Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is pleased to learn that Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church in Toronto has cancelled an event hosted by a Palestinian group that honours a Palestinian terrorist.

The event was originally scheduled for July 13 by the Toronto chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement to launch the Ghassan Kanafani Resistance Arts Scholarship – named after the former leading member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine who was involved in the 1972 Lod airport massacre in Israel that killed 26 civilians and injured 80 others. 

According to a statement, the church has recognized that allowing the event to take place would be “inconsistent with church policy.”

“While we commend the church for its decision to stand against the glorification of terrorists and cancel this event, churches and other event spaces should do their due diligence before allowing groups to host events that are not aligned with their policies and values,” said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo.

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