Israeli diplomat bashes Canadian Jewish org. for promoting immigration of doctors

The Executive Director of the Windsor Jewish Federation, Dan Brotman, and the Israeli Consul General in Montreal, Paul Hirschson, traded jabs on Thursday in a Facebook thread following a workshop hosted by the federation.

The workshop focused on how Israeli medical professionals can move to Canada. 

Yesterday, we had the privilege of hosting nearly 50 Israeli doctors for a workshop focused on the intricacies of relocating to Canada. This included detailed discussions on both immigration processes and the re-licensing requirements for medical professionals,” Brotman wrote in a post recapping the event. A YouTube video entitled, “How Foreign-Trained Doctors Can Move to Canada,” published by the Windsor Jewish Federation, was linked to the post. 

“If you are a foreign-trained doctor considering practicing in Canada, I highly recommend watching this session for comprehensive insights and guidance. Feel free to get in touch if you'd like to learn more about the work we're doing at J Welcome Home Windsor,” Brotman added.

The post was met with sharp criticism from Hirschson, the local Israeli Consul General, who commented, “Is it cynicism or just irony that while you actively work to weaken Israel’s ability to treat our wounded the Executive Director of the Windsor Jewish Federation ‘Stands with Israel’?”

Appropriate discourse

“Is it appropriate for an Israeli Consul General to publicly criticize a local Jewish community in Canada?” Brotamn responded.

“No-one is criticising the community, just the executive director who I believe you speak for,” Hirschson replied.

“This Executive Director is an Israeli citizen who served in the IDF,” Brotman shot back. “The government you represent failed to provide the most basic protection to its citizens, and it has lost the faith of the majority of Israelis. Most of these people were thinking of working abroad for a period of time before October 7.”