A Vancouver Island rabbi urged the Liberal Party of Canada on Tuesday to drop a Victoria parliamentary candidate who blamed Israel for the supposed degrading reputation of Western governments.
Chabad Rabbi Meir Kaplan sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, cautioning that Liberal candidate Will Greaves had made public statements “that echo classic antisemitic tropes – not legitimate criticism of Israeli policy, but statements that cross a clear line into hateful conspiracy theories.”
Greaves said on X/Twitter last March that “Israel is single-handedly harming the standing of virtually every government in the Western world, particularly progressive ones, yet those governments continue to support and supply it.”
Israel is single-handedly harming the standing of virtually every government in the Western world, particularly progressive ones, yet those governments continue to support and supply it. It’s astonishing, really.
— Will Greaves (@WillWJGreaves) March 3, 2024
Kaplan argued in his letter to Carney that this was not “constructive political commentary” but instead blamed the Jewish state for the problems of all Western democracies.
“At a time when antisemitism is rising sharply across Canada, it is deeply concerning to see such views held by someone who may represent my community in the federal government. While I am not typically involved in political discourse, I cannot remain silent when a potential member of parliament publicly expresses views that promote antisemitic conspiracies,” said Kaplan.
“I respectfully urge you to take a principled stand and reconsider Mr. Greaves’s candidacy. Leadership requires drawing moral lines, even when doing so is politically inconvenient.”
Greaves apologizes for his comments
Greaves issued a Wednesday statement assuring that he was and always had been against antisemitism and all forms of discrimination. The Liberal candidate apologized for the pain his comments caused and regretted “any confusion they have created about my beliefs.”
“I have had many engaging conversations with members of Victoria’s Jewish community about their priorities in this election, and have listened to some concerns about comments that I previously made about Israel,” said Greaves.
“I condemn all acts of racism and bigotry including antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian racism, whether in Israel, Palestine, or Canada. I unequivocally condemn the October 7 attack by Hamas and call for the immediate release of all hostages. I believe that both parties must work toward the return of all hostages and resumption of the ceasefire, and that all Canadian leaders should commit to creating safe, inclusive communities where nobody feels targeted for who they are or what they believe.”
Greaves said that he hoped to work with the Victorian Jewish community to build trust and a better city.