I am writing on a peaceful sunny afternoon after more than a week of agitation and worry about today’s Al Quds Day rally in front of the US Consulate in Toronto, which was recently attacked by gunfire along with several area synagogues.  The offenders have not yet been caught.

Like many in our community fighting anti-semitism and hatred, I have been worried deeply by recent community developments and the continued inability of our law enforcement and political leaders and legal system to see reason to prohibit this Al Quds Day rally.

There have been many photo ops and press conference statements of local politicians and police attesting to the special protections they will have in place for this event on one of Toronto’s key downtown streets, in close proximity to area hospitals and financial infrastructure and our Ontario legislative buildings and Toronto City Hall.

Many earnest Jewish citizens and advocacy groups did their best to lobby their local politicians and met with our Ontario Premier.  In a municipal election year, there were many bold statements about attempts made to seek a court injunction blocking this rally in the interest of community safety, but the courts found otherwise.  This has now become a media victory for the other side, echoed over and over across news outlets.  See these reports:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-al-quds-decision-9.7128964

https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/al-quds-event-premier-doug-ford-anti-israel-protest-incites-jewish-hatred

https://www.cp24.com/local/toronto/2026/03/14/toronto-al-quds-rally-underway-after-judge-dismisses-ontario-governments-injunction-bid-to-stop-it-from-happening/

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/al-quds-rally-can-go-forward-rules-ontario-judge-after-denying-ontario-request-for-injunction

This rally is objectionable in celebrating pro-terrorist groups who have often glorified violence and Iranian-related proxy terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas, and have displayed their symbols freely over many years.  There were two arrests at today’s demonstration, with details to be provided by police at a later date, according to Toronto Police.

The current state of our Ontario politics, even after the recent attacks on Toronto synagogues and those in Michigan and internationally, is such that our legal system and academic systems and members of most mainstream media outlets value ‘free speech’ even for terrorist supporters (excusing this as peaceful advocacy for Palestine or the people of Iran and Lebanon), more than the safety of Jewish Canadians at demonstrable risk.  They don’t understand that other Canadians are also put at risk the more this pro-terrorist and hateful anti-semitic and anti-Israel discourse becomes normalized.

Sadly, Jewish community advocacy in this matter has tended to make too much of this Al Quds Day march and to give it too much prominence.  In so doing, they appear hysterical and give too much ammunition to the other side.  Let the Al Quds folks convict themselves with their uncouth endorsement of violence, terrorism and lawless disorder.

We are free to keep AWAY from them. And should, as long as our intelligence and law enforcement agencies are paying attention.  And they should be now, if their rally is taking place in front of the US Consulate in Toronto.  This is now a national security and international diplomacy issue potentially affecting our relations with the US government.

As is often the case when uptown Jewish organizations advocate against events glorifying terrorism and potentially posing risks to public safety and the Jewish community, they are perceived as advocating censorship not justifiable in law.

The same held true in advocacy around our Toronto Pride organization over many years when groups such as QUAIA (Queers Against Israel Apartheid) and related groups such as Queers 4 Palestine insisted on their free speech rights to promote BDS anti-Israel views claiming that Israel is an apartheid state, that zionism is racism, and labelling Israel’s relatively positive record on LGBTQ rights as ‘pinkwashing’.  We don’t need to march there anymore, Jewish folks. And we shouldn’t.  You will not be convincing anyone.  You will only be vastly outnumbered and putting vulnerable LGBTQ Jews at risk.

As upsetting as today’s legal defeat may be, and as grateful as we are for the advocacy of our allies such as Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto City Councillors Mike Colle, Brad Bradford, and James Pasternak, I think it behooves our Jewish community leaders to rethink their advocacy strategies.

I personally advised my colleagues in the Jewish community to avoid the area of the US Consulate this afternoon during the Al Quds Day rally in the interest of their safety and wellbeing.  There are always a few die-hard Jews who insist on confronting anti-Israel activists and waving their Israeli flags, sometimes getting into fistfights and conflicts with police and getting arrested, who prove nothing, and ultimately embarrass our community and potentially invite reprisals.

In any case, Jewish community members on a Sabbath afternoon would not be well served by being under police surveillance or potentially caught up in police and crowd control issues or violence between pro-Islamist and anti-Islamist Iranian contingents at this event.  Jews don’t need to be under police surveillance or put at risk by uptown Jewish organizations.  Remember this.

I had many hard struggles trying to reason with myself on sleepless nights and in the wake of the recent attack on Temple Israel in Michigan (we send our sympathies), and these are my PROVISIONAL  recommendations.

My beloved Bubbie and George Herbert were right.  Living well is truly the best revenge.  I spent my Saturday afternoon safely and far away from the turmoil in downtown Toronto.  I would avoid them as one would avoid a traffic jam.  Media loves controversy.  Point counterpoint debates putting us at risk are OVER.  Please stop inflaming them.

If we act and live more discreetly and strategically, we can get a lot more done.  We don’t need to interact with anti-Israel activists on campus or in the community anymore, and we shouldn’t.  We don’t need to live publicly for every moment of our existence.  Turn off your social media and live real lives!

These controversies and our visibility only inflame uninvolved Canadians who don’t like Jews or Israel that much anyway and they worsen conditions for other Jews at risk.  But some folks like to promote themselves and try to line their pockets.  As Coco Chanel said, “Less Is More”.  Please, do less.  The less we hear about you, the safer we will all be.  Really.  I mean it!

Some non-Jewish allies and authors such as Warren Kinsella have asked why more Jews do not show up for counter protests.  I had to explain to Warren that that is not our style as a professional community.  It is far easier and safer to stay home and make an unimpeded donation to a Jewish or pro-Israel charity and live quietly, safely, longer and more prosperously. More of us should.

Israel, and uptown Jewish organizations, I hate to tell you this, but I will remain as Jewish and pro-Israel as always without your strident and histrionic and often misguided political strategy and leadership.  I have unsubscribed from your communications in the interest of my wellbeing.  I determine my own politics.

Sometimes I think that the real hostages of October 7, 2023 were Diaspora Jews who continue to be punished severely with hate crimes for every misstep Israel makes.  It’s always overkill.  Literally.  Please stop.

Israel, your lack of awareness of your perception abroad is making our lives much more hazardous, in Canada and around the world.   Please moderate your military activities.  You are beginning to appear like a narcissistic immature amateurish power mad military junta led banana republic and creating more difficulties than you can solve at home, and abroad.  Again, less is more.

I will continue to support Jewish and pro-Israel charities as much as I can, and suggest others do so, but as with one’s healthy management of stress, I will have to invoke the Serenity Prayer asking God to give me the wisdom to accept the things I cannot change, change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.  I will never be able to change Israel, Jews, or those who hate us.

Sometimes, keeping a lower profile as a resistance model might be a good idea.  Our ancient sages and Maccabees did it, and so did many resistance heroes in the Holocaust.  They were not seeking notoriety or lining their egos or pocketbooks.  They just wanted to live out their lives and survive their oppressors.  So do I.

Many immigrant synagogues began with people meeting in private homes.  Many of us have large Jewish libraries in our homes and could organize alternative minyans there easily.  Think of the Havurah model.  Many of us are empowered and educated do it yourselfers.

Since I was a child of ten at Hebrew school and could read the prayer book, I understood that I did not need an intermediary between me and God.  I still don’t.  Neither do many of you.  Use this knowledge.  It might keep you safe while some of our synagogues remain under attack and at risk.  In the age of Zoom services and online learning beyond bricks and mortar institutions, this might be a safer and more affordable option for many of us that cannot be interfered with by our adversaries.

On a happier note, our Ontario Premier looked absolutely great in an electric blue kippah during his visit to a Toronto synagogue recently victimized by gunfire.  I have thanked him sincerely for his advocacy on our behalf and so should you.  I wonder whether his colour choice of kippah might become a new fashion trend in Ontario!  He is better dressed for shul than many of us!

That’s all for now.  I am trying to stay focused on the Jewish Canadian life I have always known and loved.  It seems to be the healthiest choice.

Stay well and strong, Israel.  Am Yisrael Chai.  We send our love from Canada.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)