My latest: Chow has chosen sides
Olivia Chow has made her choice.
For months, she’s bobbed and weaved. For months, she has refused to be crystal clear about the orgy of anti-Semitism and Jew-hating crime that has gripped Toronto.
The mayor of Canada’s largest city will issue an occasional sympathetic tweet, sure, when things get particularly bad. But clearly showing support for Toronto’s Jewish community, when they are feeling under siege? When they are feeling isolated and maligned and scared?
Not Olivia Chow.
On Tuesday morning, Chow finally made a clear choice. On Tuesday morning, a small ceremony took place: the raising of Israel’s flag in a remote corner of City Hall, as has been done for years, without any problem.
Chow refused to attend.
Before the ceremony, someone sent her an email about it. Chow sent back a response, which was circulated online late Monday night. She did a bit of buck-passing, claiming that the city’s protocol office decided to let Israel’s flag be raised, not her. And then she said this:
“The Mayor did not decide to fly the flag, and does not have the authority to approve or deny flag raising requests. The Mayor will not attend the flag raising. She believes raising it is divisive at this time, and understands the deep pain and anguish felt by many in the community.”
That’s pretty clear: “The Mayor will not attend the flag raising.” And, so, she didn’t.
Councillor James Pasternak was there, and some others. A few Israel-haters showed up, too, but they were kept a safe distance away. But no Olivia Chow, who claims to be mayor of all of Toronto.
Well, it turns out she’s mayor of just some of Toronto – a Toronto where some citizens are more equal than others. She’s not mayor anymore to any of Toronto’s many Jews, apparently.
Five problems with that.
1. Fair is fair, Mayor Chow. If Israel’s flag is “divisive,” then Palestinian flags shouldn’t be displayed at protests and rallies anymore, either. Because, you know, that’s “divisive.”
(And by the by: There are Israeli flags on homes all over Toronto, which has a big Jewish population. Does Toronto’s erstwhile mayor want them taken down, too, because they’re “divisive?”)
2. This flag-raising, as noted, has happened for years. But this year – when Jews are under unprecedented assault, and want reassurance that they are welcome in Toronto, where they pay taxes and contribute to the betterment of the city – Olivia Chow wants Jews to be invisible. She wants them erased.
3. By falsely claiming there is a “security” issue, Olivia Chow has made it into one. In previous years, no one had “security” issues. This year, Toronto’s mayor is making it into one – by recklessly pitting one side against the other. Is safety truly an issue? Well, if safety is an issue, then pick up the phone and call the police, Mayor Chow. You’ve got their number, don’t you? I mean, you appoint the Chief and set the Toronto Police Service budget, after all.
4. A few days ago, the logo and propaganda of Hamas’ military wing was projected onto the side of a building at the University of Toronto, which happens to be blocks from where Chow lives. From her, not a peep. But, now, Israel’s flag is “divisive”? Seriously?
5. Final point, about which there can be no mistake: this no-show is a profound insult to Toronto’s Jews, who see this as more than a mere flag-raising. To them, it’s making a choice. To them, it’s expressing a desire that they aren’t here anymore. Erasing them. Removing them.
Which happened in a certain European country in the 1930s, didn’t it?