Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies CondemnsMcGill Student Union for Condoning                                          Violence Against Jews; Advocates Dissolutionof Student Council

February 14, 2017 – Toronto: Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center forHolocaust Studies (FSWC) condemns the Student’sSociety of McGill University (SSMU) Board for supporting a student leader whoadvised his Twitter followers to “punch a Zionist;”  the SSMU  yesterday rejected a motion to remove him fromthe board, while targeting a Jewish student who called the remarks hateful.

“McGill University must end the practice of turning a blind eye togrowing hostility and calls for violence against Jews. It is outrageous –particularly given the tragic events at the Quebec City mosque just a few shortweeks ago, that violence against a minority group is not only tolerated, butsupported by McGill student leaders,” said FSWC President & CEO AviBenlolo.  “In the absence of a concreteresponse, this promotion of antisemitic hatred appears to be tacitly permittedby the university administration. Advocating violence against any other groupwould be fiercely condemned by all parties, yet when Jewish students are thetarget, there is a deafening silence,” he added.

FSWC calls on the McGill administration to take charge of this dangeroussituation, to dissolve the antisemitic SSMU, to offer support for Jewishstudents who are victimized on campus, and to launch an immediate investigationinto the culture of ingrained anti-Jewish hatred at McGill.

MediaContact:
StaceyL. Starkman
Director of Communications & External Relations
416.864.9735 x 32 / sstarkman@fswc.ca
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Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center(FSWC) is a leading Canadian non-profit human rights foundationdirectly representing over 30,000 members. FSWC is committed to counteringracism and antisemitism and to promoting the principles of tolerance,social justice and Canadian democratic values through advocacy andeducational programs including workshops, Freedom Day, the Spirit of HopeBenefit, Tools for Tolerance and the widely acclaimed new Tour for Humanity.FSWC is affiliated with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international Jewishhuman rights organization headquartered in Los Angeles, which has won twoAcademy Awards, has built two Museums of Tolerance (with a third beingbuilt in Jerusalem) and is an NGO at the United Nations, UNESCO, OAS, OSCE,the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament. Visit us at www.fswc.ca

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