UMVA has learned that a shocking controversy is brewing in Canada over the appointment of two members to a new anti-racism council, sparking concerns that the government's efforts to combat hate and antisemitism may be undermined.
The council, announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney, aims to tackle racism and hate in all forms, but critics are outraged that two of its members, Omar Alghabra and Avnish Nanda, have troubling views on the Jewish state. Alghabra, a former Liberal party cabinet minister, has faced criticism for publicly mourning former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, described as "the father of modern terrorism," and for declining to condemn the October 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel.
Alghabra's past comments on Israel have also raised eyebrows. In 2005, he criticized Toronto's police chief for participating in a "Walk with Israel" event, describing it as "a show of solidarity for a foreign state currently in the midst of an unresolved conflict." He also referred to Israel as "a country that is conducting a brutal and the longest contemporary military occupation in the world."
The opposition leader, Pierre Poilievre, has pointed to a separate encounter with Alghabra involving a terrorist organization, revealing that Alghabra had lobbied him to keep Hezbollah legal. However, Alghabra did describe Hamas as a terrorist organization during a 2016 parliamentary debate.
The other contentious member of the council, Avnish Nanda, was involved in efforts to keep a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Alberta in place, which critics argued created a hostile atmosphere for Jewish students following the Hamas terror attack on Israel.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the Jewish community is in an uproar over the appointments, with Rabbi Zolly Claman of Montreal's Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem Congregation expressing shock and dismay. "Canadian Jews are struggling to understand how our prime minister believed this would be a constructive appointment," he said.
The controversy comes as Canada's Jewish community faces a growing crisis of antisemitism. A recent report revealed that 6,800 antisemitic incidents took place in the country in 2025, representing a 9.4% increase over 2024. On average, this represents 18.6 incidents a day, the highest volume on record.
While the prime minister's acknowledgment of rising antisemitism has been welcomed, critics argue that more concrete action is needed to address the crisis. B'nai Brith Canada's chief executive officer, Simon Wolle, questioned whether the council has the authority and scope necessary to effectively address the problem, calling for a National Emergency Task Force on Antisemitism.
Canadian Jewish activist Ariella Kimmel also expressed concerns, stating that the council's approach is too broad and fails to address the specific targeting of Jews. "Canada does not have a hate problem; it has a Jew-hatred problem," she said, adding that radicalized progressives and Islamist fundamentalists are leading the charge.
