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Pierre Poilievre’s plan to speak at a Reform synagogue in Vancouver rouses backlash among liberal members
Members of Vancouver’s LGBTQ community are objecting to a scheduled Feb. 2 appearance by Pierre Poilievre at Temple Sholom, a socially and religiously liberal congregation affiliated with the Union for Reform Journalism.
The federal Conservative leader’s responses to questions about transgender rights, and the fact that audience questions will not be accommodated at the Vancouver event, have been cited as their primary concerns.
During an interview with Toronto news channel CP24, for example, Poilievre stated, “I am not aware of any other genders than men and women.”
Aviva Rathbone, the board chair of JQT, a Vancouver queer and trans non-profit, told The CJN, “Our trans community members are among the most vulnerable, with markedly higher rates of suicide and suicidal thoughts. Mr. Poilievre supports policies that would undoubtedly add to this harm and would see lives impacted in devastating and irreparable ways.
“We’re disappointed that Temple Sholom has chosen to prioritize forming a relationship with Mr. Poilievre over the safety and wellbeing of our community.”
Rathbone said that JQT (pronounced J-Cutie) is hopeful that Temple Sholom will view this as an opportunity to move beyond what she described as “performative allyship” and to learn to listen to the needs of all community members “not just when it’s easy and reflects well on the organization but also when it requires tough decisions.
“Our mandate is to have those difficult discussions and we will continue to hold organizations accountable for listening to the voices of the J-cuties who make up an integral and beautiful part of Vancouver’s Jewish community,” she said.
JQT said in a social media statement released on Thursday that many of its members had contacted them, distressed by Temple Sholom’s choice to host the event and the potential harm it could cause to people in the Jewish LGBTQ community in Vancouver.
The organization reached out to Temple Sholom to express its displeasure and try to persuade the synagogue not to provide “a voice, who clearly stands in opposition to trans rights, and the safety and well-being of our community.“
JQT said it had invited members of Temple’s Sholom’s leadership to address a call to action referred to within its community needs assessment that urges Jewish organizations to adopt a zero-tolerance position on homophobic, transphobic and antisemitic language, practices and policies.
In its social media post, JQT cited a letter written last February by the Reform Jewish Community of Canada (RJCC), to which Temple Sholom belongs, that called on governments at all levels to affirm and preserve transgender rights.
At the time, the RJCC criticized Alberta Premier Danielle Smith for “proposed policies to deny access to healthcare and athletics and placing barriers in educational settings for transgender youth.”
The letter, signed by Len Bates, president of RJCC, and Rabbi Daniel Mikelberg, chair of the Reform Rabbis of Canada, read, “We reaffirm our support for all those who seek to live without fear of harassment, violence, or discrimination, and that our clergy and institutions are committed to caring for and supporting everyone who is affected by this dangerous and widespread assault on trans and queer people.”
Like JQT, the RJCC also pointed out that LGBTQ youth are far more likely than their heterosexual peers to experience suicidal thoughts and thereby any denial of support puts their lives at greater risk.
Similar statements have been made by the U.S.-based Union for Reform Judaism, which is identified as a partner organization at the synagogue where Polievere is scheduled to appear.
“Guided by our Jewish values and the Reform Movement’s long history of supporting LGBTQ+ equality, we remain committed to protecting the civil rights of all people.” Read the Reform Movement’s full response to the slew of state attacks on LGBTQ+ youth: https://t.co/qDCJkBtawl
— The URJ (@URJorg) May 18, 2023
While it is being held at Temple Sholom, the appearance is being organized together with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and billed as a community-wide event for the Conservative leader to address the Jewish community of Vancouver. The event is fully booked—and the promotion notes the event will not be livestreamed or recorded.
It is not unusual for Temple Sholom to be a part of events involving the broader Jewish community in Vancouver. In March 2024, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with local rabbis at the synagogue’s boardroom. Events and rallies for the city’s Jewish community following Oct. 7 have been highlighted on the Temple Sholom website.
Dan Moskovitz, the senior rabbi at Temple Sholom, and Nico Slobinsky, vice president of CIJA, sent a joint statement to The CJN when asked about Poilievre’s appearance on Sunday.
“Temple Sholom, in partnership with CIJA, are hosting an event on Feb. 2 with Mr. Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Official Opposition. At the event Mr. Poilievre will share perspectives on antisemitism and other issues related to the Jewish community,” they said. “Our organizations have proudly hosted similar events over the years for elected representatives and political leaders from all levels of government and parties. We have received an overwhelmingly positive response to the event from members of our community, the event sold out in less than two days.”
According to an email obtained by The Tyee, a news organization based in British Columbia, Moskovitz had asked for a question-and-answer format during Poilievre’s visit—similar to a 2015 event with Trudeau, when the then-leader of the Liberal Party visited the synagogue. Poilievre’s team refused that request and also denied a request to livestream the visit, the publication reported.
Poilievre’s Vancouver Synagogue Visit Is Raising Concerns. The planned speech and photo op leaves some members troubled by the leader’s refusal to take questions, @JenStDen reports. https://t.co/gsWMQtVAwY
Find out more at https://t.co/1zbPY5GAhV pic.twitter.com/0rGY5JPhhg
— National Newswatch (@natnewswatch) January 30, 2025
Members of Vancouver’s Jewish LGBTQ community, some of whom are congregants at Temple Sholom, told The Tyee they are dismayed that Poilievre would refrain from answering questions, including ones on transgender rights. They also wanted to ask him about his praise of Elon Musk, particularly after the Tesla CEO performed what some have interpreted as a Nazi salute at US President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
Poilievre has been a staunch defender of Israel and has repeatedly spoken out against antisemitism on college campuses and elsewhere following the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel.
On Jan. 27, to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Poilievre said that his party stands “in solidarity with Canada’s Jewish community to honour the memory of the 6 million innocent live murdered in the Holocaust. In a dark time of rampant antisemitism in Canada, Conservatives unequivocally condemn the world’s most enduring form of hatred.”
The post Pierre Poilievre’s plan to speak at a Reform synagogue in Vancouver rouses backlash among liberal members appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.
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US State Department Revokes Visas of UK Punk Rap Act Bob Vylan Amid Outrage Over Duo’s Chants of ‘Death to the IDF’
Bob Vylan music duo performance at Glastonbury Festival (Source: FLIKR)
The US State Department has revoked the visas for the English punk rap duo Bob Vylan amid ongoing outrage over their weekend performance at the Glastonbury Festival, in which the pair chanted “Death to the IDF.”
The State Department’s decision to cancel their visas would preclude a planned fall concert tour of the US by the British rappers.
“The [US State Department] has revoked the US visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants. Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X/Twitter on Monday.
During a June 28 set at Glastonbury Festival, Bob Vylan’s Pascal Robinson-Foster ignited a firestorm by leading the crowd in chants of “Death, death, to the IDF,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces. He also complained about working for a “f—ing Zionist” during the set.
The video of the performance went viral, sparking outrage across the globe.
The BBC, which streamed the performance live, issued an on‑screen warning but continued its broadcast, prompting criticism by government officials for failing to cut the feed.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and festival organizers condemned the IDF chant as hate speech and incitement to violence. The Israeli Embassy in London denounced the language as “inflammatory and hateful.”
“Millions of people tuned in to enjoy Glastonbury this weekend across the BBC’s output but one performance within our livestreams included comments that were deeply offensive,” the BBC said in a statement following the event.
“These abhorrent chants, which included calls for the death of members of the Israeli Defense Forces … have no place in any civil society,” Leo Terrell, Chair of the US Department of Justice Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, declared Sunday in a statement posted on X.
Citing the act’s US tour plans, Terrell said his task force would be “reaching out to the U.S. Department of State on Monday to determine what measures are available to address the situation and to prevent the promotion of violent antisemitic rhetoric in the United States.”
British authorities, meanwhile, have launched a formal investigation into Bob Vylan’s controversial appearance at Glastonbury. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed they are reviewing footage and working with the Crown Prosecution Service to determine whether the performance constitutes a hate crime or incitement to violence.
United Talent Agency (UTA), one of the premier entertainment talent agencies, dropped the duo, claming “antisemitic sentiments expressed by the group were utterly unacceptable.”
The band defended their performance on social media as necessary protest, stating that “teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place.”
The post US State Department Revokes Visas of UK Punk Rap Act Bob Vylan Amid Outrage Over Duo’s Chants of ‘Death to the IDF’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Dem House Leader Hakeem Jeffries Urges Mamdani to ‘Aggressively Address’ Antisemitism in NYC if Elected Mayor
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
US House Democratic leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY) urged Democratic nominee for mayor of New York Zohran Mamdani to “aggressively address the rise in antisemitism” if he wins the general election in November.
“‘Globalizing the intifada’ by way of example is not an acceptable phrasing,” Jeffries said Sunday on ABC’s This Week. “He’s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward.”
“With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent, I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development,” he added.
Jeffries’s comments come as Mamdani has been receiving an onslaught of criticism for defending the controversial phrase “globalize the intifada.”
Mamdani first defended the phrase during an appearance on the popular Bulwark Podcast. The progressive firebrand stated that he feels “less comfortable with the banning of certain words.” He invoked the US Holocaust Museum in his defense, saying that the museum used the word intifada “when translating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising into Arabic, because it’s a word that means ‘struggle.’”
The Holocaust Museum repudiated Mamdani in a statement, calling his comments “offensive.”
Mamdani has continued to defend the slogan despite ongoing criticism, arguing that pro-Palestine advocates perceive it as a call for “universal human rights.”
Mamdani, the 33‑year‑old state assembly member and proud democratic socialist, defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other candidates in a lopsided first‑round win in the city’s Democratic primary for mayor, notching approximately 43.5 percent of first‑choice votes compared to Cuomo’s 36.4 percent.
The election results have alarmed members of the local Jewish community, who expressed deep concern over his past criticism of Israel and defense of antisemitic rhetoric.
“Mamdani’s election is the greatest existential threat to a metropolitan Jewish population since the election of the notorious antisemite Karl Lueger in Vienna,” Rabbi Marc Schneier, one of the most prominent Jewish leaders in New York City, said in a statement. “Jewish leaders must come together as a united force to prevent a mass Jewish Exodus from New York City.”
Some key Democratic leaders in New York, such as US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul, have congratulated and complimented Mamdani, but have not yet issued an explicit endorsement. Each official has signaled interest in meeting with Mamdani prior to making a decision on a formal endorsement.
The post Dem House Leader Hakeem Jeffries Urges Mamdani to ‘Aggressively Address’ Antisemitism in NYC if Elected Mayor first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Eyes Ties With Syria and Lebanon After Iran War
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar attends a press conference with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (not pictured) in Berlin, Germany, June 5, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Christian Mang
Israel is interested in establishing formal diplomatic relations with long-standing adversaries Syria and Lebanon, but the status of the Golan Heights is non-negotiable, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Monday.
Israeli leaders argue that with its rival Iran weakened by this month’s 12-day war, other countries in the region have an opportunity to forge ties with Israel.
The Middle East has been upended by nearly two years of war in Gaza, during which Israel also carried out airstrikes and ground operations in Lebanon targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah, and by the overthrow of former Syrian leader and Iran ally Bashar al-Assad.
In 2020, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco became the first Arab states to establish ties with Israel since Jordan in 1994 and Egypt in 1979. The normalization agreements with Israel were deeply unpopular in the Arab world.
“We have an interest in adding countries such as Syria and Lebanon, our neighbors, to the circle of peace and normalization, while safeguarding Israel‘s essential and security interests,” Saar said at a press conference in Jerusalem.
“The Golan will remain part of the State of Israel,” he said.
Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981 after capturing the territory from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War. While much of the international community regards the Golan as occupied Syrian land, US President Donald Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over it during his first term in office.
Following Assad’s ousting, Israeli forces moved further into Syrian territory.
A senior Syrian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Syria would never give up the Golan Heights, describing it as an integral part of Syrian territory.
The official also said that normalization efforts with Israel must be part of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative and not carried out through a separate track.
A spokesperson for Syria‘s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The 2002 initiative proposed Arab normalization with Israel in exchange for its withdrawal from territories including the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and Gaza. It also called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Throughout the war in Gaza, regional power Saudi Arabia has repeatedly said that establishing ties with Israel was conditional on the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Israel‘s Saar said it was “not constructive” for other states to condition normalization on Palestinian statehood.
“Our view is that a Palestinian state will threaten the security of the State of Israel,” he said.
In May, Reuters reported that Israel and Syria‘s new Islamist rulers had established direct contact and held face-to-face meetings aimed at de-escalating tensions and preventing renewed conflict along their shared border.
The same month, US President Donald Trump announced the US would lift sanctions on Syria and met Syria‘s new president, urging him to normalize ties with Israel.
The post Israel Eyes Ties With Syria and Lebanon After Iran War first appeared on Algemeiner.com.