Toronto, ON - Jews Say No to Genocide, particularly our CUPE and other union members, condemn the calls from CUPE executives for CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn to resign over a video he shared on his Facebook page on August 11th. This video, calling for a ban on Israel’s participation in the Olympics, depicted an Olympic diver representing the State of Israel with a Magen David (Star of David) on his shoulder. After jumping off the diving board, as the diver begins his rapid descent towards the water, the video cuts to a bomb falling and exploding on buildings in Gaza.
The video in question has been called antisemitic because the diver appears with just a Star of David alone, and not with a small stripe above and below it denoting the symbol of the Israeli flag. As Jews who have spent the last ten months watching in sheer agony as Israel has slaughtered the Palestinian people of Gaza around the clock, we have witnessed the Jewish symbolism of the Star of David being used to mark horrific Israeli violence against Palestinians. Last year, Israeli police branded the star of David on the cheek of a Palestinian man who was detained from Shuafat refugee camp in occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli soldiers regularly paint the symbol on the rubble and carve it in the ground of neighborhoods in Gaza destroyed by their attacks, and erect it over ethnically cleansed Palestinian villages. Just as Israel claims its actions on behalf of the entirety of the Jewish people, so too has it wrapped itself in Jewish symbolism, such as by placing the Star of David at the centre of their flag.
Fred Hahn has apologised for sharing the video and has taken responsibility for the antisemitism underlying the conflation of a Jewish symbol with the actions of the state of Israel. We thank Fred for his statement acknowledging the nuances of antisemitism and his steadfast commitment to fighting true antisemitism everywhere. But as families in Gaza relocate for the tenth time or are burned alive, as they watch Israeli bombs decimate “safe zones” and tent camps, we wholeheartedly object to the premise that Jews are endangered by a video calling necessary attention to the hypocrisy of allowing a genocidal state to freely compete in the Olympics, or by impassioned pleas from labour leaders to end Israel’s efforts to wipe Gaza off the map.
As the democratically elected President who rank and file members gave another mandate in May of this year, we believe that Fred Hahn is best positioned to speak for CUPE Ontario–not the CUPE bureaucrats calling for his resignation. Hahn has a demonstrated record of commitment to fighting the actual roots of antisemitism that pose a threat to Jews –– white supremacy and white nationalism, fascism, and the rise of the far-right are what make Jews unsafe, not criticism of the state of Israel or solidarity with Palestinians. We know that it is through a commitment to solidarity among marginalised groups, which Hahn consistently demonstrates, that Jews will be safe, rather than unwavering allegiance to a genocidal state.
We are disappointed in the National Executive Board of CUPE for caving to Zionist pressure and undermining the will of their membership. In their stance again Hahn, they find themselves among not only genocide apologists, but also keeping company with Doug Ford, who is no friend to workers. We demand that CUPE executives do the right thing and rescind their motion of non-confidence; they should stand with Fred, not Ford. Brother Hahn has the confidence of his membership.
CUPE Ontario and the broader labour movement more generally have always been strong supporters of Palestinian liberation. As workers, we know that our liberation is intertwined. Zionists are using this video in an attempt to silence Fred Hahn and the Palestinian solidarity movement - something they have been committed to for years.
Calling for the resignation of a labour leader taking a stand for justice is a shameful distraction from the hate-fuelled violence we are all witnessing that, according to The Lancet - one of the oldest peer-reviewed medical journals in the world - will have claimed a minimum of 186,000 Palestinian lives. As a coalition representing thousands of Jews in Canada, we instead reiterate the call for the resignation of the Liberal Ministers who are arming and abetting the crime of genocide.
Hahn, and other brave and principled leaders have refused to stay silent, continuing to speak out against the genocide, and Canadian complicity in Israeli’s actions at every turn. One video, and Zionist discomfort with it, will not stop a global wave of support for Palestine. We refuse to waver in our calls for an end to genocide in Gaza. We stand with Brother Hahn, the global Palestinian solidarity movement, and the people of Palestine.
EDITOR'S NOTE, Aug. 22, 3:36 pm ET: The incident described in the statement where Israeli police branded the star of David on the cheek of a Palestinian man happened last year, not last week as was originally published.
Media Contact: Gur Tsabar, gur.tsabar@gmail.com, 347.248.1390 cell
Jews Say No to Genocide is a coalition of Independent Jewish Voices, United Jewish Peoples Order, IfNotNow Toronto, World Beyond War, Jewish Members of Showing Up for Racial Justice Toronto, Jewish Faculty Network and other members of the Jewish community in Canada.