"Where Are Your Voices?"

"We who formed Rings of Peace around your churches and mosques when terror struck your communities must ask: Where are your voices?"

"Since Hamas claims to act in the name of Islam, we especially call upon leaders within the Muslim community to speak out publicly against these inhumane acts of terror."

"Distressingly [other faith leaders have mentioned] both sides [of the conflict], woefully failing to recognize the moral distinction between those who butcher and those who are butchered."

Group of Toronto rabbis 

"I would like to see a stranger moral voice from Canadian faith leaders. I'd like to see them wholeheartedly and unconditionally and unequivocally condemn Hamas and to recognize that their intentional slaughter of people, kidnapping and torture is absolutely wrong, full stop."

"The Middle East is a complicated place. Hamas is not a complicated organization. Their goal is to murder people."

"You cannot contextualize that, you cannot minimize that."

"The experience across the country, from all the rabbis I've spoken to, has been one of loneliness."

"Almost none of our colleagues of other religions have reached out and said 'How are you?'"

"The silence is sobering and clarifying."

Rabbi Adam Cutler, Adath Israel Congregation Toronto

This memorial for Ben Mizrachi, who was killed by Hamas militants at a music festival in Israel on Oct. 8, was set up at his former school, King David High School, in Vancouver. Mizrachi is one of six Canadians known to be killed or missing following the Palestinian militant group's attack on Israeli territory. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

"Over these last few days, the world has witnessed a rapid escalation of armed conflict in the Holy Land, with reports of a growing number of wounded or dead, including innocent civilians."

"I invite the Catholic faithful in Canada to join other people of good will, here and around the world, in imploring God to move the hearts of those leaders engaged in the present conflict in order to cease acts of terror, de-escalate violence and war, and resume constructive efforts that are aimed at establishing lasting peace and concord."

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

 

"The aggression has resulted in escalating violence and loss of innocent civilian lives in Israel and in Palestine."

"We lament all victims and pray for comfort for the families of those who mourn loved ones."

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada 

"The attacks on innocent Israeli civilians -- especially women and children -- are unjustifiable."

"As Muslims and as Canadians, we are horrified by images of Hamas targeting, killing and hostage-taking of civilians."

"We are terrified by the open calls for genocide by Israeli political and military leaders and the incessant bombing taking place right now that is carrying out those calls."

National Council of Canadian Muslims

Tiferet Lapidot, seen in an undated photo provided by a relative, called her parents as Hamas attacked a music festival on Oct. 8, part of a multifront assault on Israeli territory. Her family was able to track the location of her phone to Gaza after they lost contact with her, and believe the Palestinian militant group may be holding her hostage. (Submitted)

 

At no time, in no place, did Israel ever speak of any intention -- nor would the thought ever occur -- to embark on a campaign of genocide. The National Council of Canadian Muslims may have expressed its moral disgust with the actions of Hamas, acting in the name of Islam and slaughtering innocent Jewish civilians, raping, abducting children, killing men, women, children, entire families, but swerving to express fear of a country attempting to defend itself and its population from unending attacks by a terrorist group and planning to eliminate the terror group entirely cannot be construed as 'genocide'.

The Toronto rabbis appealing to the moral sense of justice in an expression of empathy and support from their colleagues of other faiths, are telling them that the world has become a lonely place and Jews are in dire need of comfort in expressed concern for their welfare and that of Jews and of Israel. An event as significant and odious as the terrorist Hamas sending its assigned terror groups into Israel for the sole purpose of terrorizing, slaughtering, mutilating, raping, burning to death, beheading babies would seem an event deserving of a rush of concern expressed by friends.

The statements that have been issued by a number of non-Jewish faith groups have lacked the commitment to fully expressing empathy, clearly naming the responsible group for profaning Islam by committing mass murder in a series of assaults defying human understanding in their barbaric brutality barely brushed the surface of compassion for the grievous loss suffered by their Jewish colleagues. An absolute failure of one faith to console another on its unspeakably dire loss of the gift of life.

 

Vivian Silver, a peace activist from Winnipeg who has lived in Israel for decades, volunteered with an organization called Road to Recovery and drove Palestinians from Gaza to Israeli hospitals. (Submitted by Yonatan Zeigen )

 

Choosing an equivocating condemnation of the vile atrocities hedged by the  unspoken but obvious expectation that Israel must exercise restraint in its response may have satisfied the barest minimum requirement of a sanctimonious statement satisfying to the moral values of the faith group issuing it, but it failed spectacularly to demonstrate communal inter-religious concerns for the sanctity of life taken by another faith group's adherents in the most base and vicious manner conceivable. Acts calling out for unequivocal condemnation.

The statement from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops missed entirely a direct mention of the Hamas atrocities. Piously self-engaged, no more, no less. As for The World Evangelical Alliance expressing its sympathy it was for the evangelicals, not the Jews that they are "deeply distressed by the Hamas attack on Israel and the Israeli people with its overt hints of lives that will be lost in Palestine", as though this too is not of deep concern to Israel itself as it grapples with the method it can employ to respond to Hamas which uses Palestinian civilians as a protective shield.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints failed to mention Hamas, while stating that "Violence of this nature is abhorrent to us and is not in harmony with the gospel of Jesus Christ". And nor is it in harmony with any sane, intelligent, civilized mind. 

 

No comment from the Canadian Council of Imams.

 

People attend a vigil outside a Berlin synagogue following the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, on October 13, 2023. "The Middle East is a complicated place. Hamas is not a complicated organization. Their goal is to murder people," says Canadian Rabbi Adam Cutler. Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images

"Their blood, the blood of Palestinians who are unfortunately going to die in this process of self-defence, their blood is in the hands of Hamas. And that needs to ... be made clear."

"[Israel is following international rules of war, and has no choice but to attack people's homes because that is where rocket fire is coming from, not from military bases. It is the reason the IDF instructs people to vacate those homes]."

"[Protests taking place in Canada and worldwide, purportedly in support of Palestinians] can only be understood as being supportive of Hamas."

"It is one thing to go out and intentionally brutalize and murder, and it's another thing, in a defensive mode, to go against those who are trying to kill  you, and unfortunately, both those who are trying to kill you and those who are innocent might die." 

"It’s almost unbelievable to think about it, that Hamas runs around killing everyone and Israel actually says I want to let you know this building is going to be destroyed in an hour, so you might want to leave. That’s that’s the difference we’re talking about here."

Rabbi Adam Cutler