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Carleton University faces backlash for employing professor convicted in 1980 Paris synagogue bombing

Carleton University is under significant scrutiny from Israeli universities and Jewish advocacy groups for employing Hassan Diab, a professor convicted in absentia by a French court for a 1980 synagogue bombing in Paris that killed four people and injured 46.

Diab, 71, who has taught at Ottawa’s Carleton University since 2006, is currently teaching a class on social justice in the university’s sociology department.

In November, a letter signed by all nine of Israel’s public research universities, coordinated through the Association of University Heads of Israel, called on Carleton to immediately terminate Diab’s employment, describing the hiring decision as a betrayal of academic values and a failure to uphold justice.

“While we respect Carleton’s commitment to social justice and diversity, the continued employment of an instructor convicted of multiple murders by the judicial system of a democratic nation raises profound questions about the university’s values,” the letter states.

“How can an institution dedicated to instilling moral principles in its students justify appointing someone convicted of such serious crimes to a teaching position? While we fully support academic freedom and the expression of diverse viewpoints, these principles do not extend to employing individuals convicted of hate-motivated acts of terror.”

The letter emphasizes the obligation of academic institutions to ensure their hiring practices reflect the values of justice and accountability, saying that the hiring decision crosses a “clear ethical line.”

The letter, signed by presidents of Israeli universities such as University of Haifa, Tel Aviv University, and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, emphasizes the obligation of academic institutions to ensure their hiring practices reflect the values of justice and accountability, saying that the hiring decision crosses a “clear ethical line.”

The Canadian Jewish News emailed the communications office of Carleton University for comment about Diab’s employment and the letter, but did not receive a response.

The Rue Copernic bombing

The Rue Copernic bombing occurred on Oct. 3, 1980, when a bomb exploded outside the synagogue during Shabbat services. The attack killed four people, including Israeli television producer Aliza Shagrir, and injured 46 others.

French authorities attributed the bombing to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a militant group and terrorist organization. Diab, a Lebanese-Canadian citizen, was identified as a suspect decades later and extradited to France in 2014. He spent three years in jail, awaiting trial.

In 2018, French courts released Diab, citing insufficient evidence. However, prosecutors reopened the case, and in 2023, Diab was convicted in absentia and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Diab has denied involvement, maintaining that he was in Lebanon at the time of the attack. His defense team has argued that evidence used against him, including handwriting analysis, is unreliable.

Students demand answers

One student at Carleton, involved with Jewish advocacy on campus who chose to remain anonymous, said that the university’s lack of transparency on this issue has left students feeling frustrated and disappointed.

“We deserve, at the very minimum, an explanation as to how the employment decision was made and why it was deemed appropriate considering his conviction in absentia in France.”

As a member of the Jewish community on campus, he said the situation is deeply troubling. “The Jewish community deserves better. There’s been a lid put on this, and it seems like there’s little accountability.

“Time and time again, it feels like Jewish students are left to fight these battles alone. We deserve better, he said. “When it comes to (protecting) the Jewish community, there always seems to be a higher burden of proof required for things to be taken seriously.”

CIJA calls for accountability

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) has also been outspoken in its criticism of Carleton’s decision, describing it as a failure of institutional responsibility and a dangerous precedent for Canadian academia. In a statement sent to The Canadian Jewish News, Judy Zelikovitz, vice-president of university and local partner services, emphasized the broader implications of Carleton’s choices.

“The incident at Carleton University highlights a glaring oversight: the lack of effective background checks at institutions of higher education,” Zelikovitz wrote. “While Canadian universities claim to prioritize the safety and well-being of their faculty, staff, and students by implementing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) policies, the absence of rigorous vetting for educators undermines these commitments.”

CIJA also pointed to concerns about how Diab’s employment affects the accessibility of education for students. “A classroom environment cannot reasonably be considered accessible to those who oppose terrorism if an individual with a conviction in a democratic state is present,” Zelikovitz said.

She also called for a stronger approach to academic hiring practices, arguing that academic freedom must come with responsibilities. “Ensuring rigorous evaluations of proposed curriculum content and upholding academic integrity must be a standard practice in all academic institutions,” she wrote.

On behalf of CIJA, Zelikovitz demanded immediate action, urging Carleton to terminate Diab’s employment and for the Canadian government to act on France’s extradition request.

“We call on Carleton University to immediately sever its relationship with Hassan Diab and to ensure no other academic institution offers him a position. Furthermore, CIJA urges the Canadian government to respond promptly to France’s request for Diab’s extradition. It is imperative that our educational institutions and government leaders prioritize safety, accountability, and justice in their decisions.”

Condemnation from B’nai Brith

B’nai Brith Canada has been vocal as well in its opposition to Carleton’s decision to employ Diab. In a post on social media, the organization wrote:

“Despite being handed a life sentence by a French court, Hassan Diab continues to live freely in Canada, while Carleton University, unconscionably, continues to allow him the privilege of teaching at a Canadian institution.​”

B’nai Brith Canada added that Canadians “cannot stand by while a convicted terrorist, affiliated with a listed terrorist group, teaches on our campuses!​ The university has ignored B’nai Brith’s formal request to terminate his position, allowing Diab to remain in a position of authority over students.”​

B’nai Brith says Carleton’s employment of Diab “not only presents a danger to the well-being of its students, but it is an insult to the memory of the innocent victims of his heinous crime and an affront to all Canadians who value law and order.”

B’nai Brith Canada has intensified its opposition to Hassan Diab’s employment through launching a public letter-writing campaign on its website. The campaign, addressed to Jerry Tomberlin, interim president and vice-chancellor of Carleton, calls for the immediate removal of Diab and highlights concerns over Carleton’s decision to retain Diab as a professor.

The letter further criticizes Carleton for ignoring its previous formal requests to terminate Diab’s employment, raising inquiries about the university’s commitment to ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment.

Support for Hassan Diab

While Hassan Diab’s employment at Carleton has drawn significant criticism, he has also received support from advocacy groups, academics, and members of his department. Supporters argue that he has been unfairly targeted and that his conviction in absentia by a French court lacks credible evidence.

The Hassan Diab Support Committee, which has campaigned on his behalf for over a decade, describes the accusations against him as a miscarriage of justice.

“Dr. Diab is a victim of wrongful allegations based on discredited evidence and unfair legal proceedings,” the committee states on its website. They also highlight that Canada’s courts previously deemed the evidence insufficient to justify his extradition to France in 2018.

Carleton’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology has publicly defended Diab in the past. In a 2021 statement, department chair Blair Rutherford expressed solidarity with Diab, calling the French court’s decision to pursue a trial “shocking” and based on “discredited evidence.” The department further urged the academic community to support Diab against what they described as an unjust prosecution.

In November 2022, the department promoted a rally calling on the Canadian government to protect Diab from what they described as “baseless prosecution” and to reject further extradition requests. The event was attended by supporters advocating for academic freedom and justice for Diab.

Supporters also argue that employing Diab reflects Carleton’s commitment to inclusivity and the presumption of innocence. “Dr. Diab’s return to teaching is an important step in restoring his career and reputation after years of legal persecution,” wrote one supporter on a public forum.

Calls for accountability

Israeli officials have also expressed dismay with Carleton’s hiring decision. Idit Shamir, Israel’s consul general in Toronto, described the university’s decision as “unconscionable,” highlighting her personal connection to the terrorist attack that Diab faced conviction for.

“[T]he terrorist who murdered my friend’s mother, Aliza Shagrir, before his eyes in the 1980 Paris synagogue bombing still lectures at Canada’s @Carleton_U,” Shamir posted on social media in November. “A French court gave him life for murdering four souls and maiming 46. Yet Carleton University rewards him with a teaching position?”

“Every class this convicted terrorist teaches dishonors the lives he destroyed,” Shamir added. “This isn’t just a failure of justice—it’s spitting on the graves of Jewish victims. Shame on those who enable this.”

The post Carleton University faces backlash for employing professor convicted in 1980 Paris synagogue bombing appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.

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After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War

Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa

Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.

Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.

“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”

GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’

Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.

“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.

“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.

“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.

After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”

RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL

Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”

Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.

“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”

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Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests

A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco

Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.

People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.

“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”

Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.

On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.

Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.

On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.

“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.

Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.

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Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan

Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.

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