"While I am not here to defend Brock University Sociology professor Tamari Kitossa and his writings, it is misleading to accuse him of antisemitism when the accusations stem from the “critics” whom you don’t correctly identify."
To:
Victoria Nicolaou, Reporter, St. Catharines Standard
Angus Scott, Editor-in-Chief, St. Catharines Standard
Dear Victoria Nicolaou and Angus Scott,
I am writing to express concern for your article: “Brown University criticized for silence on professor’s writings called ‘blatant antisemitism,’” published on July 10.
While I am not here to defend Brock University Sociology professor Tamari Kitossa and his writings, it is misleading to accuse him of antisemitism when the accusations stem from the “critics” whom you don’t correctly identify.
If one reads the complete article, it is unclear what the basis of the antisemitism accusations against Kitossa is. The article provides some details of his blog posts:
- Kitossa argues that Zionism and Nazism are the same
- Kitossa refers to the actions of Israel over the past 80 years as the “Zionist Holocaust of Gaza.”
- Kitossa comparing Israel to Nazi Germany
- Kitossa says that he stands for the “human state,” meaning that he “accepts that the Zionist Holocaust of Gaza is a microcosm of a world at war.”
- Kitossa saying: “Do you stand for genocide or against it? What will you do as the world is faced with the Zionist ‘extirpation,’ the Final Solution, of Gaza?”
The examples demonstrate that his anti-Israel stance is conflated with antisemitism. Kitossa is criticizing the State of Israel and its treatment of Palestinians. He is condemning Zionism.
While I appreciate you reaching out to Kitossa for your article and giving a space for him to defend himself, it is apparent that the antisemitic accusations against him stem from people from organizations that you cite but fail to describe correctly: Brock Coalition Against Antisemitism (BCAA), B’nai Brith Canada, and Chabad at Brock.
Brock Coalition Against Antisemitism (BCAA)’s mission, as stated on their website, is “combatting antisemitism and its manifestations, including anti-Zionism, through education, advocacy, solidarity, and accountability.”
B’nai Brith Canada is a self-prescribed “staunch defender of the State of Israel,” according to their website.
If one takes a look at Chabad on Brock’s Facebook page, one will find a post describing South Africa’s case of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as allegations and claims. One of the Chabad campus’s programs is Israel Links, which offers students trips to Israel and, therefore, contributes to funding Israel’s war crimes.
So, are Kitossa’s blog posts tangible examples of antisemitism, and are organizations uncomfortable because of a clear case of antisemitism or only because it upsets their own Zionism?
I, therefore, ask you to provide descriptions of the organizations that you cite to make clear that their reactions to Kitossa’s blog posts stem from their Zionism and not an apparent case of antisemitism.
I hope you will make this change and be more cautious when reporting on antisemitism and anti-Zionism in the future.
Sincerely,
Fatima Haidar,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East