Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, a Jewish organization, has requested the resignation of Bochra Manaï, Montreal's anti-racism commissioner, denouncing her inexcusable behavior in recent weeks.
Manaï's silence and response infuriated several Jewish communities and have been condemned by Quebec politicians.
Jewish Organization Requests Resignation of Manaï
Members of Montreal's Jewish community gather for a vigil at the Gelber Conference Centre in Montreal, Canada on October 9, 2023, after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel. Israel, reeling from the deadliest attack on its territory in half a century, formally declared war on Hamas October 8, 2023 as the conflict's death toll surged close to 1,000 after the Palestinian militant group launched a massive surprise assault from Gaza.
On Tuesday, Eta Yudin, the Quebec vice-president of CIJA, said that Manaï's silence and negligence shocked them towards the notable week of antisemitic terrorism in Montreal.
"Ms. Manaï's response to the Molotov cocktails tossed at Jewish institutions: silence. Her response to the bullets fired at Jewish schools: silence again," she said.
CIJA said Manaï shared posts on her social media from groups that celebrated the October 7 attack instead of speaking up about the attack.
Yudin said they were currently at a crucial moment in Montreal's history, as the Jewish community has been under attack. She noted that Quebecers could demand an anti-racism commissioner who considers principles and practices healthy judgment.
Another Jewish organization, B'nai Brith Canada, denounced the behavior of Manaï and called it outrageous and unacceptable. The organization asked for accountability to help combat the hateful events in Montreal over the past week.
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Manaï's Response to Criticisms
On Sunday evening, Manaï posted the situation on her LinkedIn account after her public silence last week regarding her inaction to antisemitic incidents in Montreal.
She wrote, "We are all extremely worried about the increase in incidents and hate crimes, Islamophobic and antisemitic, which are exacerbated by the daily atrocity seen over more than 30 days in Palestine and Israel."
Then, on Tuesday evening, the city's public relations department sent a statement by Manaï in response to calls for her resignation.
Manaï defended herself in the statement but did not directly comment on the call for her resignation and the criticisms of her social media posts. She said that her recent social media posts were due to joining demonstrations in Montreal supporting a request for a ceasefire.
She added that attending the demonstrations was one of her duties as a woman committed to peace. She said that the recent events disheartened her, and she was deeply concerned with the rising hate crimes in the state.
Manaï has participated in at least one pro-Palestinian protest in Montreal, Le Devoir.
She said she condemned the recent Islamophobic and antisemitic acts in Montreal and that targeting Jewish schools and people was a form of crime and must be punished by the law as they have no place in the state.
Manaï explained her role to the city of Montreal and said she does not have a role of public representation. Instead, she said she was assigned to work with the municipal system to advance the change of the administration to be free of racism and systemic discrimination.
Furthermore, she said she was ready to face all organizations and hear all their sentiments. She was also willing to meet the representatives of the Arab-Muslim and Jewish communities.
Aref Salem, interim leader of Ensemble Montréal, the opposition party at city hall, also called out Manaï, questioning if she should still keep the job as a commissioner on Tuesday.
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