Mayor Chow acknowledging the genocide in Gaza should be welcomed as an act of solidarity
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Nov 5, 2025, 2:41:19 PM (6 days ago) Nov 5
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Rabble November 4, 2025
Over the weekend at an event for the National Council of Canadian Muslims, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow acknowledged the genocide in Gaza.
by Judy Rebick
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow in council chambers. Credit: Olivia Chow / X
Today everyone is thinking about the Mayor. The new Mayor of New York, I hope, Zohran Mandami who has given us all hope that there will be a better tomorrow even in the U.S. But it is our own Mayor of Toronto, Olivia Chow, that I want to discuss here.
On Saturday night November 2, Mayor Chow or Olivia as almost everyone calls her spoke at a fundraising event for the National Council of Canadian Muslims. In that speech she said, “The genocide in Gaza impacts us all.” She solidarized with all those feeling pain and anguish adding “I will speak out when children anywhere are feeling the pain and violence and anguish.”
alling what’s happening in Gaza a genocide is hardly controversial in most circles. Amnesty International, the UN special committee, Human Rights Watch, Medicine Sans Frontières, B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group as well as Independent Jewish Voices have declare it a genocide as have most experts on genocide. But Zionist Jewish groups like Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and B’nai Brith are upset about Olivia’s statement and have asked her to apologize. And some group I’ve never heard of called Tafsik, that claims to represent Jews, is suing her and asking that she be “excommunicated” whatever that means from the Jewish community.
On the other side, many are jumping to her defense and thanking her for speaking out including human rights groups, Muslim groups and I hope some anti-Zionist Jewish groups. But some people in my social media feeds are saying things like “about time” or reminding people about Olivia’s criticism of Palestinian marchers in 2023 and her refusal to oppose the so-called bubble law that created a by-law restricting protests in front of religious centres, schools and daycares.
First, I want to thank Olivia for speaking out. She knew she would attacked by Zionist organizations but she spoke at a Muslim fundraiser where I assume much of the money was going to Palestine for food and medicine and she used the word “genocide.” Big deal, someone said. About time, someone said. But it is a big deal and even if it is about time, it is still brave and important for the Mayor of Toronto to speak in solidarity with the people of Palestine and critical of the state of Israel. Few Canadian politicians have been willing to do either, not because it’s not popular. In a recent Angus Reid poll 52 per cent of Canadians “believe that Israel is committing genocide” in Gaza. It’s because most politicians are not willing to stand up against the well-organized Zionist lobby that is better at pressuring politicians than any group I know and I know quite a few.
Finally, if we want to build a movement in solidarity with Gaza, we need to welcome people who change their minds, who speak out even if they haven’t before. It’s true that the tide of public opinion is turning against Israel but that doesn’t make it less important that the Mayor of Toronto has expressed her solidarity. Building solidarity means welcoming all expressions of solidarity and joining with everyone who agrees with our basic demands. I think Olivia was always in solidarity with the struggle of the Palestinian people for their liberation but she is the Mayor and this is not her responsibility. Her reaction to the fuss the Zionists made over Spider-Man climbing on the front of Mount Sinai hospital was a mistake. It was not an assault on a Jewish community institution as she was told but rather a wonderful young man who dressed as Spider-Man during Palestinian marches in 2023 to the delight of all the children on the marches and climbed on everything along the way.
I have been an anti-Zionist Jew since 1970 when I visited Israel as a young woman and couldn’t accept their racism against the Palestinian people. Back then no-one else I knew was against Israel. In 2009 I was one of eight Jewish women who occupied the Israeli consulate in solidarity with Gaza after that year’s attack. It was barely covered in Canada, but it was the lead story on Al Jazeera Arabic. When I saw 500 Jews protesting in front of the Israeli consulate two years ago, I didn’t say about time, I cried with joy in the solidarity. Let us accept Olivia’s statement with the joy of solidarity not the anger of sectarianism.
Today everyone is thinking about the Mayor. The new Mayor of New York, I hope, Zohran Mandami who has given us all hope that there will be a better tomorrow even in the U.S. But it is our own Mayor of Toronto, Olivia Chow, that I want to discuss here.
On Saturday night November 2, Mayor Chow or Olivia as almost everyone calls her spoke at a fundraising event for the National Council of Canadian Muslims. In that speech she said, “The genocide in Gaza impacts us all.” She solidarized with all those feeling pain and anguish adding “I will speak out when children anywhere are feeling the pain and violence and anguish.”
alling what’s happening in Gaza a genocide is hardly controversial in most circles. Amnesty International, the UN special committee, Human Rights Watch, Medicine Sans Frontières, B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group as well as Independent Jewish Voices have declare it a genocide as have most experts on genocide. But Zionist Jewish groups like Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and B’nai Brith are upset about Olivia’s statement and have asked her to apologize. And some group I’ve never heard of called Tafsik, that claims to represent Jews, is suing her and asking that she be “excommunicated” whatever that means from the Jewish community.
On the other side, many are jumping to her defense and thanking her for speaking out including human rights groups, Muslim groups and I hope some anti-Zionist Jewish groups. But some people in my social media feeds are saying things like “about time” or reminding people about Olivia’s criticism of Palestinian marchers in 2023 and her refusal to oppose the so-called bubble law that created a by-law restricting protests in front of religious centres, schools and daycares.
First, I want to thank Olivia for speaking out. She knew she would attacked by Zionist organizations but she spoke at a Muslim fundraiser where I assume much of the money was going to Palestine for food and medicine and she used the word “genocide.” Big deal, someone said. About time, someone said. But it is a big deal and even if it is about time, it is still brave and important for the Mayor of Toronto to speak in solidarity with the people of Palestine and critical of the state of Israel. Few Canadian politicians have been willing to do either, not because it’s not popular. In a recent Angus Reid poll 52 per cent of Canadians “believe that Israel is committing genocide” in Gaza. It’s because most politicians are not willing to stand up against the well-organized Zionist lobby that is better at pressuring politicians than any group I know and I know quite a few.
Finally, if we want to build a movement in solidarity with Gaza, we need to welcome people who change their minds, who speak out even if they haven’t before. It’s true that the tide of public opinion is turning against Israel but that doesn’t make it less important that the Mayor of Toronto has expressed her solidarity. Building solidarity means welcoming all expressions of solidarity and joining with everyone who agrees with our basic demands. I think Olivia was always in solidarity with the struggle of the Palestinian people for their liberation but she is the Mayor and this is not her responsibility. Her reaction to the fuss the Zionists made over Spider-Man climbing on the front of Mount Sinai hospital was a mistake. It was not an assault on a Jewish community institution as she was told but rather a wonderful young man who dressed as Spider-Man during Palestinian marches in 2023 to the delight of all the children on the marches and climbed on everything along the way.
I have been an anti-Zionist Jew since 1970 when I visited Israel as a young woman and couldn’t accept their racism against the Palestinian people. Back then no-one else I knew was against Israel. In 2009 I was one of eight Jewish women who occupied the Israeli consulate in solidarity with Gaza after that year’s attack. It was barely covered in Canada, but it was the lead story on Al Jazeera Arabic. When I saw 500 Jews protesting in front of the Israeli consulate two years ago, I didn’t say about time, I cried with joy in the solidarity. Let us accept Olivia’s statement with the joy of solidarity not the anger of sectarianism.
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