Jewish group wants investigation into online posts following Ottawa terror arrest | 24CA News
A Canadian Jewish group needs police to research Facebook posts allegedly made by the daddy of a teenage terror suspect arrested in Ottawa.
On Facebook, a consumer whose identify and picture match the daddy of the youth arrested by RCMP on Friday evening posted a number of feedback about Jews and Israelis.
According to the Facebook translation of the Arabic-language posts, they consult with Zionists and Jews in a derogatory method, whereas one says to do away with all Israelis.
The posts had been made within the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas assault that Israeli officers say killed greater than 1,200, and the following battle in Gaza.
Global News shouldn’t be repeating the Facebook posts with a view to keep away from figuring out the son, who can’t be named as a result of he’s a minor.
Asked to substantiate the Facebook web page was his, the youth’s father stated his lawyer had suggested him to not discuss to reporters. The posts had been subsequently taken down.
He didn’t reply to questions in regards to the particular posts, and whether or not they could have contributed to his son’s alleged focusing on of Jews.
In an interview Saturday, the daddy instructed Global News the Iraqi household had warned the youth to avoid extremists, and had despatched him to periods with an imam.
He stated when he noticed his son in court docket, “I told him I told you to stay away from any extremist person and he said, ‘Dad, I’m sorry.”
The youth was charged on Saturday with two terrorism offenses over what police allege was a plot to assault Ottawa’s Jewish neighborhood.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs stated it was searching for a police investigation into the social media posts amid a spike in anti-semitism.
“Those Facebook posts from the father of the accused appear to be incitement to violence and we expect law enforcement to investigate this additional hatred targeting the Jewish community,” stated CIJA spokesperson Cory Hann.
“It’s another example of anti-Zionism being antisemitism.”
Ottawa Police couldn’t be reached to answer whether or not it might open an investigation. The police drive posted a message on X on Sunday morning, asking members of the general public to report hate crimes.
The Jewish Federation of Ottawa stated in a neighborhood announcement that “police continue to encourage vigilance,” and requested for “heightened awareness and diligence.”
Following the youth’s arrest, the RCMP stated they’d witnessed a “concerning trend” of terrorists utilizing the web to recruit youths.
The RCMP requested mother and father to be looking out for the warning indicators of radicalization to violence, resembling “dehumanization of others.”
“I think it’s important to understand that hateful rhetoric leads to hateful actions,” stated Noah Shack, the vice chairman of countering anti-semitism and hate on the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.
“And it’s really important that we understand that nobody wakes up one day and decides that they’re going to undertake a terrorist activity. This is something that is the product of hatred.”
“And it’s the same hate that’s being expressed with words that these people are trying to express through horrific actions, through horrific violence. And it’s something we need to be vigilant about.”
Prof. Casey Babb stated the alleged plot was not shocking, given the unprecedented surge in anti-semitism in Canada and around the globe since Oct. 7.
“When it comes to extremism and terrorism, anti-semitism is often a foundational ideology and worldview that influences people’s behaviour and decision-making,” stated Babb, an teacher on the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and a fellow with the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.
He speculated the youth might have been influenced by on-line content material, which ranges from anti-Zionist and anti-semitic to “instructional information on carrying out attacks.”
Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
