This week’s tonic: “The Middle East and the Erosion of our Public Discourse” by Liberal MP Ben Carr

Winnipeg South Centre Liberal MP Ben Carr is one of many Liberals in the federal caucus torn between his strong support for Israel as an ancestral home for Jews the world over, and the horrors that country's right-wing government and armies have inflicted on innocent Palestinian civilians in reaction to the disgusting pogrom that took place on Oct 7th, 2023.   

Most mainstream Canadian minds and hearts were with Israel, as well as with our Canadian Jewish friends in the immediate aftermath of those vicious attacks.  We demanded the Israeli hostages be released and that the Hamas forces that conducted the pogrom be destroyed and removed from power. 

Sadly, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's armies overplayed their hands and enacted a policy of collective punishment targeting all Palestinians in Gaza for what Hamas did.  Rather than utilize the technology that Israel no doubt possesses to surgically target Hamas leaders where they're located, Israeli armies instead decided to shoot missiles into Gazan neighbourhoods, seemingly indifferent to the civilian deaths and injuries they were causing.  Claims that the IDF were simply targeting Hamas when they blew up yet another Gazan school or residential neighbourhood rang less and less true, as none were accompanied by verified evidence.  We had to take Israel's word for it and ignore what our own eyes were seeing. 

The deaths of 1,200 innocent Israelis on Oct 7th do not justify the deaths of 32,000 and counting innocent Gazans.  It's disproportion on steroids.  Coupled with the racist rhetoric coming from Netanyahu's cabinet and the accusations of thuggery by the IDF, it was clear this was more than simply taking out the Hamas leaders who organized Oct 7th.  

Suddenly, it became clear that a grotesque act of genocide against Israelis on Oct 7th was being met with an even larger and more grotesque act of genocide against Palestinians by Israel.    

There's been a shift in world opinion on this conflict this time.  People like me who didn't have such a nuanced understanding of the long history of the conflict but had long supported Israel's right to exist were suddenly confronted with new facts that horrified us.   

We were being told to "Shut up! Support Israel! Any criticism of Israel is antisemitic! And there is no end to the number of missiles we need to shoot at Gazans because they deserve what they're getting for supporting Hamas!"

These assertions also included, "Oh by the way, if you try to hold a single Canadian Jewish person to account on this conflict, you are guilty of antisemitism and need to be stopped."  

I feel for Canadian Jews caught in the middle of this conflict.   Like I've said before, most Canadian Jews I know have very nuanced, torn feelings about Israel's actions going back decades.  I don't believe random Canadian Jews should be targeted by protesters or be held to account for Israel's actions, any more than random Palestinians in Canada or in Gaza should be held to account for the actions of Hamas.   

Calls from governments the world over for Israel to show restraint have gone mostly ignored by Israel.  

Against this, what are concerned Canadians with families trapped in Gaza, either by Hamas kidnappers, or by the Israeli army, to do?   Some take to the streets to protest.  

Do I take issue with the tones of some of these protests, which seem to be targeting random Canadian Jews, trying to hold them to account for the actions of the Israeli government?  Yes I do take issue with that.  It is wrong and it is antisemitic to target anyone in this way just because they're Jewish or perceived to be Jewish.  

Amidst all of this conflict, I found this piece this week by Liberal MP Ben Carr, who is Jewish, to be a breath of fresh air. 

Carr does an excellent job describing the situation and calling for moderation in the language used in the political discourse.  

We would never hear such fairness and nuance, coupled with steadfast support for a Jewish homeland in Israel, from any Conservative in this debate. 

Sadly, so many in this debate are talking past each other.  Some Israeli supporters are engaging in character assassination, questioning the motivations of protesters using heavy-handed and unfair logic, and writing off all protests as antisemitic.  Any criticism of the atrocities perpetrated by Israel is immediately met with the accusation the person giving that criticism is antisemitic.  

On the pro-Palestinian side, there is ample overstatement and conflation/simplifications that are simply illogical.  There are rings of truth, though, too.  Ultimately, we are seeing catastrophic death, famine and destruction inflicted on a people by a military with a long history of racist oppression of Palestinians.  Where is this is all going?  We shudder in horror to admit we appear to be witnessing a genocide in practise, if not clearly in racist intent.   The distinction between the two seems insignificant.   The end result could be the same, unless Israel pulls back on their destructive efforts.  

I hope negotiations to reach a ceasefire, free all of the hostages, and see Hamas removed from power, succeed soon.    

In this debate, Carr's comments are welcome tonics.  He reminds us to be vigilant, engaged, and urges moderation in rhetoric, to try to de-escalate the already inflamed political discourse.