Focus turning to hostage recovery

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This article was published 29/10/2023 (721 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Members of Winnipeg’s Jewish community are turning their focus toward hostage recovery, calling for the release of more than 200 people — including dozens of children and seniors — believed to be held captive in the Gaza Strip.

A crowd, numbering around 60 people, gathered Sunday afternoon outside the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Some carried signs and flags, while others pushed empty baby carriages adorned with stuffed toys and photographs of children believed to have been kidnapped.

“We did counter-rallies for the first three weeks to raise awareness in Gaza and also to get police to take seriously the (suspected) rise in hate-crimes we are seeing here in Winnipeg. We think we have accomplished that… so we are going to use our rallies moving forward to raise awareness about those kidnapped, and that we expect those people to come home,” said Ron East, founder of the Israeli Canadian Council and protest organizer.

The rally, which began at 1 p.m., included speeches from members of the crowd, many of whom have family and friends impacted by the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel. The event culminated an hour later, with the crowd singing Israel’s national anthem before embarking on a short parade through The Forks.

It was the latest in a spate of pro-Israel and pro-Palestine mass demonstrations, which have continued on a weekly basis in Winnipeg since the Oct. 7 terror attack.

Tatiana Krivtchanski was among those in the crowd, standing side-by-side with her husband, Pavel — who was in Israel, roughly 35 kilometres from the Gaza border, on the day of the attack.

“I just felt so scared that he was there,” she said, recounting how she could hear the sounds of sirens and missile-fire while speaking to her husband on the phone.

The couple, who have lived in Canada since 2014, were in Israel visiting family. Krivtchanski returned Oct. 4, with Pavel to follow shortly after. When war broke out, he was trapped in the country for an additional week, scrambling to find a safe route home he said.

Ultimately, he made it to Germany, where he paid $3,000 for a one-way flight to Canada.

“He is safe, but we have family all across the country who are affected,” Krivtchanski said. “We want all of our kidnapped back.”

The number of police present during Sunday’s demonstration was smaller than at other such events in recent weeks, and it came on the heels of a Winnipeg Police Service request that organizers on both sides of the conflict avoid scheduling simultaneous protests.

The WPS issued the plea at a press conference last week, during which it also outlined a series of suspected hate-motivated crimes perpetrated since the Middle East conflict began.

A crowd intended to rally Saturday on Manitoba’s legislative grounds in a counter-protest against hundreds of Palestine supporters who formed a parade and marched through downtown Winnipeg. However, safety concerns and police advice forced organizers to reschedule the event.

East, who has organized numerous counter-protests, said he and other members of Winnipeg’s Jewish community, were concerned after seeing a video of a person seemingly uttering threats during a livestream on TikTok (a popular social media platform) Friday night.

A copy of the video, viewed by the Free Press, shows a man repeating a series of antisemitic phrases including “Hitler is coming” and “Hamas is coming” before issuing what seemed to be a threat against Jewish counter-protesters that they would be “buried in the snow” if they appeared at Saturday’s event.

East alleged the man lives in Winnipeg. The Free Press was not able to independently verify this.

He said he intends to report the video to WPS today along with several other instances of suspected hate-motivated crimes targeting the Jewish community in recent days.

On Sunday, a WPS spokesperson said there were no updates available on the number of suspected hate-crimes reported in Winnipeg.

The Jewish community is to gather Thursday evening on the grounds of Manitoba’s legislature to continue the call for the release of hostages.

“Our hearts break for the children that have been taken away from their parents,” said Gustavo Zentner, president of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg. “People kiss their children goodnight here in Winnipeg and are mindful that there are many parents in Israel who cannot go to bed, knowing that their children have been kidnapped.”

Zentner encouraged people of all faiths and backgrounds to participate in the vigil, which is set to begin at 7 p.m. and will include prayers for the war dead and wounded.

The federation, which is the largest Jewish organization in Winnipeg and represents many businesses and groups, has asked community members to avoid counter-protests, fearing for the safety of attendees. Rhetoric, signs and rallying cries spotted during pro-Palestine demonstrations have caused concern, with Zentner fearing they may incite violence or support the abolishment of Israel, he said.

“A lot a Winnipegers that may sympathize with Palestinians or with people that live in Gaza may not have a full understanding of the violent, negative connotation of (those) chants,” Zentner said. “We are advocating for all communities to work with their leadership to not import Israeli-Palestinian conflict into Winnipeg.”

A group of Israel supporters has created a display outside the Asper Jewish Community Campus (123 Doncaster St.) with photos identifying suspected hostages, which Zentner described as the “most sincere form of outcry.”

Global Affairs Canada is in contact with 499 Canadians in Gaza, it said Saturday.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca