'We will defeat the Zionists': Anti-Israel protesters harass IDF reservists at Montreal talk

IDF reservists on a speaking tour in Montreal faced hundreds of Hamas supporters on Monday who prevented some participants from entering and leaving a speaking event, spurring police action.

The protesters rallied outside the Jewish Community Foundation and Montreal Holocaust Museum, where reservists Nir Yoesef, Ori Itzhaki, and Aby Volcovich spoke about their experiences as part of a DiploAct tour through North America.

Despite the protests, DiploAct and Monday event co-organizers Hillel Concordia University and Startup Nation said that the talks proceeded.

“Inshallah we will defeat the Zionists,” one protester leader said during the event, according to a video published by Palestinian Youth Movement Montreal.

“Free Free Palestine,” others chanted. “The occupation has got to go!”

Claims of violent rhetoric at the protests

One person attempting to attend the speaking event engaged in violent rhetoric, according to Montreal 4 Palestine, telling protesters “We’re going to kill all your kids,” and “Go back to Palestine.”

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and Federation Combined Jewish Appeal said in a joint statement that the rally was aggressive and physically intimidating, blocking those seeking to enter. They called for arrests for targeting the Jewish institutions.

Rebel News posted a video of Montreal police and protesters scuffling, with one demonstrator pulled down and others targeted with pepper spray.

Palestinian groups criticized the Montreal Police for their presence at the event, saying that their behavior during a peaceful gathering was motivated by systemic racism.

“The [Montreal Police] officers, all of whom were white, adopted a hostile and threatening attitude towards the Palestinian activists, clearly discriminating against them compared to the Israeli supporters, who were also white and present,” Lawyers 4 Palestine wrote on social media.

CIJA and CJA said that the weeks of protests had escalated “into a hate mob targeting Jewish institutions.”

Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights Concordia said that event organizers were at fault for inviting the reservists to Jewish institutions and near a Holocaust Museum, and that the framing was a “trap” and “disgusting manipulation.”

“This is yet another example of the instrumentalization of the Holocaust in the persecution of Palestinians,” SPHR Concordia said on Monday. “We will carry on with our protest and ensure that never again means never again for anyone.”

The event had originally been scheduled at Concordia University, but organizers were told that the lectures were canceled due to security concerns. Hillel Montreal said that the decision was an implementation of the antisemitic BDS movement in the heart of Montreal.

“Concordia University says: ‘Israelis not welcome,’” said StartUp Nation. ‘This is absolute discrimination.”

Palestinian groups welcomed the decision in Instagram posts on Friday.

“Zionist soldiers will not be welcomed on our campus, the genocide-apologist event has officially been canceled,” SPHR Concordia said.

The DiploAct speaking tour is set to continue in Toronto on Thursday.

The DiploAct speaking tour is set to continue in Toronto on Thursday

“DiploAct will continue to fight anti-Israel propaganda and boycott organizations everywhere and at all times,” said DiploAct Chairman Amit Deri.

Another protest is planned at a Jewish institution in Montreal on Tuesday. An Israeli real estate information event is being held at The Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue, explaining how to purchase real estate in multiple locations in Israel, as well as settlements such as Neve Daniel, Efrat, and Ma’ale Adumim.

Anti-Zionist organization Independent Jewish Voices said on social media on Monday that it was organizing a protest against “illegal land sales in our synagogues,” but assured everyone that the protest was against the real estate event and not the synagogue.