Ottawa cancels public ceremony for Israeli flag-raising, citing security concerns

City officials say they’ve cancelled a flag-raising ceremony at Ottawa City Hall to mark the establishment of Israel because of security concerns.

The flag will be raised next Tuesday, but a ceremony involving the mayor, diplomats and members of the Jewish community will not go ahead.

The city says it has intelligence that suggests the event would pose a substantial risk to public safety, though it is not offering details.

The group Ottawa 4 Palestine had shared on social media that it planned to protest at the event.

Deborah Lyons, Canada’s envoy for combating antisemitism, condemned the decision to cancel the event and says Jewish Canadians should not be prevented from living public lives.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says he’s disappointed at the decision, blaming “escalating threats and hostility” in a social-media post.