Local News
Jewish Federation holds mayoralty election forum in front of packed audience at Berney Theatre, October 3rd
By BERNIE BELLAN On Monday, October 3 the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg sponsored an election forum in which six of the leading mayoralty candidates were invited to participate.
As was explained by moderator Jason Gisser, the rules were that each candidate would be invited to give an introductory statement, after which he would pose a series of eight questions to the candidates.
Each candidate would be given one and a half minutes to respond to the question. Once all the candidates had responded to the question, Jason would invite two of the six candidates to add a further 20 seconds to what they had said initially.
While the format was conducive to what turned out to be a relatively genteel event, the fact that the candidates were not allowed to enter into any sort of exchanges with each other no doubt removed any opportunity for a livelier debate. Also, five other candidates for mayor were not even invited to participate.
What follows is my impression of the evening. I want to make clear that I do not support any particular candidate and have not made up my mind how I will vote. Reports that I have read to date either tend to focus on individual candidates or, when they do report on a particular election forum, are relatively truncated. Instead, as is my usual style in reporting on a fairly lengthy event, I like to offer the reader snippets of what occurred so as to give more of a flavour of what went on – without intending it to be a comprehensive repetition of what was said.
Looming over the entire evening, it must be noted, however, given the news story that the CBC had recently broken which raised questions about Glen Murray’s behaviour while he was the executive director of the Pembina Institute, was the possibility that one or another of the candidates would want to launch into some sort of attack on Murray, who is the clear front-runner according to the most recent poll.
The fact is that the only reference to that news story came at the very end of the evening when Robert-Falcon Ouellette made an obvious allusion to the story – when he told of his experience having served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 27 years. During that time, he noted, there was a strong emphasis placed on maintaining the utmost respect for moral behaviour within the armed forces.
Ouelllette went on to say that “No matter what you do at the end of the day, you need a moral leader who will stand up for what is right in our city, that there are certain actions which are unacceptable in our city and there are times as a leader you must say the truth and speak that truth.”
“And so I speak it here today and I hope people understand what it is I’m talking about because it’s certainly unacceptable for us to be here on this stage all together.” (Interestingly, the CBC story that quoted Ouellette had the spelling of that last word as “altogether.” I would suggest that would impart quite a different meaning to what he meant.)
But, that remark came late in the evening, when the candidates were invited to give closing remarks for two minutes each, and – after moderator Jason Gisser had finished posing questions to the candidates.
Prior to that time though each of the candidates certainly came across as articulate and passionate. Perhaps the one candidate who decided to try to separate herself from the pack most distinctly was Jennie Motkaluk, who took a more strident approach when, for instance, she referred at different times to “critical race theory” and “woke” attitudes. She also brought a few smiles from the other candidates when she said she really likes “growth and money.”
The first two questions that Jason Gisser posed, however, might have seemed somewhat parochial to any non-Jews in the audience (and probably a good many Jews as well). The first had to do with anti-Semitism and what each of the candidates would do to combat it if they were mayor. Would they be willing to attend a planned mayors’ conference on combating anti-Semitism? they were asked. Not surprisingly, none of the candidates came out with a position defending antisemitism.
The second question – and one that evidently caught some of the candidates off guard, was whether they would want the city to adopt the “IHRA” definition of anti-Semitism. It was clear that not all the candidates were up to speed on what the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism is. I’m not quite sure what bringing it up had to do with a mayoralty contest in Winnipeg. It reminded me of the effort some years back – not just in Winnipeg, but throughout the world, to declare cities “nuclear free zones” – an interesting proposal, no doubt, but what relevance does it have to urban issues?
The next question though was very much one that has elicited a huge amount of discussion during this election: What would the candidates propose to do about poverty and homelessness?
Glen Murray said that he had practical experience combating homelessness – even prior to serving as mayor of this city, when he helped to foster a neighbourhood housing project in the Spence neighbourhood where, he said, 300 houses were built.
Shaun Loney demonstrated an especially keen knowledge of this file, citing his own background as what he described as a “social entrepreneur,” placing a strong emphasis on creating jobs. “I would add add 1,000 social enterprise jobs to Winnipeg,” he said.
As far as housing is concerned, Loney said he would create a “$100 million land trust.”
“It’s not a money problem,” he added; “it’s a system problem.”
Robert-Falcon Ouellette was somewhat dismissive of candidates’ promises to alleviate homelessness and poverty, asking whether “any of the politicians here are going to do anything but check off all the right boxes? Politicians are great at discussing things,” Ouellette suggested, but when it comes to actually doing things –well, that’s a different matter.
Later he added this observation: “Seventy-five percent of homeless people are aboriginal. They don’t need a home; they need a friend.”
Kevin Klein related his own experience growing up in poverty. His mother was actually killed by his abusive father when he was a kid, he told the audience and “I’ve lived under the poverty line a good part of my life,” he said.
As for politicians not ever doing anything but discuss things, Klein said that he personally brought forward a motion at City Hall to create “Homes for Heroes” – a project that saw a small number of homes allocated to war veterans in Winnipeg.
Scott Gillingham said that he was proud to have been involved in the effort to create a certain amount of “modular housing” for people living below the poverty line. He also said that City Council is implementing a “poverty reduction plan” that he was involved in crafting.
As for Jenny Motkaluk – she said that “the solution for poverty is a really nice job.”
“I want to bring 16,000 high paying jobs” to Winnipeg, she added.
As for homelessness, Motkaluk said “there are 780 derelict houses in this city. I want to auction them off.”
Shaun Loney added that “we need to realize that governments and not-for-profits need to work together.”
Jason Gisser asked each of the candidates to describe their “bold vision” for the future.
Jenny Motkaluk said that “the single biggest impediment to growth and investment in this city is our political leaders.”
Glen Murray said “We need to spend money on things that will make this city more beautiful.” He noted that when he was mayor three of the projects that were built during his time in office included: Waterfront Drive, the Esplanade Riel, and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (He observed as well that the CMHR was a great example of all three levels of government working together.)
In contrast, he noted that the single largest project undertaken by the city since his time in office was “$200 million spent of refurbishing the Post Office.”
Shaun Loney pointed to the deterioration of Winnipeg’s “green canopy”, saying that there are 30 different organizations devoted to protecting and expanding the number of trees in the city. He said he would like to consolidate all those efforts and work hard to protect our imperiled urban canopy.
Robert-Falcon Ouellette proposed the creation of an “urban national park” within Winnipeg to add green space to the city.
Kevin Klein said that his bold vision is to make Winnipeg “safe”, noting that “We can’t attract more people here if they don’t feel safe. People won’t ride the bus if they don’t feel safe.”
The next question was about infrastructure.
Jenny Motkaluk said “We’re going to end the corruption” associated with infrastructure projects.
Glen Murray said “We need more value planning to determine whether a project will return in value what it cost to build.” He cited Waterfront Drive as a project that has paid back many times over what it cost the city to create the infrastructure for that development.
Kevin Klein did comment later though that residents of Waterfront Drive are now having to deal with a huge upsurge in break-ins.
Shaun Loney said that rather than think about expanding infrastructure we ought “to focus on the infrastructure we’ve already built.”
Robert-Falcon Ouellette cited the example of Quebec City and its transit system as something Winnipeg could emulate, saying that in that city “People really enjoy taking the bus.”
In response to that suggestion, Kevin Klein said that currently “Seven thousand people a day in Winnipeg don’t even pay for the bus.”
Scott Gillingham proposed extending the Peguis Trail and widening Kenaston Boulevard.
Jason Gisser asked about public safety and what each of the candidates would do to make Winnipeg safer.
Scott Gillingham said that as mayor he would sit on the police board. He also said that he would split up police calls so that police don’t respond to every call for service, with other personnel used in situations that would be better served by another type of emergency responder.
Shaun Loney called for a return to community based policing – with “more cops walking the beat,” adding that “people are going to continue to commit crimes unless they get the intervention they need.” He also observed that we need to “address homelessness” before we can make inroads in enhancing public safety.
After the final question was answered the candidates were allowed one final opportunity to sum up their platforms. As noted, it was then that Robert-Falcon Ouellette was the only candidate even to obliquely refer to the controversy that had recently surfaced about Glen Murray.
And, while five of the six candidates hung around afterwards to schmooze with audience members, Glen Murray took off immediately after the forum was over. I offer that not as an editorial comment – merely an observation.
Local News
From a ‘pie in the sky’ idea to 2,400 young hockey players
By BERNIE BELLAN I didn’t used to cover sports for The Jewish Post & News except for the odd occasion.
For years we could count on the late, great Harvey Rosen to comb the waterfront, looking for any sports story that might have the least connection to anything Jewish. Harvey would even go into visiting teams’ locker rooms during Winnipeg Jets games and, if a player had a name that sounded Jewish, inquire whether that player might be Jewish.
Then, for a few years, we added well-known sports writer Scott Taylor to the mix. Scott offered quite a different perspective, looking for stories about athletes that went far behind the scenes to uncover details that other reporters might have missed.
With both Harvey and Scott gone from our pages, I’ve occasionally found myself filling the sports void. These days, however, I tend to wait for an interesting story to find me.
And that’s exactly what happened with Wheatland Hockey.
Recently, my neighbours Elliot and Linda Katz mentioned that they knew of a Jewish couple who had started a hockey development program in Winnipeg. The couple, Rich Hechter and Rachel Wolfenson, had apparently started Wheatland Hockey only about 16 months earlier.
I subsequently learned that, in that short time, more than 2,400 young hockey players had gone through Wheatland’s various programs.
That number got my attention.
So, I contacted Rachel and Rich to find out what they had created — and why.
It started with a gap
The idea for Wheatland began, as Rachel described it to me, as “this little pie in the sky idea that we were going to have a spring development program in the spring of 2025.”
They started with about 50 kids spread across three age groups.
Sixteen months later, Wheatland has grown into a broad hockey-development organization offering programs for players from U9 through U15, along with specialized programming, female hockey, spring and summer teams, events and high-performance opportunities.
But the numbers aren’t really the story.
The story is why they thought Wheatland needed to exist in the first place.
Rich and Rachel felt there was a gap between traditional minor hockey and the highly specialized — and often expensive — training programs available to elite players.
There were plenty of opportunities for kids to play hockey. But what about the player who needed to improve one particular part of their game? What about the U9 player whose parents had no idea what skills their child should be working on? What about the player who wasn’t an elite athlete but had the potential to become a much better hockey player with the right instruction?
That was the space they wanted Wheatland to occupy.
As Rachel explained it, some families come to Wheatland knowing exactly what their child needs.
“They might know that the kid’s gap is power skating,” she told me. “They might have a great shot and great stick handling, but they’re not strong skaters.”
Other families arrive with a much less specific question.
“They’re new U9 families,” Rachel said. “Their kids have been spat out of the Timbits world and into the U9 world and they don’t know what to focus on.”
That’s where Rich comes in.
‘Pedagogy on ice’
Rich brings an unusual background to hockey coaching.
He is currently taking a one-year sabbatical from his role as vice-principal of Brock Corydon School, the Winnipeg school often known as the only public school Hebrew bilingual program in North America. For many families in Winnipeg’s Jewish community, Brock Corydon is where they know Rich best.
Before becoming a vice-principal, he worked as a high school teacher and as a university professor in the Faculty of Education. He has also spent more than a decade coaching youth hockey.
This year, rather than stepping away from education, Rich is using his sabbatical as an opportunity to continue learning, writing, and growing as a coach and mentor while devoting more time to developing Wheatland Hockey.
That additional time will also allow Wheatland to extend its reach beyond Winnipeg through a new initiative called “Wheatland on the Road”.
Over the coming year, Rich will travel to rural Manitoba communities including Manitou, St. Laurent, Lundar, Steinbach and Elm Creek to lead coaching and mentoring sessions for local players and coaches.
The initiative reflects Wheatland’s belief that access to quality coaching should not depend on where a young player lives. It also gives Rich an opportunity to work directly with local hockey communities, sharing ideas and helping coaches develop their own approaches to teaching the game.
For Rich, education and hockey aren’t separate worlds.
Rachel described his approach as “pedagogy on ice.”
The idea is simple: coaching isn’t just about showing a young player how to execute a skill. It’s about understanding how that player learns, figuring out what they need, and creating an environment where they can improve.
That educational philosophy is evident in the way Wheatland approaches development.
Its programs focus on areas such as skating, puck control, shooting, passing and receiving, positional play, defensive skills, checking, hockey IQ and tactical understanding.
But the organization also talks openly about developing confidence, resilience and character.
The Wheatland philosophy is summed up on its website as building “skills, character and excellence — on and off the ice.”
And that distinction is important to Rich.
The objective isn’t simply to produce better hockey players.
It’s to help young people become better learners, teammates and competitors.
A Jewish leadership team in an unlikely business
There is also an irony at the heart of Wheatland’s success.
We are not exactly the people known for our sporting prowess, and none of the people leading Wheatland played in the NHL. Yet, the organization is run by Rachel and Rich, with Ryan Paul, Eleni Wener, Avi Walker and Dustin Roitelman in senior leadership roles.
That may be unusual in the hockey world, but it is also part of what makes Wheatland distinctive.
This is not a business built around former professional players leveraging on their own playing careers. It is being led by people who believe deeply in the values Wheatland has developed — and continues to develop.
They believe in teaching young people how to learn, how to work with others, how to persevere and how to contribute to their communities.
In that sense, Wheatland’s leadership team reflects the organization’s broader philosophy: hockey expertise matters, but so do education, mentorship, organization, empathy and a commitment to making the game more accessible.
The fact that this group has helped build a hockey organization serving thousands of young players from across Manitoba is, in its own way, pretty remarkable.
Making hockey and coaching accessible
Perhaps the most important word in Wheatland’s philosophy is accessibility.
“Accessibility is one of our guiding principles,” Rachel said. “We believe that all kids should have the opportunity to get on the ice, regardless of socioeconomic conditions.”
For Rich and Rachel, accessibility means more than making hockey available. They believe that good coaching should be accessible, too.
That commitment is reflected in Wheatland’s “Pay-What-You-Can” program, which helps ensure that financial circumstances do not prevent children and families from participating in quality hockey programming.
For Rachel and Rich, the program is one way of giving back to the broader community. They believe that hockey — and the opportunity to learn from good coaches — should be available to as many young people as possible, not limited only to families who can afford the full cost of specialized training.
That doesn’t mean Wheatland is trying to be everything to everyone.
Rather, the idea is that a family shouldn’t need to have an elite-level hockey player — or an elite-level hockey budget — to access good coaching.
The organization keeps its groups relatively small. A typical session might have four or five players, while a larger session could have as many as 20, with several coaches on the ice.
The result is that a player who shows up to a smaller session can end up receiving something approaching a semi-private lesson without the family having to pay a premium for that experience.
And, Rachel noted, if only a handful of players show up for a session, “they would get the benefit of a semi-private class for a very inexpensive cost.”
Building coaches, too
Wheatland’s emphasis on development doesn’t stop with the players.
The organization has also created a Junior Coach program, through which some of its younger participants have an opportunity to begin learning how to teach the game themselves.
Five of Wheatland’s junior coaches are under the age of 15.
That’s significant because it reflects another part of Rich and Rachel’s philosophy: hockey development isn’t simply about producing better players. It’s about creating people who can contribute to the hockey community.
The organization’s coaching staff also includes experienced coaches with backgrounds in player development, athletic development and hockey education.
The same philosophy is at the heart of Wheatland on the Road. By working with coaches in rural communities, Rich hopes to help build local coaching capacity so that players can continue benefiting from quality instruction long after his visit is over.
Hockey as a bridge between communities
One of Wheatland’s most memorable recent initiatives involved a visiting Israeli hockey club.
The visiting players took part in two on-ice sessions with Rich and Ryan. After changing out of their gear, the young players then visited Rich at Brock Corydon School, where they met with grade 5 and 6 students.
For the players from Israel, the experience offered more than additional hockey instruction. It gave them an opportunity to connect with Winnipeg students through a shared language — the language of hockey — while also learning about one another’s communities.
For Wheatland, the sessions demonstrated how hockey can create meaningful connections that extend well beyond the rink.
Rachel and Rich
While Rich is the face of Wheatland on the ice, Rachel’s role is largely behind the scenes.
A Senior Investment Advisor with TD Private Wealth Management, Rachel brings an entirely different skill set to the organization, overseeing operations and communications and helping ensure that families have a positive experience from the moment they register.
The division of responsibilities seems to work. Rachel brings the organizational perspective needed to turn an idea into an operation. Rich brings the educator’s perspective to player development.
The broader leadership team brings additional experience, energy and commitment to the values that guide Wheatland.
And somewhere along the way, that little “pie in the sky” idea became something considerably larger.
More than 2,400 kids have now gone through Wheatland’s programs in just 16 months.
That’s a lot of hockey players. But when I asked Rachel what she thought accounted for that kind of growth, her answer wasn’t really about hockey.
It was about giving families something they were looking for.
“We teach people first, we teach hockey second,” is the philosophy Rich and Rachel have adopted.
Perhaps that’s why Wheatland has grown so quickly.
Because for all the talk about hockey development, what they are really trying to develop is something bigger: young people who feel supported, challenged and capable of getting better.
And through initiatives such as the Pay-What-You-Can program, Wheatland on the Road and its work with visiting teams, Wheatland is also showing how hockey can be both accessible and a bridge between communities.
If the first 16 months are any indication, there are a lot of Winnipeg families — and perhaps many potential community partners across Manitoba — who were looking for exactly that.
For more information about Wheatland Hockey, visit Wheatland Hockey.
Local News
“Chanukah Guilt: A Jewish Holiday Murder Mystery”
Review –Interview by MARTIN ZEILIG
With “Chanukah Guilt: A Jewish Holiday Murder Mystery” (Scribal Scion Publishing 182 pg. $20.00) Winnipeg author Avra Love steps confidently into the world of cozy Jewish crime fiction, delivering a warm, witty, and culturally textured novel that feels instantly familiar to anyone who has spent time in a synagogue social hall.
Published by Scribal Scion in August 2026, the book marks a notable shift from Love’s earlier works — the playful children’s book “Don’t Wake Mommy!” and her flash fiction collection “Into the Junk Drawer” — yet it carries forward her trademark blend of humour, character insight, and affection for the small dramas of everyday life.
Love, who was interviewed by email for this article, grew up surrounded by stories and language, and that early immersion shows. She had long wanted to take on a larger scale project, and this idea — sparked by her own experiences participating in holiday craft sales — lent itself naturally to expansion.
“I was always struck by the diversity and energy you find at these events,” she says. “When I considered it as a background for my story, I chose to make it a Jewish setting.”
The novel unfolds over a single day: the pre Chanukah craft sale at a local synagogue. It’s the kind of event many Jewish readers will recognize immediately — twenty vendors, tables overflowing with handmade goods, the hum of conversation, and the quiet hope that the turnout will justify all the effort.
Into this bustling scene steps Becky, the first time coordinator of the sale, who has taken on the job mostly because no one else would. Becky’s background as a theatre director gives her a keen eye for personalities, staging, and the subtle tensions that animate a room. It also makes her an unexpectedly capable amateur sleuth when a sudden death shatters the cheerful atmosphere.
Love’s decision to set the mystery within a single communal event is inspired. The synagogue social hall becomes a microcosm of Jewish communal life — warm, opinionated, occasionally chaotic, and full of characters who are both endearing and exasperating. The vendors, each with their quirks and motivations, form a lively ensemble cast. Their interactions provide humour, texture, and a steady stream of clues as Becky tries to piece together what happened before the police arrive.
The tone throughout is unmistakably cozy.
Love isn’t interested in grisly details or procedural complexity; her focus is on character, community, and the gentle absurdities that arise when ordinary people are thrust into extraordinary circumstances. The dialogue is sharp and often funny, peppered with Hebrew and Yiddish expressions that feel authentic rather than ornamental. A glossary at the end ensures that readers of all backgrounds can follow along without missing the cultural flavour.
Behind the scenes, Hanukah Guilt was very much a labour of love.
The book began as a “piecework project built over sporadic bouts of creativity,” Love explains, and then underwent multiple revisions.
All told, it took most of three years to complete. When it came time to publish, she didn’t hesitate to bring the manuscript to Scribal Scion.
“I had such a great experience working with James Gershfield on my first children’s book that I went to him first — and I’m glad I did. I’ve been so appreciative of his hard work and expertise in helping me craft the finished product.”
What elevates Hanukah Guilt is Love’s ability to balance levity with sincerity. Beneath the humour lies a genuine appreciation for Jewish communal spaces — their warmth, their imperfections, and their role as gathering points for tradition, creativity, and connection. Becky’s determination to solve the mystery is less about heroism and more about responsibility: to the vendors, to the event, and to the community she cares about.
Love’s writing career continues to expand. In addition to this novel, she has two new Jewish children’s picture books underway with Scribal Scion Kids and continues to write short stories in her spare time. Hanukah Guilt is her third published book — and her most ambitious to date.
In Hanukah Guilt, Avra Love has crafted a charming, accessible, and distinctly Jewish mystery that will resonate with readers across generations. It is a welcome addition to holidaythemed fiction and a delightful new chapter in the career of a Winnipeg writer whose voice continues to grow in range and confidence.
This is a book that belongs on Jewish bookshelves — and one that will make readers smile even as they turn the pages in search of clues.
Avra Love is a Winnipeg educator with a background in English Language studies and Philosophy. She is the author of three books: the flash fiction collection “Into the Junk Drawer,” the children’s book “Don’t Wake Mommy!,” and her new cozy mystery “Hanukah Guilt: A Jewish Holiday Murder Mystery.” She loves to read, write, craft, and practice healthy living.
Local News
Israel’s ambassador to Canada makes first visit to Winnipeg
By MYRON LOVE On Thursday, August 6, Iddo Moed, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, made his first visit to Winnipeg and shared an overview of Israel-Canada relations with an engaged audience of about 100 Jewish community members and supporters. This was an important visit for the Winnipeg community. The event was focused on community affairs, with no presence of government or elected officials.
Moed is a 34-year veteran of the Israeli diplomat corps with a resumé that includes postings in China, Singapore, the Netherlands, and the Dominican Republic as well as some African countries. He has been stationed in Ottawa for the past three years.
The evening before the presentation, according to Jeff Lieberman, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg’s CEO, the ambassador walked through the Asper Campus introducing himself to people he encountered, then took in the show at the Israel Pavilion. Afterward, Moed spoke with several people at the show. On his way out, he looked into the Bedouin tent in front of the cultural display and visited for a few minutes with a family inside.
The evening began with remarks from Gustavo Zentner, Vice President, Prairies, at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), who highlighted the unbreakable bond between our Jewish community and Israel, as well as the deep and enduring connection between the Jewish people and Israel. “At a time of heightened antisemitism and anti-Zionism across Canada,” Zentner said, “the contributions of Jewish Canadians to Manitoba and to Canada are foundational to our shared society.”
He called on the community to celebrate what makes us strong, our innovation, our Jewish “chutzpah”, our resilience, and our commitment to being there for one another. Zentner noted that our determination to strengthen and protect our community must extend beyond our own institutions and include strong, visible advocacy.
“This means,” he observed, “creating more opportunities for open dialogue and meaningful engagement, while firmly denouncing and pushing back against antisemitism, Jew-hatred and anti-Zionism, not only to protect the Jewish community, but also as a means of safeguarding our Canadian way of life and standing up for other minority communities whose voices may not otherwise be heard.”
During his own remarks, Ambassador Moed spoke about the friendliness of Canadians but, nonetheless, he observed, his time here has been difficult.
“I remember a discussion that I had years ago with a friend who predicted that even though incidents of antisemitism back then were minimal, there would undoubtedly be a resurgence.” he observed. “The level of hate I have seen in Canada and around the world has been quite disturbing.”
Moed claimed that 97% of Jewish university students in North America report that they have experienced antisemitism. He added that for Holocaust survivors, the current levels of hate are bringing back traumatic memories.
“Since October 7, life has been much more challenging and difficult for our people,” he noted. “Social media in particular has been a major problem. We need to reach out to our allies in the non-Jewish world. We need to find ways to highlight all the good that Israel does in the world. We also need to emphasize that Jewish values are largely in sync with Canadian values.
“And our Jewish community institutions need to be working together in a pro-active manner,” Moed said.
When it comes to Canada-Israel trade, Moed described the current situation as “stagnant.” “There is a lot of interest in Canada in potential trade deals with Israel,” he reported, “but federal government policies are not helpful.” Moed did add that he sees much potential for trade at the provincial level. “There has been a lot of interest in Quebec and Ontario in particular,” he said. “We are trying to reach out to the other provinces as well.”
The ambassador spoke for a relatively short time so as to leave a lot of time for questions from the audience. One question was about the possibility of a two-state solution. In response, Moed pointed out that over the years, Israel has offered numerous concessions – to no avail.
“We have learned that we can’t trust the Palestinian leadership,” he said.
A question about war crimes gave Moed an opportunity to contrast the Israel Defense Force’s great efforts to reduce casualties among Palestinian civilians with frequent warnings before the air force drop bombs or infantry units move into populated areas with Hamas and Islamic Jihad literally hiding among and behind women and children and hiding in and storing weapons in schools, hospitals, mosques and private homes.
Moed added that every IDF regiment has a legal advisor embedded with it to ascertain that military actions abide by international law.
He noted that on October 6, 2023, Gaza was quiet. On October 8, social media and the legacy media were already condemning Israel for “genocide”.
Moed emphasized the importance of Jewish education in our communities in Canada and the United States – even suggesting that some of the money our communities send to Israel might be better spent investing in Jewish education here at home.
(Despite almost three years of war, Israel still has one of the world’s strongest economies.)
One questioner asked about the prospect of Israel’s high-tech industry- which is second in size only to California – being able to develop a system that can override all the negativity and present a more positive picture online of Israel and the Jewish People.
Moed agreed that “the left are eating our lunch.” “Maybe we can create a platform using AI that can present a more positive view of Israel,” he suggested.
Moed has one more year to serve in Ottawa before he returns to Israel and finds out where he is off to next.
