LEVY: Police and politicians can stop rampant anti-Semitism, but they don’t have the courage

Toronto police have the resources to end the widespread anti-Semitism on our city’s streets and in Jewish schools and institutions, a powerful statement made last week showed.

But the police have chosen not to use existing laws, of which there are many.

Instead, they used the excuse that the violent protesters have the right to freedom of expression, speakers told a crowd of about 200 people at a Canadian Women Against Anti-Semitism rally at Beth Torah synagogue.

“Freedom of speech has its limits,” argued criminal defense attorney Mark Sandler.

“The police have the power to enforce existing laws, but the balance is in the wrong direction (towards freedom of expression, no matter how hateful).”

Sandler, who founded a group after October 7 called the Alliance of Canadians Combating AntiSemitism (ALCCA), recently submitted a series of recommendations to the Toronto Police Services Board on how to deal with protests, demonstrations and occupations.

Believe it or not, there is no protocol.

In it, he says that despite the police and city’s emphasis on zero tolerance for hate, “hate and intimidation (targeting the Jewish community) are currently being tolerated.”

A lot.

While protesters believe that “freedom of speech” is more important than anything else and that there should be no restrictions on protests or what is said, the law says the exact opposite, he says.

Criminal enforcement measures that are not applied include:

• The requirement to have a permit to protest;
• deliberate incitement to hatred against a particular group (Zionists and Jews);
• damage to property (including intentionally obstructing and interrupting the public’s right to use or enjoy public property);
• disaster related to hate crimes against places of worship or schools;
• intimidation, violence and threats or blocking a highway;
• criminal intimidation; causing unrest and disguising oneself to commit a criminal offense (wearing masks and keffiyehs).

I’ve lost count of the number of these types of violations that have occurred in Toronto, even recently, that the police have done nothing about.

It doesn’t matter that only one man has been arrested so far in connection with the series of arsons and vandalism at Jewish schools in Toronto.

Or that demonstrators who have repeatedly taken over our streets are allowed to do so without a permit.

Let’s talk about the mass prayer sessions that blocked traffic. The most recent was on September 6th on the busy College St.

The police have stated that these moments of prayer are protected by the Charter of Human Rights.

What nonsense.

These people knowingly blocked a busy street and the public’s right to use it. I guarantee if they were all arrested, or their leaders at least charged, it wouldn’t happen again.

They know they are in charge.

Sandler also referred to the terrorist sympathizers who entered a Jewish neighborhood in June and harassed innocent residents. A more recent example is the Jewish family harassed by masked thugs at the Toronto International Air Show over Labor Day weekend.

Only True North reported on the incident. The lazy MSM was predictably silent.

“If we allow lawlessness on our streets, it only encourages the next round,” Sandler said.

Councillor James Pasternak, who has fought an uphill battle against a council and mayor who have enabled anti-Semitism in Toronto, bluntly said the mayor and council must be “on the same page” as the police.

In other words, they need to let the police know that it’s okay to arrest these people, which of course they haven’t done.

He said Mayor Olivia Chow needs to realize that this is not a Jewish issue.

“The sight of gangs marching through the streets does not reflect well on Toronto,” he said.

The Hamas sympathizers also disrupted the opening gala of the Toronto International Film Festival, but without consequences.

Pasternak suggested that if these rioters were charged under our current laws, they would be stuck in court and “have less time to mobilize.”

He added that there has been record levels of shock in Toronto’s Jewish – and non-Jewish – community over the “silence” of the political class.

This applies not only to Mayor Chow, but also to Premier Doug Ford and of course our Prime Minister, who does everything he can to please terrorist sympathizers.

“People have become afraid to speak up on our behalf (the Jewish community),” he said.

“Now in Toronto there is fear to speak out.”

Sandler told the crowd that people from the non-Jewish community should be told that their support was needed.

He specifically targeted our negligently silent politicians and said that this is not a matter of ‘counting votes’.

“This is a case of lawlessness that everyone hates,” he said.

I thought about everything that was said on this forum as I watched the Hamasniks take over the streets of the city center again in the past few days, praying and shouting as if the city was theirs.

Now that the October 7th birthday is already a month away, I don’t get sad anymore.

It makes me angry that our politicians and our police chief don’t understand what it means to encourage this violence, and don’t have the courage to stop it.