Local News
Ben Carr explains comments he made about Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu
On January 29 a conference was held in Jerusalem titled “Settlement Brings Security.” Although the conference was not organized by the Israeli government per se, 12 members of the ruling right-wing coalition government of Israel were in attendance, including two cabinet ministers: National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
At the conference strong support was given to rebuilding Jewish settlements in Gaza and the northern part of the occupied West Bank. Ben Gvir has also called for the forced resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza to outside of Gaza.
In response to that conference, Winnipeg South Centre Liberal MP Ben Carr suggested publicly that it would be in the best interests of the Middle East and the world if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were to leave office.
According to a CBC report, “Carr said that he has major concerns about the Israeli government and he hopes Netanyahu will be, in his words, ‘gone sooner rather than later.’
“Carr, who is Jewish, says he does not support politicians on the far right of the spectrum in Israel who display maps of Gaza with Israeli flags.
” ‘Governments change,’ said Carr, and Israel is still an ally that has an important security role to play in the region.
” ‘It’s very, very important that we remember that governments come and governments go, and our relationships with states are deeper than the relationship that we may have with the current government in power,” he said Wednesday, January 31.
” ‘My hope is that Netanyahu will be gone sooner rather than later, because I think that’s in the best interests of everybody in the region, and I think that’s in the best interests of everybody around the world.”
” Carr also made the point that the Liberal Party is a ‘microcosm of society,’ and there are various views about the Israel-Hamas conflict within his caucus.”
“Throughout the conflict, a handful of Liberal MPs, including Carr, have been vocal about their opinions on Canadian government policy — and not always aligned with it.
” ‘It makes sense that these conversations are happening and I don’t think that it’s a source of negativity or division,’ Carr said.”
On Monday, February 5, we contacted Ben Carr, asking him whether he would consent to an interview in which he could elaborate upon the criticism that he had leveled at Prime Minister Netanyahu the previous week.
Following is that interview:
Carr began by saying, “I want to start by responding, Bernie, to a point that I know some have raised – and there are often questions about whether it’s appropriate or the place of a Member of Parliament in Canada to comment on the affairs of another nation, in this case, Israel.
“What I want to say to that is that when the domestic affairs of that nation spill over into the domestic affairs of my nation, our nation, and impact those that I represent to the degree that this conflict has, I feel it is reasonable and responsible for me to lend my voice to the conversation. As I have said previously in written statements, throughout the course of this conflict, I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu has been an obstacle to peace in the region.
“The most direct and specific examples for me, in which this has been highlighted in recent weeks, include two things: One, his refusal to accept that a two state solution is a viable path forward, even if Hamas is not the representative body at the table. And secondly, his refusal or reluctance to criticize publicly or condemn the behaviour or views being presented by those on the extreme right of the political spectrum in Israel.
“I believe that continues to pose an obstacle to a peace that is so desperately desired.”
I asked Carr whether he thought national Jewish organizations, such as CIJA or B’nai Brith “should also be leveling the same kind of criticism at the Netanyahu government?”
Carr responded: “I’m not going to give any direction to what the leadership of national organizations may want to do or choose to say about this particular issue. That’s their business, not mine. I am happy, as always, to engage in conversations as I have from the beginning of this conflict with the leadership of both national Jewish organizations and local Jewish organizations.
“But the opinions that I’m sharing are the opinions of a Member of Parliament who is faced with the challenges brought to me by constituents daily in regards to this conflict. So my comments are in relation to the responsibility I feel I have as a leader at the federal level for people in Winnipeg South Center.
“So my commentary is rooted in that. What national Jewish organizations want to say, or feel they should say, are decisions that rest with them, and it is certainly not my intention, or desire, or business to provide them with any guidance on that front.”
JP&N: “Have you received any feedback following the reports in the media about what you had said?”
Carr: “Anytime a Member of Parliament comments on policy publicly, and particularly when a Jewish Member of Parliament, which I am, comments publicly on an issue as divisive, challenging, and sensitive as the Middle East, there will undoubtedly be reaction from folks with varying perspectives on the issue. In this instance, I would say that I have been met with more positive and favourable reactions from folks who also believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu currently poses an obstacle to peace in the Middle East than from those who believe that he is moving the region in a direction that they would like to see.”
JP&N: “What about from among your own colleagues in the Liberal Jewish caucus? Have you had reaction from them?”
Carr: “I’m not going to share the granular details of my discussions with colleagues as much of that happens behind closed doors. However, I would say, without speaking for them, because it is not my job to speak on behalf of my colleagues, that much like the reaction I have had from constituents, the reaction from those I work with, both within the Liberal Party and beyond, has been less on the critical side of things, vis-a-vis the comments I made about Prime Minister Netanyahu.”
JP&N: “One final question: Do you plan on pursuing this course of, of trying to raise the issue how Netanyahu is an obstacle to peace, or was that your one kick at the cat, so to speak?”
Carr: ” I want to be very clear about something. The decision as to who leads the Israeli government belongs in the hands of the Israeli people. I have not suggested, and I am not now suggesting, that in any way, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government or leadership is illegitimate. Nor do I believe that any foreign state, whether allies or not, should have a say in dictating the outcome of those elections.
“However, to the point I made earlier, I don’t believe it is unreasonable or irresponsible to lend a voice as an elected official on an issue with domestic consequences for those that I represent to comment. Bernie, I am not in Ottawa and the Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre to focus only on one issue.
“There are dozens of preoccupations and issues on the minds of the people I represent, inclusive of climate change, affordability, health care, reconciliation, housing, that they expect me to be advocating for and representing their interests on in Ottawa. The Middle East is an issue that I am confronted with.
“It’s a serious issue. It’s a challenging issue. It’s a divisive and sensitive issue. My work will continue to be focused on representing a wide array. of the issues that matter to people in Winnipeg South Center. So, so far as my commentary regarding the conflict in the Middle East is concerned on principle, when I feel or where I feel people expect or deserve to hear from me, I will speak up and lend my voice.
“However, the issues facing the Middle East at the moment do not occupy the only piece of real estate in my mind or in my energy as it is concerned to the work I undertake as a Member of Parliament.”
Local News
Application filed by two former members of Etz Chayim Congregation against the congregation to have their memberships restored dismissed by judge
The following is taken from the Canadian Jewish News website: “Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench has dismissed Hadass Eviatar and David Hoult’s application challenging the termination of their membership at Congregation Etz Chayim. In his decision, Justice Vic Toews noted that, although Hoult’s letter describing a hypothetical attack on the synagogue may have lacked sensitivity given the political climate, he did not intend to threaten violence against congregants. However, the judge ruled that the court did not have jurisdiction to intervene in the membership dispute under Manitoba’s Corporations Act, finding that the couple had no financial, proprietary or economic interest that would entitle them to the remedies they sought. The judge concluded that religious organizations are generally free to determine their own membership rules and ordered each side to bear its own legal costs.”
If you would like to read the original article that broke the story about the battle between Hadaass Eviatar and David Hoult with Etz Chayim Congregation you can go to Epic Court Battle.”
Local News
Jewish Federation now says Jewish population of Winnipeg in 2021 (according to the census) was 13,940 – not the 16,000 figure that the Federation had been touting for years
By BERNIE BELLAN (Posted Oct. 27, 2026) Longtime readers of The Jewish Post & News (and this website) would probably know that I have long had a very strong interest in establishing as accurate figures as possible when it has come to reporting the size of Winnipeg’s Jewish community.
For years I argued that our Jewish Federation was exaggerating the size of our Jewish population. I heard the figure of 16,000 bandied about by leaders in our community quite often when it came to reporting the size of our Jewish population – without any empirical evidence to back that figure up.
I had long maintained that the only reasonably accurate figures when it came to reporting the size of Winnipeg’s Jewish population were those produced by the late Evelyn Katz, when she was the unofficial demographer for the Jewish Federation – over 30 years ago. What Evelyn would do is keep careful track of births, deaths, numbers of newcomers but, perhaps most important: the number of people who had left our community.
Thus, in August 2022 when I interviewed Faye Rosenberg Cohen who, at the time, was just about to retire as the Jewish Federation’s Chief Planning and Allocations Officer, I was somewhat astonished to hear Faye say, when I asked her what proportion of our Jewish community was made up of immigrants, she answered that “I can honestly say when I look at those numbers it’s somewhere around 1/3 of the community.”
In response, I asked: “So you’d say it’s somewhere between 4-5,000?”
Faye said: “I think it’s more than that.”
I wrote in that article, “I indicated my skepticism at that time, saying ‘You know that I’ve always been skeptical about the numbers that have been used by the Federation for the population of the Jewish community. I think though that it’s always been more of a case of identification – who identifies as Jewish.’ ”
Later, after the results of the 2021 census were released, I wrote that “if you take into account the results of the 2021 census, the Jewish community cannot be larger than 14,270 at a maximum. But that figure would also include anyone who had either said either their ethnic origin was Jewish or their religion was Jewish.”
Since many of the individuals who had said on the 2021 census that their ethnic origin was Jewish, but their religion was something else, I maintained that ascertaining the real size of our Jewish community was highly problematic.
Still, for the sake of argument I was willing to accept that, realistically, it was somewhere between 13,000-14,000 – but nowhere close to the figure of 16,000 that had come to be suggested by our then president of the Jewish Federation or by other leading figures in our community.
So, it was with a sense of satisfaction that I heard Sharon Graham, who is now the Jewish Federation’s Community Planning and Allocations Lead say to an audience of over 50 people who were at the Gwen Secter Centre on Thursday, October 22, that the Jewish community in 2021 was – at a maximum: 13,940.
Sharon was at the Gwen Secter Centre to speak to Remis Lecture attendees. Her presentation preceded a presentation by Jewish Federation CEO Jeff Lieberman. Sharon used a PowerPoint presentation to provide some very interesting insights into where our Jewish community was at in 2021- and I’m offering some parts of her presentation here for you to read because I thought they were so interesting.
I had actually made many of the same observations about the results of the 2021 census in my own reporting back in 2022, but seeing what I had written confirmed by the Jewish Federation’s point person on planning told me that Sharon has a much more realistic view of our community than did Faye Rosenberg Cohen.
Here, for instance, is a slide that shows the proportion of our Jewish community that is made up of immigrants. It’s slightly under one fifth, not the one third percentage that Faye had suggested.
But, what really set Sharon’s presentation apart from anything else I’ve ever seen presented by someone from the Jewish Federation – other than the aforementioned Evelyn Katz, was the slide she projected which showed that, while there had been a large influx of newcomers to Winnipeg’s Jewish community between 2016-2021 there had also been a significantly high number of people who had left our Jewish community in those same years, as you can see in the following slide:
That is something we just don’t hear discussed by leaders of our Jewish organizations, but let’s be realistic: For many newcomers who came to Winnipeg and were counted as new members of our Jewish community, Winnipeg – for a variety of reasons, was a stepping stone to other communities. It may have been for reasons of better job opportunities, moving closer to other family members, or – the reason that we hear so often when it comes to people saying they want to leave Winnipeg: the weather.
But, whatever the reason, Sharon’s figures show that, as much as GrowWinnipeg may have been an abiding success when it’s come to attracting newcomers to our Jewish community here, getting them to stay long term is a different story.
And, while there were other aspects of Sharon’s presentation that certainly merit discussion, especially the figures she produced about intermarriage, rather than delving into them here, I thought it useful simply to insert them for you, the reader, to see – and draw your own conclusions.
Local News
Marty Green expands his protest against extremist Jewish settlers to two more venues – and is arrested twice more
(Tuesday, October 27) We received the following press release about Marty Green being arrested again, both at the University of Manitoba and at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue:
Both sides came to blows on Saturday, October 24, at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue as security personnel sought to prevent Marty Green from interfering with synagogue traffic as he protested just outside synagogue grounds against the actions of religious settlers in Israel’s occupied West Bank territory. Synagogue Executive Director Rena Secter Elbaze quickly intervened to prevent further escalation. Police arrived shorty thereafter and detained Green for 45 minutes before driving him home and releasing him. It is not clear whether their decision not to lay charges was the result of their own onsite investigation or whether it was at the request of the synagogue executive.
Green has now been arrested four times in the last month and faces multiple charges for disturbing the peace, including two episodes at the Asper Campus and one more this past Friday (Oct. 23) at the University of Manitoba. While Green says initially he was merely handing out leaflets (at the Asper Campus), since his first arrest on September 23, he has returned to the campus with a large placard and an acccordion, accompanying himself while singing songs with lyrics that include such phrases as “The Jews Are Bananas….B-A-N-A-N-A-S”. In addition to listing actions of the religious settlers as including arson, vandalism, and theft, he pointedly alleges that the IDF has been backing up the settlers in their actions.
Green had earlier notified the Shaarey Zedek that he was contemplating bringing his protest to the synagogue. He was told that if he attempted to enter the grounds he would be prevented from doing so. At that time, Secter Elbaze told Green that his intentions were inappropriate, declaring the synagogue to be “a house of worship dedicated to prayer, learning, community, and spiritual engagement.” Green responded that if the synagogue were willing to contact the Crown and inform them that “that there was never any legal basis for their claims that I was conducting myself inappropriately at the Asper Campus” (with regard to his earlier arrests) that he would “voluntarily refrain from carrying his informational campaign to the synagogue(s).”
Green further argues that the recent “psak” (religious ruling) by leading Israeli rabbi Rov Dov Lior, in which Lior declares that it is not merely permissible but praiseworthy for Jews to steal olives from Arab orchards….that this ruling brings his protest within the proper realm of religious discourse. He says further that if the local rabbis were willing to speak out to their congregations against the aforesaid psak, that he might have refrained from taking his campaign to their grounds.
Although Green was released on Saturday without charges, police confiscated his placard. They explained that it was being held as evidence pending an investigation by Major Crimes as to whether it constituted hate literature.
There was no further information given as to what happened at the University of Manitoba.
