MPs condemn controversial publisher’s attendance at Parliament Hill reception – National | 24CA News

The Liberal MP who chairs the Canada-Palestine Parliamentary Friendship group is amongst a number of Canadian politicians condemning the presence of a person accused of being a “Holocaust denier” at a Parliament Hill reception held earlier this week to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

Salma Zahid, the Liberal MP who chairs the all-party friendship group, condemned the views of Nazih Khatatba, the writer and editor of a Toronto-based Arabic-language newspaper, who Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman informed the House of Commons Thursday was “a dangerous antisemite, Holocaust denier, and terrorist sympathizer.”

Though MPs from all events, together with Lantsman’s, attended the occasion, Lantsman demanded that the Liberal authorities apologize for Khatatba’s presence on the reception.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, who was certainly one of a number of MPs who attended the Nov. 29 reception in Parliament Hill’s Valour Building, mentioned he had no interplay on the occasion with Khatatba and, on Twitter, mentioned Khatatba shouldn’t have been invited.

In response to Lantsman’s questions, Alghabra informed the House, “I want to make sure I’m clear: I condemn antisemitism and will always condemn antisemitism.”

Zahid, for her, half, mentioned Khatatba was not invited by title however that Khatatba was certainly one of about 150 people who responded to what amounted to an open invitation for anybody to attend.  And, upon studying Thursday about Khatatba’s attendance, she issued an announcement saying:  “I have long been a voice against antisemitism, and all forces of discrimination based on faith. In 2016, I spoke in the House of Commons to condemn several recent antisemitic incidents, and antisemitism in general.

“I continue to oppose and condemn any and all incidents and comments of antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of discrimination based on faith.”

Earlier this yr, the Trudeau authorities got here underneath withering criticism, together with some that originated throughout the authorities caucus, after the Department of Canadian Heritage gave a grant to a company headed by a person, Laith Marouf, who had posted antisemitic statements on his Twitter web page.

New Democrat and Bloc Quebecois MPs additionally attended Nov. 29 occasion together with no less than one Green Party MP and one Conservative MP.

“New Democrats unequivocally denounce antisemitism and holocaust denial,” mentioned Melanie Richer, the NDP’s director of communications. “No NDP MPs invited this individual nor were they aware he would be present. We continue to be allies in the fight against antisemitism.”

That Conservative MP, Larry Brock (Brantford–Brant) mentioned he attended the reception on the request of a constituent.

“I was unaware of the attendance of [Khatatba],” Brock mentioned in an e-mail. ” I didn’t work together with this particular person and had I been conscious of his attendance, I might not have attended. I absolutely condemn anti-Semitism and reject these disgusting views. They haven’t any place in Canadian society. I deeply remorse and apologise for the hurt and damage this has precipitated.”

The indisputable fact that none of occasion’s organizers nor any of the MPs attending knew about Khatatba’s background or that he would attend renews a debate that has cropped up a number of occasions over the previous a long time: How a lot duty ought to MPs bear for insisting on checking the backgrounds of attendees at occasions the place any member of the general public is invited to attend?

“It is incomprehensible that failures of vetting like these continue to occur, completely ignoring the lessons that should have been learned in the wake of the Laith Marouf scandal,” Shimon Koffler Fogel, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, mentioned in an emailed assertion.

“This sends a terrible message to the Canadian Jewish community, which can only be left to assume that condemning antisemitism is not a priority, and that we are not a priority. We once again urge enhanced oversight be applied in vetting across the board, whether it’s for government funding or events on Parliament Hill.”

Khatatba, reached by cellphone on Thursday, mentioned he ended up on the reception after studying about it from a Palestinian-Canadian group although he didn’t title the group. He mentioned he was not invited to attend by any MP.

He additionally rejected the cost that he holds antisemitic views. “I am publishing anti-Israel, anti-occupation articles,” he mentioned, including that he doesn’t deny the Holocaust occurred.

Zahid mentioned her workplace supplied a basic invitation to the occasion to the Canadian Palestinian Organizations Coalition, an umbrella group which has as its members different organizations that advocate for Palestinians. That coalition in flip distributed the open-ended invite, asking these considering attending to easily submit their title to Zahid’s workplace.

Zahid mentioned her workplace doesn’t have the sources to examine the background of all those that indicated their curiosity in attending.

“You can’t know everybody that’s going to be at every event you go to,” mentioned Anthony Housefather, a Liberal and Jewish MP who represents the Quebec using of Mount Royal. Housefather didn’t attend the occasion and thinks the short condemnation by MPs who did attend is suitable.

“I think all you can do is the person who actually invited him has to take some responsibility, but even then, if nobody actually invited him and just the whole community was invited and he just showed up, then that’s less of a thing,” Housefather mentioned.

“I think the main thing is now that people are aware that they clearly condemn what he stands for and his views.”

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