which incites hatred of Jews, is tolerated. The administration notes that its Student Code of Conduct does not apply to IAW since the activities could not be described as “vexatious conduct directed at one or more specific individuals”. Surely, vexatious conduct against visible minorities or against women would be considered unacceptable, even if not directed against a specific individual.Finally, this is more than an issue of unpleasantness on campus. The IAW comes at a time when Israel is being threatened with nuclear annihilation by Iran, when Israel is under constant attack from terrorists targeting civilians, and when anti-Semitic attacks world-wide have reached levels not seen since the Second World War. While the administration insists that it does not endorse IAW, by allowing it to take place on campus, the University of Toronto legitimizes its message and goals. The University has stated that it will not tolerate homophobia, racism, and Islamophobia on campus. Why then does it hostIsrael Apartheid Week?
How is it that wealthy donors, many of them Jewish, continue to support the University? Here is a 2002 list of major donors. If you know any of them, tell them what you think about Apartheid Week at the U of T.
$50,000,000 or more
The R. Samuel McLaughlin Foundation$25,000,000 to $49,999,999
Ted and Loretta Rogers
$10,000,000 to $24,999,999
John and Margaret Bahen
Leslie and Anna Dan
Edna M. Davenport
The Honourable Henry N. R. Jackman
Murray and Marvelle Koffler *
Sandra and Joseph Rotman
Jeffrey S. Skoll
Anne Tanenbaum
Apotex Foundation/Honey and Barry Sherman
Canadian Credit Management Foundation/Marcel Desautels
2 Anonymous Donors$5,000,000 to $9,999,999
Isabel and Alfred Bader
Mark S. Bonham
Terrence Donnelly
Pierre Lassonde and Claudette MacKay-Lassonde
Stephan R. and Sophie Lewar
Russell and Katherine Morrison
Barrick Heart of Gold Fund, TrizecHahn Corporation, Peter and Melanie Munk *
Bell Canada
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario
Nortel Networks
Vision Science Research Program
1 Anonymous Donor$1,000,000 to $4,999,999
Margaret L. Anderson
Conrad M. Black/Hollinger Inc.
Andrea and Charles Bronfman
Roel and Dorothy Buck
Vivian and David Campbell *
Clarice Chalmers *
Lloyd and Kay Chapman
Cheng Yu-tung
Chow Yei Ching
David Chu Shu-Ho
Fran and Edmund Clark
Jack H. and Mary E. Clark
Sydney and Florence Cooper and Family
The Evans Family
W. Robert and Gail Farquharson
Margaret and Jim Fleck
Roy and Ann Foss
Max and Gianna Glassman
Ira Gluskin and Maxine Granovsky-Gluskin
Ernest Charles Goggio and Family
Warren and Barbara Goldring
Senator Jerry S. Grafstein and Carole Grafstein *
Douglas and Ruth Grant
William and Nona M. Heaslip
Gerald R. and Geraldine Heffernan
Sam and Doris Lau
Lee Ka and Margaret Lau
Lee Shau-Kee
K. K. Leung
Dexter Man, Evelyn Yee-Fun Man, Patricia Man and Linda Y. H. Chan
The Honourable Margaret and Wallace McCain
William F. McLean
Robert W. McRae and Canadians Resident Abroad Foundation
Dusan and Anne Miklas
Peter L. Mitchelson/Sit Investment Associates Foundation
William F. Morneau Jr. *
James and Sheila Mossman
Eugene V. Polistuk
Gerald Schwartz and Heather M. Reisman
Marian A. Robertson
Barrie and Carol Rose and Family
William and Meredith Saunderson
Arthur R. A. and Susan Scace
Lionel and Carol Schipper
John Patrick and Margery Sheridan
Milton Shier Family
J. Richard and Dorothy Shiff
Robert C. Simmonds
Thomas and Beverley Simpson
Sorbara Family – Sam Sorbara, The Sam Sorbara Charitable Foundation, Edward Sorbara, Gregory Sorbara, Joseph Sorbara and Marcella Tanzola *
A. Michael and Monica Spence
Arthur Gordon Stollery
Joey and Toby Tanenbaum
Mark M. Tanz
F. Michael Walsh *
Phyllis and Bill Waters
Rose Wolfe
Gregory Wolfond
Altera Corporation *
Alzheimer Society of Ontario
Archdiocese of Toronto
Associated Medical Services, Incorporated
Associates of the University of Toronto, Inc.
AstraZeneca
The Atkinson Charitable Foundation
Aventis Pasteur Limited
Bank of Montreal *
Basilian Fathers *
Bombardier Inc.
Brascan Corporation
Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Celestica *
CIBC
The CIT Group Inc.
City of Mississauga
City of Scarborough
CN
Corus Entertainment
The Counselling Foundation of Canada
Donner Canadian Foundation
The Edper Group Foundation
Edwards Charitable Foundation
Energenius Incorporated
The Full-Time Students of Erindale College
The Lionel Gelber Foundation
General Motors of Canada Limited *
GlaxoSmithKline
HATCH
The Heinrichs Foundation
IBM Canada Limited *
Imasco Limited
Imperial Oil Charitable Foundation
Petro Jacyk Educational Foundation
Ignat Kaneff Charitable Foundation
The Ben and Hilda Katz Foundation
The W. M. Keck Foundation
The Henry White Kinnear Foundation
The Albert and Temmy Latner Family Foundation
The Law Foundation of Ontario
Drs. Richard Charles Lee and Esther Yewpick Lee Charitable Foundation
Liberty Health
Magna International Inc.
Manulife Financial
Maple Financial Group Inc.
Massey College
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation
Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation of Toronto
Novo Nordisk Canada Inc.
Ontario College of Pharmacists
The Ontario HIV Treatment Network
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Parkinson Society Canada
Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario
The Helen and Paul Phelan Foundation
The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation
Fondation Baxter & Alma Ricard
Rogers AT&T Wireless
RBC Foundation
Dr. Scholl Foundation
SciCan – Division of Lux and Zwingenberger *
Scotiabank Group
Shoppers Drug Mart
Southam Inc.
Stevelyn Holdings Ltd.
Sun Life Financial
Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Sciences Centre
TD Bank Financial Group *
Teck Cominco
Tembec Inc.
The Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
The Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Nursing
Toronto Stock Exchange
Torys LLP
Friends of the Trinity College Library
University of Toronto Alumni Association
University of Toronto Press Inc.
University of Toronto Schools’ Alumni Association
George and Helen Vari Foundation
The Sam and Ayala Zacks Foundation
9 Anonymous Donors* These organizations or individuals have also supported the university through donations in kind.
For the complete list click here.
