GOLD: Israeli-Canadians and Winnipeg Jews feel abandoned by police

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My family never really spoke about Remembrance Day when I was growing up, although we observed it and it held personal significance for us. Relatives on both sides of my family served in Canada’s armed forces, and one was killed in Normandy. I can’t remember any families in our community that weren’t staunchly loyal to this country. We viewed Canada as a truly safe place for Jewish families like ours.

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Mine was the generation after many institutional acts of discrimination, like who could own property at a beach or a Winnipeg suburb or who could attend the Faculty of Dentistry, were abolished.

Antisemitism — the hatred of Jews — was found mostly on the fringes of society among far-left and far-right extremist political academics and movements, and to some extent, among families harbouring old-country beliefs and grudges who kept their hate to quiet whispers and didn’t act on it. The number of high school scraps over being Jewish almost entirely evaporated from my father’s time to mine. Physical confrontations and threats involving the Jewish community were unheard of for decades.

But times have changed. And the approach of Winnipeg police leadership to it has changed.

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Unfortunately, to many members of the Jewish community, the change resembles how Jews were treated in Germany after Kristallnacht — it’s our fault, we bring it on ourselves, can’t we stop causing problems?

‘The police were terrified’

The change of approach started in May of 2021 after police were overwhelmed by a large pro-Palestinian car rally staged in front of the Legislature, opposite a celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeii Independence Day.

Chants for the bombing of Tel Aviv by Hamas, and threats to “rape Jewish daughters” and “stab the Jews in Tuxedo” were heard. The police line on Broadway was charged past and as a result the 30 supporters of Israel were mobbed. No charges were laid against the violent antisemites.

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One of the Israelis, Alberto Man, was operating his hot dog cart and leapt into the fray.

“When the police were standing between us and them, and they were almost triple us, and they were attacking us and throwing bottles and rocks, the police were terrified and didn’t know what to do… They were shaking.”

The attackers falsely accused him of punching a Palestinian girl during the fracas, and local media outlets gladly repeated the libel. Video proved Alberto was nowhere near the girl in the brawl and that she wasn’t decked, but rather pulled to the pavement in a scuffle as she tried to steal an Israeli flag.

No retractions were issued. He and his family have been harassed ever since.

Of the hundreds involved in the altercation, only two people were handed $1,200 Covid tickets for “illegally gathering.” Both were Jews. Alberto was one of them even though he was legally allowed to operate his cart outdoors.

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Who’s disturbing the peace?

In response to the Oct. 7 pogrom by Hamas, Israeli Canadians have been prominent in gatherings held every Sunday at the corner of Kenaston and Grant near the Superstore, to call for the release of the hostages held in Gaza.

Then a few weeks ago, police started allowing the pro-Palestinian protesters to hold their weekly Saturday rally at the same spot. When a leader of the Israeli community, fluent in Arabic, parked in the strip mall across Grant to observe the speeches and activities on Oct. 26, pro-Palestinian goons left the rally, crossed six lanes of traffic, and surrounded the vehicle.

Instead of ordering the goons to go back, or arrest them for intimidation and threats under the Criminal Code, video shows the cops plaintively asking the Jew who was targeted to just drive away.

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The following Saturday, three officers went to his home to relay he’s not allowed to be near Superstore while the pro-Palestinians are protesting and was warned that he ‘could’ be arrested for breach of the peace.

A video of the discussion shows his wife dissecting the true meaning of the police caution.

“I haven’t gone for two Saturdays because they’re there, so as a Jew, I want to confirm this, I can’t go to Superstore till they’re done.”

An officer responds, “For everyone’s safety, were just asking that you don’t attend to that Superstore until they’re done.”

Who’s disturbing the peace? The guy watching what the police are allowing to go on or the people calling for his death?

When he reminds them that “last week when I wasn’t even on the site, they came and sought me out,” the officer says, “it attracted them.”

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His wife retorted that it smelled like Germany in 1938.

Afterwards she told a community chat, “I’m glad I told them. I said now I know what my family went through.”

Nothing to do with Gaza

In Alberto’s assessment, “They came to him as a representative of the Jewish people and what they told him was not just to him directly, it was to all of us in general. You’re not allowed in this specific place between specific hours. And that’s basically what happened in the beginning in Nazi Germany. It’s the same thing.”

“Police definitely have a double standard and are hiding behind they want to prevent any conflict,” Alberto claims. “But what they don’t take into consideration is who is initiating that conflict. They don’t care.”

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The Winnipeg Police Service did not respond to my inquiry about these concerns before deadline.

Holding anti-Israel rallies in River Heights had nothing to do with Gaza, and everything to do with intimidating the Winnipeg Israeli and the Jewish community. The mere sight of a Jew in the Jewish neighbourhood of River Heights may trigger the Jew-hating mob, but police leadership will blame the Jew. Meanwhile, they continue to investigate Stars of David chalked onto a sidewalk as a “hate crime.”

“The Jews are being targeted as the root of all the problems,” says Alberto. “Police admitted they are scared of the group promoting violence. It’s not about who’s doing the right thing, it’s who has the biggest crowd — mob rule.”

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That isn’t the Winnipeg or the Canada that my relatives fought to defend in WWII.

Mayor Scott Gillingham and the rest of City Council should think hard about the message being sent to the 4,000 Israelis and 10,000 other Jews in Winnipeg when people calling for the elimination of the Jewish homeland and death to Zionists are given permission by the police to spread hate and the Jews of Winnipeg are told they have to stay away or get arrested.

— Marty Gold is a Winnipeg journalist. You can find more of his work at The Great Canadian Talk Show.

Have thoughts on what’s going on in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada or across the world? Send us a letter to the editor at wpgsun.letters@kleinmedia.ca

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