Canadian Jewish group rebukes Toronto for raising PLO flag

B’nai Brith Canada blasted Toronto’s decision to raise the Palestine Liberation Organization flag on Nov. 17, saying that it “violates the city’s prohibition against flag raisings that espouse hatred, violence or racism.”

The human-rights organization directly addressed Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, writing on X that the move “is not inclusion. It is a glorification of violence,” and noting that they had contacted the City of Toronto’s Chief of Protocol and External Relations to demand the event be canceled.

B’nai Brith described the event as celebrating the Nov. 15, 1988, PLO self-declaration of a “State of Palestine,” which Yasser Arafat announced during the First Intifada, “paying homage to violence and terrorism.”

“While civilians were being blown up in buses, and terror was glorified as ‘resistance,’ Arafat declared ‘independence’ in the name of the PLO, which, at the time, was a terror-listed entity in Canada,” said B’nai Brith.

“The PLO’s affiliated operatives carried out the Munich Olympic massacre in 1972, murdering eleven Israeli athletes, the Khartoum embassy killings, airport massacres and bus bombings that left civilians burned alive. Its terror activities included hijacking planes, bombing schools and executing Jews around the world,” the statement continued.

“While Jewish Torontonians are harassed, threatened and silenced in their own city, this is the legacy Toronto is celebrating by raising the Palestinian flag to commemorate Palestinian Independence Day.”

The text of the declaration that Arafat proclaimed in Algiers praises the intifada, or “uprising” in Arabic, multiple times, including this line: “Our hearts are lifted up and irradiated by the light emanating from the much blessed intifada ... .”

Palestinian intifadas against Israel have resulted in thousands of civilians being killed in horrific terrorist attacks.

B’nai Brith also censured a PLO flag-raising that took place in Winnipeg on Saturday, saying that it “will have a deleterious impact on Jewish Manitobans, who are already suffering through an unprecedented rise in antisemitism. Doing so will undermine Manitoba’s commitment to treating inclusion as a fundamental philosophy, promoting acceptance, participation, and support for all individuals.”

Calgary also raised the PLO flag on Saturday, but following the event, the Alberta city’s mayor, Jeromy Farkas, announced that he would introduce a notice of motion to ban the flying of foreign flags at City Hall and all municipal buildings, CTV News reported.

“Calgary’s Flag Policy means any country recognized by Canada may have their flag flown at City Hall on their national day. But national flag-raisings are now creating division,” Farkas wrote on X, along with his official statement. “Next week, we’ll move to end national flag-raisings at City Hall to keep this a safe, welcoming space for all.”