Canadian-Jewish political candidates Rachel Bendayan and Anthony Housefather in the Canadian Liberal Party had their election campaign posters vandalized with swastika drawings in Montreal on Tuesday.
In response, both politicians condemned the incident, sharing photos of the vandalism on Twitter.
Whatever your political views, spreading hateful and violent messages is not the way to go.
We’ve seen the road that the politics of the far right leads us to in the US and around the world. That is not us. That is not our Canada #polcan #Elxn44 pic.twitter.com/eXv6MgI0pn— Rachel Bendayan (@RachelBendayan) August 17, 2021
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Pretty sad to see #antisemitism hitting the campaign on Day 3. I can assure whoever did this that no swastika is going to scare me or stop me from speaking up for Jewish Canadians. pic.twitter.com/vpIP7cWOPE— Anthony Housefather (@AHousefather) August 17, 2021
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that he was “disgusted and angry” at the antisemitic incidences.
Housefather and Bendayan, like Trudeau, are part of the Canadian Liberal Party and serve in the Canada House of Commons.
Trudeau also stated that he stands “in solidarity with Rachel and Anthony, and the entire Jewish community, against this type of hatred.”
I am disgusted and I am angry that @RachelBendayan and @AHousefather had signs vandalized with antisemitic graffiti. It is completely unacceptable. I stand in solidarity with Rachel and Anthony, and the entire Jewish community, against this type of hatred.— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) August 17, 2021
President Rivlin held a working meeting with Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau (credit: Mark Neiman/GPO)Canada’s New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh tweeted: “Acts of antisemitism glorify one of the most hateful ideologies in human history. We must confront it, prevent it, and give it no space to grow.”
Housefather thanked Trudeau, Singh, and O’Toole, saying that their statements are “greatly appreciated and a testament of how Liberals and Conservatives work together in the fight against antisemitism.”
Police in Montreal are investigating the incident, the media release also stated.
Jeremy Sharon and Jordan Pike contributed to this report.
