The Trudeau Liberals have branded themselves a feminist government since Canadians voted for “sunny ways” in the 2015 federal election. Gender parity, gender analysis, feminist economy; these are all terms we've come to be familiar with in the last eight years. Naturally, you’d expect this government to take a firm, principled stand when revelations came out that large numbers of UNRWA employees participated in the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack that left over 1,200 dead including 22 Canadians and initially, they did. Canada did cut off funding to UNRWA along with many western nations. But as is often the case with this government, pressure from aggressive front groups and perceived political expediency often win out over principle and on March 8, 2024, the Trudeau government announced the resumption of funding to UNRWA.
A few important points of context to note. First off, the investigation into how deep the rot at UNRWA goes as far as the October 7th terror attack is concerned is ongoing. The government had promised not to restore funding until said investigation was complete. As with many promises this government has made, it was clearly broken. Secondly, significant evidence has come out of UNRWA employees either cheering on the 10/7 massacre, or outright participating in the killing themselves. Such crimes include horrific accounts of torture and mass rapes that have left survivors with traumas they may never truly surmount as verified by the UN themselves recently. And finally, even if UNRWA employees had not been part of the killings, for years UNRWA employees, particularly its teachers, have been at the forefront of propagating the genocidal antisemitism that fueled the 10/7 massacre to Gazan children for the better part of two decades. Even before 10/7, this organization was simply unworthy of Canadian taxpayer support.
Given the above, and given the second class treatment of women in Gaza under Hamas rule with UNRWA’s total knowledge and consent, for Canada’s government to cave into the pressure and restore funding to such a nefarious organization on International Women’s Day is a true slap in the face, a middle finger to women around the world. To give even a dime to an organization with murderers and rapists in their ranks and whose directorate has blamed Israel for the rape and murder of their own women is truly disgusting and brings shame upon all Canadians. It also makes Jewish Canadians even less safe than they have been since 10/7 because it sends the message to Hamas supporting goons in our country that sufficient thuggery and intimidation will cow the government into surrender because it lacks a backbone. Expect more hooliganism outside synagogues, Jewish community centers, Holocaust museums, hospitals with Jewish connections etc. Why? Because our government confirmed today that such methods work.
A minor solace is that some Liberal MPs have come out against this; MPs Anthony Housefather and Marco Mendocino in particular. Both issued a joint statement just prior to this. Many aggressively attacked the two men for not having left caucus yet, but let’s be fair and acknowledge that this is not an easy decision to make. That said, it is clear that party brass is not listening to them. In spite of their consistent efforts to call out anti semitic harassment on our streets and to try and dissuade the government from this latest decision, neither ministers Joly and Hussen nor PM Trudeau have acted on their words. Up to now, I have refrained from attacking the two of them for not sitting as independents or crossing the floor as many have, especially Housefather who is Jewish. I believe it’s good to have Jewish (and allied) voices in both major parties and both of their ridings are strongly Liberal, so maybe consideration for their constituents could be holding them back from doing so. That said, I think a moral failing of this magnitude could be the final straw. It probably should be.
We’ve learned a lot since 10/7. We’ve learned that “believe all women” does not apply to Jewish women. We’ve learned that a disturbingly high amount of people in the west are happy to cheer for murderous terrorists who’d happily dispatch them given the chance because these people are limited to a world view concocted in what passes for a liberal arts education these days. We’ve learned that the post-war contrition for the vicious Jew hatred that led to the Holocaust is over. Maybe it was never a thing at all. A sloppy disguise into hatred of the world’s only Jewish state is what we have now but any sane person knows what’s behind that. The dangerous climate that led to the anti-semetic Christie Pits riot of the 1930’s is back. Finally, we’ve learned that western leaders are feckless. They talked a good game in the days after 10/7, but as feared, they’ve bowed to the pressure of aggressive anti-Israel mobs and instead of pressuring Hamas to surrender and release the hostages, they pressure Israel to let Hamas off the hook and therefore assure everyone a new war in a few years time. The 1930’s are back in that sense as well. The 1940’s are coming hard and fast. There is still time to change the road we’re on, but as long as we have leaders willing to give women the middle finger and pass million in taxpayer funds to violent, genocidal misogynists, I’m pessimistic. There will be blood.
At least in Canada, there was nothing to celebrate this International Women’s Day. We should bow our heads in shame, starting with ministers Joly and Hussen and of course, the prime minister. I hope the Hamas operatives and UN big-wigs receiving money that the middle class and the even more of us working even harder now to join it these days enjoy the windfall. Meanwhile, on behalf of Canadians, my sincere apologies to the women of the world. I wish our leaders would have done better, for your sisters murdered on October 7th, and those who will be later on thanks to the incompetence of our leadership in the west.
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