"Mr. Robertson’s failure to verify claims, along with his omission of critical facts, has resulted in a deeply misinformed op-ed. The National Post and B’nai B’rith Canada must issue a clarification to address these inaccuracies. Mr. Robertson is entitled to his opinions, but his arguments must align with verified facts and a coherent timeline of events."
December 6, 2024
To:
Richard Robertson, Director of Advocacy and Research for B’nai B’rith Canada
Rob Roberts, Editor-in-Chief, National Post
Dear Mr. Robertson, Mr. Roberts and B’nai B’rith Canada’s media centre,
I am writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express my concern over Mr. Robertson’s op-ed “Flawed leadership brings Amsterdam-style Jew-hate to Canada,” published on December 5, 2024 and that is riddled with numerous factual inaccuracies. I will outline these issues so that the National Post can address them thoroughly, as the op-ed’s glaring errors cannot be resolved with a simple editor’s note.
Amsterdam Violence
Mr. Robertson’s statement that “Antisemitic violence in Europe, much like the mob that attacked Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam early November” is inaccurate. As the National Post was aware given our prior correspondences, there is unquestionable evidence that The Maccabi fans instigated the violence according to Amsterdam police. Reports indicated that Israeli supporters instigated the violence and engaged in several widely reported provocations, such as chanting anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian slurs, including “Let the IDF win, and f*** the Arabs!” Additionally, Amsterdam police reported that a Palestinian flag was burned in Dam Square, and social media statements mentioned heightened vigilance in response to politically charged incidents, including the tearing down of a Palestinian flag from a building. Furthermore, a local Councillor stated that Maccabi fans “attacked pro-Palestinian Amsterdammers and homes displaying Palestinian flags,” noting that Maccabi hooligans have a “long history of violence in European cities,” citing an assault on pro-Palestinian civilians in Athens in March. Mr. Robertson omits these critical facts from his opinion piece. The Maccabi fans instigated and participated in the violence. It’s not up for argument. Add this in.
Montreal Protests
The section on Montreal protests conflates two separate events from November 22, 2024: an anti-NATO, pro-Palestinian protest and a student-organized pro-Palestinian academic boycott.
Both shared thematic solidarity but were organized by different groups for different purposes. This failure to distinguish the protests is a factual inaccuracy that misrepresents the participants and objectives of both events. It undermines public understanding and perpetuates a misleading narrative.
For example, Mr. Robertson incorrectly asserts that “the illusion that Canada was immune from the antisemitism plaguing Europe’s metropoles has been dissipating for some time. After Nov. 22, when a crowd of anti-Israel radicals rioted in a downtown Montreal anti-NATO protest, the myth has been completely dispelled.” You are misinformed here Mr. Robertson. The pro-Palestine protests happened on Nov.21 and Nov. 22 while the anti-NATO protests occurred from Nov. 22 to Nov. 25.
You make the same conflation in the statement that “contrary to what some Montreal officials have claimed since the riot in the city on Nov. 22, the demonstration was not hijacked by professional agitators or anarchists. Social-media accounts associated with anti-Israel organizations, including “Montreal for Palestine,” elicited support in advance of the rally.” This is blatant disinformation. In the hyperlinked post you provided, Montreal for Palestine elicited support for the pro-Palestine student protests on Nov. 21, and not Nov. 22 nor at the anti-NATO rally. It specifically encourages followers to mobilize at Concordia University’s Hall Building that is not even remotely close to Palais des Congrès.
I highlight this not to be overly meticulous, but because Mr. Robertson follows this paragraph with an inaccurate claim that on November 22, Mai Abdulhadi directed “Nazi salutes at Jewish counter-protesters and said a ‘final solution’ was coming their way.” This is factually incorrect. The incident did not occur at the anti-NATO protests on November 22, but rather during the pro-Palestine student protests on November 21. It took place in the afternoon near the intersection of the Hall Building, Concordia’s Library, and Mackay Street—far from the Palais des Congrès, Montreal Chinatown, the Old Port, or Place D’Armes metro station. It is troubling that neither the National Post nor B’nai B’rith Canada took the time to verify this claim against video evidence, which clearly identifies the correct location and date of the incident. This lack of verification on your behalf has led to horrendously misinformed and confused op-ed that mixes different claims with different events.
Mischaracterizations of Anti-NATO protests
Mr. Robertson’s claim that “as municipal authorities lost control of the situation, masked, keffiyeh-clad demonstrators chanting violent slogans vandalized private property, set fire to cars along the street and assaulted police officers,” is exaggerated and misleading.
For clarity Mr. Robertson, only two cars were set on fire. Both of which allegedly were accidentally set off by the police. Hadi Hassan, a journalist with TVA, reported that a tear gas grenade—a SKAT SHELL CS cartridge deployed by police—likely caused the vehicle fire. Video evidence and images by the reporter supports this possibility, and the SPVM itself stated the incident is under investigation. Your suggestion that demonstrators set cars on fire is an allegation and cannot be asserted as fact.
Regarding the claims of vandalized businesses, Quebec’s Green Party leader Alex Tyrrell, an organizer of the anti-NATO demonstrations, provided clear evidence, including photos, showing minimal damage—just six broken windows at the Montreal Convention Center (Palais Des Congres).
Also I’m unclear what Mr. Robertson is referring to in this line: “the illusion that Canada was immune from the antisemitism plaguing Europe’s metropoles has been dissipating for some time (…) when a crowd of anti-Israel radicals rioted in a downtown Montreal anti-NATO protest.” The assertion of acts of antisemitism at the anti-NATO protest lacks credible documentation. Mr. Tyrell who was on the ground refuted claims of antisemitism, citing SPVM statements in La Presse that no antisemitic acts were reported during the protests: “We have seen protests against NATO before, and they were not antisemitic protests.” Tyrell further denounced allegations of an “antisemitic hate mob” as manipulative and false, emphasizing that the demonstrations were strictly anti-war. Montreal police (SPVM) Chief Fady Dagher explicitly denied evidence of antisemitic acts at the anti-NATO protest, stating that no such incidents were confirmed and that investigations remained inconclusive. The same goes for the Mayor of Montreal. Excluding such context undermines the entire basis of your argument.
Mr. Robertson’s failure to verify claims, along with his omission of critical facts, has resulted in a deeply misinformed op-ed. The National Post and B’nai B’rith Canada must issue a clarification to address these inaccuracies. Mr. Robertson is entitled to his opinions, but his arguments must align with verified facts and a coherent timeline of events.
If these concerns remain unaddressed, I will have no choice but to escalate this matter to the National NewsMedia Council.
Anthony Issa
Media Analyst
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East