By: Nathaly Schneider

Something is seriously not right on university campuses in Ontario. Now, more than ever, appointed leadership in student government groups are using their podium to express and publicize anti-Israel views.

Last week at Queen’s University, as people across Canada took part in Remembrance Day ceremonies, Nick Day, the student rector for the AMS, Queen’s Student Government, used what was meant to be an address of gratitude for our fallen soldiers to present his own political agenda.

Midway through his speech, in which he praised his grandfather for his service in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Day’s tone abruptly changed, “My grandfather would have been troubled by the international silence on Palestinian Human Rights. He would have recognized the injustice of desecrating Palestinian towns, orchards, and ancient sites. He would have been angered by the death of Palestinian civilians. He would have been dismayed by the following order, issued by the Israeli Defense Forces central command, to its soldiers: 'when our forces encounter civilians during the war or in a raid, the encountered civilians may, and even must, be killed. Under no circumstances should an Arab be trusted, even if he gives the impression of being civilized.'"

Not only did Nick Day misuse his podium to spread his hateful views, but he also took strong liberties in his quoting of Edward Said's article, Zionism From the Standpoint of its Victims. The actually text says the following:

“When our forces encounter civilians during the war or in the course of a pursuit of a raid, the encountered civilians may, and by Halachic standards even must be killed, whenever it cannot be ascertained that they are incapable of hitting us back. Under no circumstances should an Arab be trusted, even if he gives the impression of being civilized.”

Day’s omitting of choice words in Said’s work is not only a disservice to his audience, but it also clearly highlights his anti-Israel bias. Thankfully, a motion was passed by the AMS later that evening that formally censured Nick Day for his disrespectful comments. Great job to Mitch Rattner, Jacob Martin, Shira Sasson and the entire Queen’s IOC and Hillel team for taking a stand against this matter! You can read Queen’s Israel on Campus' official statement here.

While Nick Day was reprimanded for using his position to proclaim his political views, the York Federation of Students has once again shown that they have no interest in representing a united student body. They invited George Galloway to speak earlier this week. Galloway was brought in by the YFS to speak as a part of their “Expressions against Oppression” series (clearly not taking into account the oppression of the people of Israel living under the constant threat of terror, or the people of Gaza living under a terrorist regime).

While Galloway spread his hateful views to a packed room, over 300 people proudly waved homemade signs, along with Canadian and Israeli flags, as they protested outside of the event! With signs like “From Galloway’s Pockets to Hamas Rockets” and “Not on My Campus, Not on My Dime” rally goers held their own against a man who proudly and publicly donated to Hamas, and has denied the genocide in Darfur, as well as the massacre in Tiananmen Square. Even amidst threat of a law suit from York University to our very own Rabbi Hoch of the Village Shul, students and community members were out in full force to show that they will not stand by as their elected student government welcomes a terrorist sympathizer on their campus! Great job to all of the students who not only organized a great rally, but also made sure that their message was heard!

Resources:
• Interview with Rabbi Hoch
• Video of the York Rally
• National Post Editorial Board: Canada’s universities, Bastions of Censorship