On Wednesday, November 5, IDF reservist Jonathan Karten planned to speak with a small group of Jewish students from Toronto Metropolitan University about the reality of the war in Gaza. Within moments of his arrival at the secret location for this meeting, he was attacked violently and injured. The students were terrified, taking cover under tables. What began as a small group of masked “protesters” yelling anti-Israel and antisemitic threats grew to dozens. In the first episode of this two-part series, we dive into the detail of what happened and how Toronto police handled the crisis. One week after the confrontation, STLV sat down with Jonathan Karten in Tel Aviv to discuss what went down that day. But we also place the antisemitic violence - that has become normalized in Toronto in the last two years - into a broader context. Home to the fourth largest Jewish community in the world - after Israel, the U.S. and France - Canada’s 360,000 Jews are often overlooked. No longer. Toronto has established itself as an Islamist’s paradise. Police have taken to telling Jews that their mere presence is a “provocation,” The Police Chief, Myron Demkiw, says he is just trying to “keep the peace.” His tactics are highly questionable.
In this episode, we speak with Jonathan Karten and his friend who attended the November 5 event with him. We rely extensively in this documentary report upon video footage taken that day, much of which went viral globally.
In Part II, coming later this week, we get into arrests made in this case, and the very laissez fair approach of law enforcement in Toronto to what has become chronic incitement of hatred and violence targeting Jews in the city.
This episode has been generously sponsored by Andrea Marcus, a Toronto resident and artist who shares our profound concern over what has become of the once vibrant city, known for tolerance and family-friendly living.
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