Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the appointment of parliament member Anthony Housefather on July 5 as a special adviser on Jewish community relations and antisemitism.
Trudeau noted that Housefather, a member of the Liberal Party who has pushed back on anti-Israel efforts among his colleagues, would work towards “continuing to make sure Jewish Canadians’ voices are heard, protecting Jewish Canadian communities and making Canada more inclusive for everyone.”
Last week, Housefather shared a photo he had received of a poster on a Montreal lamppost labeling him a neo-Nazi and demanding he “get out of Canada.”
He wrote that his family had lived in Canada since the 1800s and “we have indeed helped build this country.”
He vowed: “I am not going anywhere. Sorry, antisemites. You may not like what I have to say but I will keep saying it.”
In a statement, Housefather said that “there has been no time in my lifetime when Jewish Canadians have felt as threatened as they do today” and that “all levels of government, universities and police can take concrete steps to make Jewish Canadians feel safer in this country.”
Housefather represents Mount Royal, Quebec. He will continue his duties in parliament in addition to the responsibilities of his new role.
