WARNING: This article contains language that may be offensive to some
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC), a Toronto Jewish non-profit human rights organization, is calling for the Green Party to dismiss a Regina candidate in the Regina-Qu’Appelle riding following allegedly anti-Semitic social media posts.
The Canadian Jewish News reports candidate Dale Dewar tweeted statements like “Israel is practically a serial rapist,” and “Israel continuing to colonize land already owned and farmed by another people, the Palestinians.”
There were also comments made toward Israelis needing mental health supports for “getting over the PTSD” of the holocaust, and one saying “Zionism is a made-up cult.”
Zionism is an ideology that Judaism is not only a religion but also a nationality, calling for a Jewish state in Israel.
CJN said the tweets were mostly made in 2019.
CJN’s initial inquiry regarding the comments to the Green Party began on Sept. 4.
Dewar deleted her Twitter account on Sept. 10, following posts containing remarks that she “condemns anti-Semitism.”
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An apology from Dewar has since been issued. In an email to Global News from the Green Party, Dewar stated, “I believe deeply in human rights and progressive values, which is why I chose to run for the Green Party of Canada.
“Because of my dedication to these values, I have been critical of the State of Israel and its treatment of the Palestinian people.
“I still believe there are serious issues in regard to the Israeli government’s policies in the West Bank and Gaza, however, my past criticisms have gone too far,” Dewar said, adding, “For this I am deeply sorry.”
CJN also reports it was given an apology by Dewar on Sept. 11 in a message which said, “I am deeply sorry for the use of inflammatory language when describing the Middle East situation; it was unacceptable and I regret doing so. Today, I have removed all such posts.”
FSWC has acknowledged the apology but has taken further steps to denounce the comments, which it calls “more than ‘inflammatory.'”
The organization issued a statement Thursday, calling for Green Party Leader Elizabeth May to dismiss the candidate from the party.
In the statement, FSWC called on the party to recognize that Dewar’s words were “vile,” and “belittled the horrors of the holocaust, adding her dismissal would “send a message that such candidates will not be tolerated by disassociating itself from Dewar immediately.”
Global News has reached out to the Green Party for comment on FSWC’s call to action. No response was given.
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It’s not the first time this week that a Green Party candidate has come under fire for anti-Semitic comments on social media.
The Green Party‘s federal candidate in the Ontario riding of Simcoe North resigned after coming under fire over a 2007 Facebook post in which he appeared to suggest he wanted to mail pieces of a pig carcass to Muslims.
Following the resignation of Erik Schomann, the Green Party issued a statement, saying, “The Green Party has zero-tolerance for sexism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, misogyny, homophobia or hate speech of any kind.”
The Regina-Qu’Appelle riding is currently held by Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer.
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