And So, Canada, Were You Invaded?

"Yemen, Yemen, make us proud! turn another ship around!"

"Gaza called, Yemen answered. All Israeli ships are cancelled." 

Canadian anti-Israel rallies

"Why is it always the non-Iranians who support the terrorist Islamic Regime in Iran?"

"As an Iranian-Canadian, it makes me sick to my stomach to see my fellow Canadians openly supporting a terrorist Islamofascist dictatorship that murders innocent Iranians."

"This is not the Canada my parents immigrated to in order to escape persecution by the terrorist Islamofascist Ayatollahs."

MPP Goldie Ghamari

Palestinians and supporters congregated at Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square two days after the October 7 massacre by Hamas in southern Israel. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

 

Cities in Canada saw wild scenes of open celebration even before news emerged of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Islamic Republican Guards Corp having launched a prolonged direct air attack on Israel. There is little doubt that many Iranians living in Tehran and detesting their ruling Ayatollahs viewed this event with sorrow. In Canada, the majority of the Iranian diaspora who arrived post-Iranian Revolution were anything but pleased. Which didn't stop the abundant presence of Palestinians, Syrians and other Middle East diaspora-Canadian-Arabs from jubilantly celebrating the event.

Keffiyeh-wearing demonstrators were seen in one circulated video cheering, banging drums, and sending up celebratory smoke bombs, while a speaker declared the wonderful news that "the Islamic Republic of Iran has just sent tens of drones toward Israel"; a 44-second video posted by Caryma Sa'd, Toronto lawyer who often documents such events taking place in Toronto. "Protesters react to breaking news of Iran launching drones at Israel in retaliatory attack for a strike which killed a top Iranian commander", he captioned.

 

 

This was April 14 when the IRGC air division launched over 300 drones and ballistic missiles into Israeli airspace. Israel and its regional and international supporters were prepared; forewarned of an imminent attack, they had their warjets on standby and reacted according to plan, knowing it would take up to seven hours for any of the missiles and 'suicide' drones to reach Israel. Israel, the United States, Britain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all had a hand in ensuring that none of the deadly projectiles reached their intended goal.

One can only imagine the dejection and disappointment of the celebrants of Iran's attack must have felt when it was announced by the Israel Defense Forces than the upshot of the Saturday/Sunday declaration of war turned out that 99 percent of the weapons were shot down. A 7-year-old Bedouin child in Israel was the sole unfortunate casualty when detritus from a destroyed missile fell on her family home, as was a lightly-impacted northern-Israel air base, which continued operations afterward.

 

People carry a Palestinian flag during a rally in front of City Hall in Toronto, October 9, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/Kyaw Soe Oo)

 

The Canadian celebrabrants were not to be put off by reality, continuing into Sunday. On the Instagram account of Ottawa4Palestine a speaker in Ottawa sang an improvised ditty to the tune of Yankee Doodle with the phrase: "leave Palestine alone and Jews go back to Europe". Another video of a Montreal rally featured demonstrators changing "put the bullet in the house of fire ... we are your men, Sinwar", referring to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of October 7's bloodthirsty savagery in southern Israel.

An Iranian exile in Calgary -- Bahar Bahari, long a vocal critic of Iran's theocracy, and a frequent attendee at pro-Israel demonstrations had posted the Montreal video. The Jerusalem Post took note of the celebrations in Canada, publishing the headline "Toronto protesters cheer as Iran fires drones at Israel", even while Israeli counter-batteries just completed the last of the incoming missiles being shot down.

The burgeoning anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian movement has been defiantly open with their hate messages against Israel, their threats against Canadian Jews, and their masked presence, disrupting traffic, blocking bridges, issuing insults against Canadian police forces, harassing Jewish business owners and Synagogue congregants, although their actions and activities defy Canadian hate law. Issues of violence perpetrated on Jewish parochial schools, Jewish social centres and Synagogues remain unsolved.

Key organizers of the hate-fests against the Jewish state are well known for their activities, bordering on and often substantially illegal criminal acts; Toronto4Palestine, Samidoun and the Palestinian Youth Movement who organized joyful rallies within hours of the ghastly October 7 mass rapes and massacres. Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea have also been matters of organized celebrations thanks to these organizers, all of whom if the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau was the least bit interested in security and following their own laws against terrorism would join Canada's list of terror groups.

Two rallies were held in Halifax on Thanksgiving Monday — one in support of Israel, the other in support of the Palestinian territories. (Jeorge Sadi/CBC)

The Rise of Antisemitism in Canada

"We think the situation [rampant antisemitism] now is more critical [currently than was the case in 2021 at Canada's first antisemitism summit], and we point to police statistics to make our case."

"We feel that our demand [to convene a second national antisemitism summit] will be well-received by elected officials."

"It's critical to get stakeholders all at the same table."

"The fight against antisemitism is everyone's fight."

Marvin Rotrand, interim director-general, United Against Hate Canada

 

"We know that an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us."

"If someone hates a person for being Jewish, they're going to hate me for being Chinese, someone else for being Filipino, and so on."

"The action summit must address the alleged confusion about what that chant ["From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free"] means and remove the excuse for inaction, so that the people we trust to keep us safe and uphold our laws can do so with full clarity." 

Member of Parliament Kevin Vuong

Ottawa police officers keep watch as crews clean anti-Israel grafitti painted on the office tower housing the Israeli embassy on O'Connor Street in downtown Ottawa, Ont. on Monday, April 15, 2024. Photo by Bryan Passifiume /Postmedia Network

A call has arisen to convene a second Canadian national antisemitism summit in the wake of the wave of antisemitism that has swept through Canada following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack in southern Israel that left 1,200 Israeli children, women, men, and the elderly dead. A sinister paroxysm of sadistic savagery unlike anything witnessed before, as Palestinian terrorists gang-raped, mutilated and murdered girls and women in Israel, and burned families alive in their homes on that unforgettable day.

An open letter signed by 200 politicians, community and spiritual leaders called for another antisemitism summit. With it came a motion set to be tabled in the Senate of Canada. A call for Canada's antisemitism envoy, Deborah Lyons via an open letter, urged that a follow-up meeting to continue the work of the initial summit held by former envoy Irwin Cotler, Canada's long-time and premier human rights campaigner, to be slated as soon as possible.

After hundreds of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, along with PLO terrorists rampaged through kibbutzim located close to the border with Gaza, a campaign of hate, threats and intimidation erupted throughout Canada, with Palestinians and other Arabs living in Canada as citizens organized 'pro-Palestinian' protests in the immediate wake of the savagery committed by Palestinians. Following which such protests became frequent episodes of anti-Israel, anti-Jewish hate-fests.

Incidents of such hate expressed against Canadian Jews more than doubled in Toronto where antisemitism has become the most reported hate crime for years, compared to last year's statistics. Across Canada other cities report as well significant increases since October 7 of anti-Jewish hate-fests. In Ottawa, the office tower where the Israeli embassy is located saw vandals spray-paint anti-Israel graffiti on the building exterior.

Simultaneously a group of anti-Israel protesters once again shut down an intersection south of the embassy, evidently a coordinated effort to create 'economic blockades' against nations considered to be supportive of Israel. Sitting and retired politicians at all levels of government, mayors, school trustees, cultural and ethnic groups and faith leaders were among the 200 individuals who signed the open letter. 

 

Among them MP Kevin Vuong who emphasized that combating antisemitism requires commitment and action, not merely words and platitudes. The call for a summit saw a motion tabled in the Senate by Senator Leo Housakos.

 

Senate of Canada

"We cannot allow antisemitism to become normalized, and we cannot allow the haters to believe they can act with impunity."

"It is totally unacceptable that the Jewish community, whose history dates to the foundation of our country and who have contributed so much to Canada's well-being and success, should feel unsafe in their own communities."

Senator Leo Housakos

To Strike Back : When and Where

"We are looking ahead."

"We are considering our steps, and this launch of so many missiles, cruise missiles and UAVs into the territory of the State of Israel will be met with a response." 

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi

Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system is seen intercepting rockets launched from the Gaza Strip | Source: Reuters

 

"Iran is a nation that endorses terrorism, and the world should have curtailed it much earlier."

"[Saudi air defences automatically intercept] any suspicious entity [that enters its airspace, which could refer to attacks from Yemeni Houthis, another of Iran's terror proxies]."

"We confront every suspicious object that enters Saudi airspace. This is a matter of sovereignty."

"Two days before the attack, Iranian officials briefed counterparts from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries on the outlines and timing of their plan for the large-scale strikes on Israel so that those countries could safeguard airspace. Information that was passed along to the U.S. allowing Washington and Israel crucial advance warning."

Anonymous Saudi royal family source

Monday Israel's war cabinet discussed a few potential military responses to the Islamic Republic's Saturday/Sunday attack on Israel's airspace with over 300 drones and missiles, some 99% of which were reportedly shot down by the U.S., Israel, France, the U.K., Jordan and Saudi Arabia before they could enter Israel's airspace. Each of the possible responses under discussion were designed to inflict a meaningful response to the Iranian regime, while carefully avoiding expansion leading to a regional war.

The war cabinet was mindful of the pressure exerted by U.S. President Joe Biden and the diplomatic necessity of selecting an option that would not induce the Biden administration to block its performance. Prime Minister Netanyahu had been informed by President Biden on Saturday not to expect Washington to support a retaliatory attack by Israel. "You got a win. Take the win", said Biden. 

Yoav Gallant, a war cabinet member and Defence Minister, informed his American counterpart the following evening that there was no choice for the Jewish state but to respond to the unprecedented drone and missile strikes on Israel in response to an alleged airstrike by Israel that hit Damascus, killing an elite Quds Force commander. Gallant emphasized to U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin that the reality of ballistic missiles fired at Israel without repercussions was not acceptable.

 

Gilad Erdan, Israel's UN ambassador, showed a video of drones heading toward Israel to the United Nations Security Council on Sunday. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU via Getty Images

 

In the final analysis the war cabinet had no option but to endorse a strike back, remaining divided on the scope and timing of their response. Minister-without-Portfolio Benny Gantz vowed to "exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us". Comprised of Netanyahu, Gallant and Gantz, as well as three observers, the war cabinet meant to reconvene Tuesday.

Following the call with Biden, it was reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu set aside the option of a swift strike on Iranian territory; a decision that resulted in the Iranian attacks having "caused relatively minor damage", which seems highly unlikely, since an aggressive act of war of this dimension could not and would not be set aside as immaterial by any other nation on Earth. 

Saudi Arabia accused Iran of responsibility for the Gaza conflict with the intention of undermining progress in a normalization agreement between Riyadh and Jerusalem. A royal family source revealed that Tehran's promotion of terrorism led Riyadh to play a role in thwarting the drone and missile attack that occurred on Saturday night. The Saudis shared intelligence with the United States and Israel that helped to counter the Iranian attack. 

Intelligence was also shared by the Emiratis who had forged diplomatic ties with Jerusalem as part of the Abraham Accords in 2020. Initially cautious around sharing information, Arab governments feared direct involvement in the conflict that would leave them vulnerable to Iranian reprisal. Despite which Riyadh and Abu Dhabi moved forward following discussions with the U.S.

As well, Amman agreed to permit the U.S. and other countries to fly warplanes through its airspace, intercepting Iranian missiles and drones, while the Jordanians themselves assisted in shooting them down.

Parts of a missile launched from a missile are landed in Marj Al-Hamam area, during Iran's airstrikes against Israel, in Amman, Jordan on April 14, 2024. Anadolu via Getty Images

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East/Hamas

"We are not convinced that Canada used the information that we provided in a way that would put UNRWA in a different light than before. It's as if nothing happened."

"Even if we got the message that Canada believes UNRWA needs to be reformed, our conviction is that UNRWA needs to be reformed immediately and completely."

"As an organization, it's become a bottleneck that's part of the problem, not the solution."

Iddo Moed, Israeli Ambassador to Canada

"For years I've had meetings in western capitals."

"I've been to Ottawa and met with Canadian officials in Israel many times, and I tell them, 'You get to feel very good about  yourself, even very smug for giving money to supposedly the poor Palestinians, but what you're really funding is the continuation and perpetuation of the century-long Palestinian war against the Jewish state."

Einat Wilf, Israeli politician former member of Knesset

United Nations and Red Crescent workers prepare aid for distribution to Palestinians at the UNRWA warehouse in Deir Al-Balah, Gaza Strip on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. (Hassan Eslaiah/The Associated Press)

 

Among the evidence that Israel made available to its allies, including Canada, were (a) biographies of employees of the United Nations who participated in the massacre in southern Israel of that infamous October 7 day of barbaric slaughter. (b) Also provided were satellite photographs of schools in Gaza that had been built over buried terrorist bunkers. (c) Proof that Hamas rocket launchers were installed within mere metres of marked United Nations compounds.

Canada was given access to a wide range of Israeli intelligence, before the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau decided it would continue to fund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, after initially declaring a 'pause' in funding of the agency, in the immediate aftermath of the October 7 assault.  A wide assortment of other donor nations mostly suspended funding until the conclusion of a UN investigation either cleared or confirmed implication of UNRWA.

Canada is not alone in deciding to resume funding rather than wait for the results of the investigation into UNRWA's involvement in the Hamas savagery in southern Israel that resulted in mass rape, the slaughter of over 1,200 infants, children, women, the elderly and the hostage-taking of an estimated 240 Israelis. Japan, Australia, Finland and Sweden also decided to resume their funding. 

A Palestinian boy holds a Hamas flag as he protests against a UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) funding gap, outside the UNRWA Gaza headquarters in Gaza City. Photo by Khalil Hamra

Canada's government, before its decision to resume funding, was given verifiable intelligence that Hamas views UNRWA as part of its civil rule in that it provides the material civic support and infrastructure to Palestinians in Gaza, leaving Hamas free to focus on its military terrorist programs. That briefing clarified that "Hamas is deeply and systemically embedded in UNRWA. Hamas members serve in all sectors of UNRWA activities, including key positions."

The United Nations has supported Palestinians as refugees for the past 76 years. Essentially the funding supporting the Palestinians serves to facilitate ongoing attacks against Israel, as they have since the Jewish state's re-establishment in 1948. According to the Israeli UNRWA dossier up to 2,135 UNRWA employees are members of Palestinian terror groups with over three-quarters of those employees Hamas operatives. Of that number, 327 serve in Hamas's 'military wing', the Al-Qassam Brigades.

Also included in the dossier were over a dozen biographies of UNRWA employees who had taken part in the October 7 attack; an UNRWA social worker seen on surveillance video removing the body of a man from Kibbutz Beeri; an UNRWA school principal who moonlights in the Al-Qassam Brigades among them. The school principal closed his school just prior to the attacks, notifying fellow Hamas operatives to muster close to the Gaza border. Eighteen UNRWA school principals are identified as Hamas combat operatives.

 

It is well known and documented that Hamas makes use of its civilian population as human shields, places rocket launchers, command posts and other strategic targets among and within schools, mosques and hospitals. At least 32 UNRWA facilities located within 20 metres of Hamas installations in Gaza were revealed by Israeli intelligence. Under the UNRWA-operated Maghazi Prep School B in central Gaza a tunnel was discovered, as well as a bunker underneath the UNRWA-run Zaitoun Prep School, both of whose principals are Hamas operatives.

Throughout the Gaza Strip, maps show arms warehouses, tunnel access points and logistical centres adjacent to UN-run schools, residences and facilities. A satellite image depicted construction of an underground bunker in 2010; an updated image taken in 2023 showed an UNRWA school built over the bunker. Hamas rocket launchers near Rafah were placed metres from a mosque and schools as well as throughout UN refugee camps nearby. 

"We have built the tunnels because we have no other way of protecting ourselves from being targeted and killed", explained Mousa Abu Marzouk, deputy chair of the Hamas Political Bureau in an interview with Russia Today, emphasizing that the Gaza tunnels were designed not to benefit Palestinian civilians from return Israeli fire when rockets are launched into Israel, but to protect Hamas 'fighters' and their infrastructure from the Israeli counterattacks, where Hamas is happy to sacrifice their citizens as 'martyrs'.

Activists and their children hold a giant Palestinian flag during a protest demanding that countries resume funding of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinians Refugees (UNRWA) near the European Union headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Bilal Hussein/Associated Press)

"While we gathered intelligence on Hamas, more and more links to UNRWA came up."

"The problem is that Hamas infiltrated into the ranks of UNRWA in a systematic manner, in a way that Hamas perceived UNRWA as a strategic asset."

"If UNRWA will not recognize that there is a problem, it will be impossible to fix it. Because the infiltration is so wide, we believe it is beyond repair, and we don't want to see the continuation of the activity of UNRWA in the Gaza Strip."

"Not all of the humanitarian aid reached the civilians, Hamas was trying to use this aid for its own purposes [intercepting and seizing humanitarian aid entering Gaza from international donors]."

Senior Israeli diplomatic source

Threatening Canadian Jews

"Mr. Trudeau, we accuse you and your government, through your actions and inactions, of having contributed to the antisemitism we see running rampant in Canada today. You have permitted it to fester and rage like a fire burning out of control. Your indifference and relative silence in response to antisemitism contribute to the marginalization and isolation of Jews in Canada and their erasure for the public square."

"We accuse you and your government of abandoning Canadian Jews in our time of great peril. Your failure to speak out against the attacks on Jews, the threats to Jewish schools, the targeting and vandalism of businesses and the desecration of Jewish cemeteries and places of worship is incomprehensible."

"Your moral failings have contributed to what we regard as the explosion of Jew hatred in Canada."

"Your government's inaction and appeasement toward Hamas supporters achieves nothing but embarrassment and shame for Canada on the world stage."

"We have passed an awful milestone in our long  history by allowing members of Parliament to shamefully accommodate radicals and stand with terrorists."

"Canada's honourable and longstanding record of support for the cause of freedom, justice and against all forms of hatred and antisemitism has been ineradicably stained by the actions of your government."

J'Accuse...! An Open Letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Palestinian supporters hold a rally in downtown Toronto on Oct. 9, 2023. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

 

Hundreds of disruptive, hate-filled protests have roiled Canadian cities in the past five months in the wake of the mass murder of Israeli civilians who were raped, mutilated, burned to death when Palestinian terrorists led by Hamas and joined by the PLFP and PIJ along with ordinary Palestinian civilians flooded across the border from Gaza to Israel to raid border villages and jubilantly record their sadistic savagery in killing children, babies, women and the elderly, celebrating the success of their 'victory' over the 'enemy'.

The protests were not to express outrage that such barbarity could occur against defenceless civilians by a neighbouring population, but to champion the very terrorist hordes that had perpetrated the shocking mutilation, rape, and slaughter of Jews. Crowds of pro-Hamas celebrants who shouted 'Intefada!', 'From the river to the sea!' and 'Final Solution'. All slogans with a readily identifiable meaning representing a hate crime against an identifiable group.

Jews represent a small minority ethnic/religious/cultural group within Canada, roughly 400,000 in number; about 1% of the population. The Jewish presence in Canada dates back before Confederation. From much later years forward Canada has amassed through immigration, refugee and migrant entries a much larger proportion of Muslims from the Middle East and North Africa to the point where Toronto, Canada's largest city, is ten percent Muslim. There are close to two million Muslims living in Canada, representing 5% of the population.

"On that Saturday [March 30], police arrested a man for allegedly driving a truck with people riding in the bed of the vehicle. They said the man was charged with stunt driving."

"While officers were seizing the truck, police say demonstrators became "aggressive and assaultive" toward the officers. Several arrests followed, and two women were charged with assaulting a peace officer with a weapon. One woman allegedly used a flagpole as a spear, while the other is accused of throwing horse manure at officers."

CBC report

Organizers of a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Toronto on March 30 where seven people were arrested say officers used excessive force against protesters, an allegation firmly rejected by police. Still from video, CBC

Arabs and Palestinians among them have organized events and rallies that demonize Israel and persecute Canadian Jews. They represent a formidable voting bloc, and there are now, under the prime ministership of Justin Trudeau, a large number of Members of Parliament of Muslim heritage, a good number of whom are in the Liberal caucus, with some appointed to influential Cabinet posts. The demographics and voting patterns constrain meaningful action against illegal, threatening, increasingly violent pro-Hamas protests and actions threatening Jews.

The great numbers of Muslims guarantee that many Canadian cities now have a substantial number of Jew-hostile groups igniting latent antisemitism from among the general population of those inclined to racist fear-mongering. Everywhere and anywhere now, Jews realize that some of their neighbours are insensitive to their vulnerabilities as a minority in a growing environment of social hostility. Much less that in their neighbourhoods, living on the same streets are those who view Jews as anathema.

Six Toronto city councillors last week gave support to pro-Hamas rallies, including the annual Al Quds Day events initiated by the Islamic Republic of Iran which publicly vocalize Iran's intention of destroying Israel. These councillors produced a statement: "Protecting the Right to Protest in Our City: freedom of assembly is a protected right in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In these difficult times of heightened tension in the world and Toronto these rights must be protected as part of our democratic society."

 

The federal government under Justin Trudeau, given direct and compromising evidence that UNRWA employed hundreds of Palestinian Gazans in its operations, some of whom are also members of groups like Hamas who are listed on Canada's terror list and that among them were individuals who took direct action during the murderous terrorist raid of October 7, taking part in the butchery, the rapes, the destruction and the abduction of hundreds of children, women and elderly as hostages taken to Gaza, decided to continue funding UNRWA.

For this current government of Canada, it has become glaringly clear that terrorizing Jews in Israel is of little concern, and what's more to the point, is that threatening and violating the civil rights of Canadian Jews is also of no concern to Justin Trudeau's government. This government flouts its own anti-terrorism laws and sanctions, among them that Canadians are forbidden to participate, facilitate, instruct or harbour terrorists.

People take part in a pro-Palestinian rally in Montreal, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

The High Price of Terrorism

"The criminal enemy is driven by the spirit of revenge and murder and does not value any standards of laws."

"The enemy believes that by targeting the families of the leaders, it will push them to give up the demands of our people."

"Anyone who believes that targeting my sons will push Hamas to change its position is delusional."

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh 

An Israeli raid claimed the lives of three sons and three grandchildren of Hamas' political bureau leader, Ismail Haniyeh. (Photo: video grab)

 

Delusional, as in the incapacity to recognize reality, leading one to believe irrationally that one's criminal activity directed against a perceived enemy is totally within reason and represents an honourable action. That slaughtering innocent people represents a qualified success in persuading that enemy that they will never succeed in arguing it is better for all involved to live in peace by demonstrating that instead of peace enabling two different cultures, religions, ethnicities to abide one another's presence without resorting to conflict, it is far more effective to launch deadly attacks to deliver the message of absolute rejection.

Delusion is the attitude that surfaces of disbelief and fury leading to the sanctimonious censure of the 'enemy' that strikes back in a message that declares no one is untouchable who is involved in the murder of our citizens, particularly if they are themselves 'sensitive' subjects of familial concern, in the wake of a remorseless barbarism of savagery unleashed on helpless civilian children, women and the elderly. One that remains unresolved with the condition of hostages still held as bargaining chips unknown, although some are held to have been murdered while in captivity.

 

People gathered for vigils in Jerusalem and around the world to remember those killed or taken hostage on Oct. 7. CBC still from video

Three sons of Hamas leader Haniyeh, themselves part of the Hamas terrorist operation, given their father's leading role in the deaths of thousands of Israelis over the years were assassinated as just dues of the October 7 mass murder of Israelis, eliciting condemnation from Haniyeh at the 'criminal' actions of a nation's military tasked to protect and perserve the lives of their own population. Whereas Haniyeh is fond and proud of declaring at every opportunity how proud he is that Palestinians willingly offer their lives as 'martyrs' for the cause of destroying Israel.

 

What is unfortunate is that Palestinian terrorists never quite believe they will one day have their lives extinguished in attacks countering their own. Which leads to the death of innocents, both Israeli and Palestinian. Three of Haniyeh's grandchildren were killed in the Israeli strike that dispatched their fathers, Hazem, Ameer and Mohammed Haniyeh, when the vehicle they were all travelling in was struck by a drone within the Gaza Strip's al-Shati camp. Children anywhere deserve to live and to flourish and to become decent human beings.

"From a military point of view, Hamas is defeated. Its fighters are eliminated or in hiding [and its capabilities [crippled]."

"Fighting against Hamas will take time. Boys who are now in middle school will still fight in the 
Gaza Strip."

"Wherever there are terrorist targets, the Israel Defense Forces will be there."

Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz

Ismail Haniyeh said the car containing members of his family was targeted as they were visiting the Shati refugee camp for Eid. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Singing From a Different Hymnal

"Media Relations officers were asked to ensure that internal notifications were flagged and shared with provincial headquarters prior to things being issued so that additional notifications could be completed."

"No one has been restricted from addressing matters in their jurisdiction and pre-existing Media Relations protocols have not changed."

"[In fact, the guidance indicated that we] commit to be available to review and ensure timely feedback as it is not our intention on delaying communication efforts."

Staff Sgt.Kris Clark, senior media relations officer, Royal Canadian Mounted Police E Division statement

"Organized crime groups are actively involved in the redistribution of safe supply and prescription drugs."

"It might mean how we regulate our safe supply might need a sober second glance."

Cpl. Jennifer Cooper, RCMP Prince George detachment

RCMP have arrested a suspect who was accused of standing outside the IDA pharmacy in Prince George and trading illicit drugs for safe supply prescription pills. (Andrew Kurjata/CBC)

A leaked memo emerged where Mounties in British Columbia have been instructed to step carefully around "hot button issues", in the wake of RCMP in British Columbia continually reporting the phenomena of government-distributed "safer supply" opioids showing up in drug busts. "It is very clear we are in a pre-election time period and the topic of 'public safety' is very much an issue that governments and voters are discussing", the email of March 11 from HQ of E Division, B.C. branch of the RCMP reads.

Thus the 150 detachments in the province of the RCMP were instructed not to directly address such potentially controversial issues. Best practice henceforth would be rout enquiries from journalists and government communications staff through to central headquarters for response. Drug seizures and drug decriminalization to be considered on a list of "hot button issues". Controversies continue to erupt related to the province's commitment to "safer supply", at the same time that it has decriminalized simple possession of illicit drugs.

At the turn of the year, provincial RCMP detachments had reported seizures of black-market hydromorphone tablets initially distributed by the government of British Columbia ostensibly representing a safer supply. Consequentially, in northeastern B.C., RCMP with the Prince George division reported hydromorphone tablets seized, along with various street drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine and prescription drugs  such as painkiller and anti-convulsant gabapentin.

 

Prince George RCMP seized prescription drugs, suspected methamphetamine and fentanyl and a small amount of cash from the suspect's residence after a 10-day surveillance operation. (Prince George RCMP)

Police in Campbell River on Vancouver Island, a month earlier reported seizure of 3,500 hydromorphone pills identifying them as having been diverted into the black market by "a well-organized drug trafficking operation". Reports that appeared to contradict the consistent claim of authorities in British Columbia that "diversion" did not present as a major problem; alternately that it wasn't occurring, to begin with.

British Columbia boasted becoming the world's first jurisdiction to launch the Safer Opioid Supply program in 2020, a plan to dispense prescribed recreational opioids, in the form of hydromorphone pills; an alternative to addicts relying on the "toxic illegal drug supply". Interviews with over a dozen addiction-medicine specialists in May 2023 by investigative journalist Adam Zivo, for the National Post, concluded that addicts routinely obtain safer supply, then turn around to provide it for cash to the black market.

The obvious result was that the "toxic illegal drug supply" was in fact being subsidized by the illegal funding resulting from reselling safer supply. The black market was flooded with inexpensive hydromorphone. A search of the  website reddit by Adam Zivo resulted in the appearance of dozens of posts boasting diverted "dillies" for sale. B.C. chief coroner Lisa Lapointe, herself an enthusiastic advocate for safer supply, publicly declared in June of 2023 that it was "not true" that diversion was taking place, but was the result of "increasingly polarized rhetoric that is not informed by evidence". 

 

RCMP coincidentally in British Columbia promulgated an official statement authorized by its assistant commissioner that there "is currently no evidence to support a widespread diversion of safer supply drugs in the illicit market in B.C. or Canada", the very day the "hot button issues" memorandum had been sent out. "We've increased awareness to our police officers in order to better identify cases where safer supply drugs may be present within their investigations", the assistant commissioner clarified. 

 

A statue commemorating people who have died of drug overdoses is pictured at Seaforth Peace Park in Vancouver on in April 2022. B.C implemented a safer supply program in 2020 in an attempt to address the toxic drug crisis in the province. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

"Someone comes out of a pharmacy with their prescribed safe supply, and is met head on with a drug dealer offering them illicit drugs in exchange for those drugs to be then distributed into the community."

"It's pretty evident this is exactly how this problem has become a problem in British Columbia."

Elenore Sturko, ex-RCMP officer, currently B.C. United opposition critic for mental health and addiction