Kinew decries rise of antisemitism, says province working to be ‘visible’ ally to Jewish community

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This article was published 11/12/2024 (346 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Wab Kinew wants Manitoba’s Jewish community to know that he wants to be “a good ally” for them.

That was the message he conveyed during a recent interview with Ruth Ashrafi, regional director for B’nai Brith in Manitoba.

During the pre-recorded interview, which was shared with the Jewish community in the province by B’nai Brith Tuesday, Kinew lamented the rise in antisemitism globally since the Hamas militant attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

He spoke about the importance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition for fighting antisemitism and noted the important role of education in combating racism and discrimination.

Kinew said he was sorry that many in the Jewish community in the province have felt targeted since the Hamas attack, and that some Jews in Manitoba feel they can’t display their Jewishness personally or in their homes.

“That’s just not right,” he said, adding it will take a combination of law enforcement, civil society and the government to combat antisemitism and all other forms of hatred in the province.

“It’s important for our government to set the groundwork for all Manitobans to live together in a good way,” Kinew said, acknowledging that the “horror” of Oct. 7 has made that more difficult.

The attacks, which Kinew said “can never be justified,” have caused some in Manitoba to fear for their safety. He wants everyone in the province to feel safe “in the place we call home,” he added.

The government has an important role to play, he said, by “trying to be a visible and present ally to the Jewish community,” he said.

One way his government has sought to do that was by participating in the reading of names of victims of the Holocaust at a memorial service earlier this year.

In addition, the provincial government hosted an event about the Holocaust at the legislature and arranged a visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum by members of a trade delegation that travelled to Washington last spring.

It’s also the reason the provincial government has invested $150,000 to create a mandatory curriculum about the Holocaust for students in kindergarten to Grade 12, Kinew said.

Education about the Holocaust and other forms of hatred is a way to build “the kind of society we want together,” he said.

He also showed his support for the Jewish community as leader of the Opposition when he supported the province’s adoption of the IRHA definition of antisemitism in 2022.

That definition, Kinew said, is an important tool and a jumping off point for discussion about racism and hate in all forms.

Kinew said anything that calls for the elimination of the Jewish people — such as “from the river to the sea,” a slogan chanted at some pro-Palestine rallies — is hate speech.

“I want to create an environment where Manitobans can live with one another in peace,” he said, adding Islamophobia is also a concern.

“That is always our goal.”

Kinew praised the work of the Manitoba Multifaith Council.

“People need to keep coming back to the table to talk,” he said.”

The interview can be heard at wfp.to/kinewbrith.

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