Capital Pride’s anti-Israel messaging alarms Ottawa’s Jewish community

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A prominent member of the Ottawa Jewish Foundation feels “targeted and unwelcome” and fears for his safety due to Capital Pride’s anti-Israel messaging in advance of its Aug. 25 parade through downtown Ottawa’s streets.

On Tuesday, Capital Pride posted a harshly worded political statement on Instagram related to the ongoing war in Gaza.
“By portraying itself as a protector of the rights of queer and trans people in the Middle East, Israel seeks to draw attention away from its abhorrent human rights abuses against Palestinians,” the statement said.

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“We refuse to be complicit in this violence. Indeed, to withhold our solidarity from Palestinians in the name of upholding 2SLGBTQIA+ rights betrays the promise of liberation that guides our work. We join our voice to the calls for greater protection of civilians and reject any attempts to use a devastating conflict as a pretext to advance hate.”

The message served to baffle and “blindside” Dan Pujdak, who in the past proudly walked in the parade.

By isolating Israel, he says Capital Pride’s stance is a move towards pulling apart the community rather than strengthening solidarity.

“Capital Pride is supposed to be an inclusive event where anyone can show up and feel safe, to protest and celebrate LGBTQ+ history and the struggles,” Pujdak said in an interview with the Ottawa Citizen.

“It’s a place where everyone should feel welcome, but it feels like they’re asking Jewish people to leave their history and religion at the door.”

In the process, he says Capital Pride is adding fuel to already heated tensions involving the Middle East conflict. Hate crimes have significantly increased across Canada since the war began in October, with antisemitic crimes topping the list.

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“I don’t understand it,” Pujdak said. “It creates division. Everyone wants peace and the war is a difficult topic for a lot of people, but I don’t know what it means for the safety of the Jewish community. What was the point? Capital Pride can’t achieve peace in the Middle East, but this opens the door for nasty rhetoric.”

Capital Pride offered no comment on Pujdak’s words.

What’s puzzling to the Ottawa Jewish Foundation is the fact the organization had been exchanging regular emails with Capital Pride for the past two months, aimed at avoiding unnecessary conflict.

That included a back and forth only hours before the Instagram post Tuesday, with Capital Pride recognizing the need for increased awareness, considering other parades in Canada and the United States had been marred by rising levels of hate, including antisemitism.

Capital Pride also assured the Ottawa Jewish Federation that measures had been taken to ensure the safety of all parade participants.

The presence of police has been a complicated matter for Capital Pride’s board. The current policy, which dates back to 2017, says the Ottawa Police Service “will continue to provide the necessary services to ensure public safety.” The policy “recognizes the valuable work of the Ottawa Police Service in supporting us in the planning of the event.”

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Pujdak says there’s still time for a change of tone before the parade.

“What I really hope is that Capital Pride is focussed on building solidarity and ties to help people come together in fighting all kinds of hate,” he said.

At this point, he’s undecided on whether he will attend the event.

“Ottawa Pride has always been an amazing day and the Jewish community has been a part of that, but I don’t know if that will be the case if there’s this rhetoric front and centre.”

Other Pride parades in Canada have also been rife with issues stemming from the Middle East conflict.

Last weekend’s event in Vancouver was cut short after masked protesters waving banners and Palestine flags interrupted the parade midway through the route.

In July, Pride Toronto opted to cancel its annual event — Canada’s largest — when anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian groups also blocked the parade route.

Also last month in Frederiction, pride organizers opted to cancel the parade when board members were harassed for their demands to exclude the University of New Brunswick and the Canadian military from the event unless their ties to Israel were disclosed.

A last-minute resolution restored the parade, but Fredericton’s mayor and the lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick opted out due to the political tension.

kwarren@postmedia.com
X: Citizenkwarren

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