{"id":49040,"date":"2026-05-29T01:59:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T08:59:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=49040"},"modified":"2026-05-28T13:19:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T20:19:05","slug":"canadas-mixed-messages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2026\/05\/29\/canadas-mixed-messages\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada\u2019s mixed messages"},"content":{"rendered":"

In mid-May, a Winnipeg Free Press<\/i> article by John Longhurst announced a new online database for research. This open access resource lists the names of German Nazi party members. The article\u2019s target audience: the Manitoba Mennonite community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As background: Many German Mennonites, previously pacifist, joined the Nazi party starting in the early 1930s. In the article, Arnold Neufeldt-Fast, a Toronto researcher, said the goal of researching and publicizing the records was not to condemn or shame anyone. \u201cThe point,\u201d he said, \u201cis to understand what made their choices feel plausible at the time, and what this means for us now in Canada and the US.\u201d Aileen Friesen, who teaches Mennonite History at the University of Winnipeg, said it could serve \u201cas a lesson for our current time.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m concerned about this \u201clesson.\u201d Nazi membership before and during the Second World War is nothing to be proud about. Still, this does make it easier to understand the views of some Mennonites in 2026.<\/p>\n

Some Winnipeg Mennonites often offer public opinions about Israel, Gaza and the war. They\u2019re staunchly against war, but support Palestinian resistance and are against Israelis or Jews. This stance appears in local Mennonite gallery exhibits, fundraising, petitions and protests. It\u2019s on stickers on lampposts near a neighbourhood Mennonite school. While out walking, I peel off \u201cFree Palestine\u201d stickers with cartoon characters doing a Sieg Heil and QR code stickers with \u201cBoycott Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n

This \u201cpacifism\u201d chooses a side just like German Mennonites chose the Nazi party. This stance doesn\u2019t examine what these choices mean to the safety of others, such as Jewish Canadians who live nearby. It doesn\u2019t reflect a morality-based Christian religious tradition or teachings from a Jewish guy named Jesus, let alone Jewish texts or culture.<\/p>\n

Actions have consequences. This failure to understand logical outcomes echoes throughout Canadian society. Prime Minister Mark Carney\u2019s Davos speech described Canada\u2019s goals for trade alliances and Canada\u2019s role as a \u201cmiddle power.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s easy to see that this dream is failing on a practical level. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Canada, a \u201chuman rights champion,\u201d has an uneven track record. According to United Nations Watch, on April 8, Canada, as part of the 54-nation United Nations Economic and Social Council, \u201cparticipated in the consensus nomination of the Islamic Republic of Iran\u201d to a committee responsible for funding women\u2019s rights, human rights, and terrorism prevention. The United States was the only nation who objected to this nomination.<\/p>\n

Previously, Canada objected in similar UN processes, but, this time, Canada supported the Iranian regime. Iran\u2019s government has enforced a nearly complete internet blackout since Feb. 28. It kills protesters. The regime uses morality police to force women to cover their hair. Female \u201coffenders\u201d suffer arrests, assaults, rapes, torture and murder. Iran\u2019s regime funds terror proxies, including in Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen. Yet, Canada didn\u2019t object to the UN nomination.<\/p>\n

Canada also has problems fighting terrorism at home. In October 2024, Canada listed Samidoun, an organization supporting Palestinian terrorism, as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code. Eventually, in March 2026, Canada revoked Samidoun\u2019s nonprofit status. Based on federal anti-hate provisions, Vancouver police arrested Samidoun\u2019s international coordinator, Charlotte Kates, for inciting hate and released her with conditions. Apparently, those conditions allow speaking on Iranian state television, attending the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon and continuing permission to live in Canada. (Kates is an American whose status in Canada is not publicly known.)\u00a0 <\/span>The same goes for her husband, Khaled Barakat, Samidoun\u2019s founder, who was deported from the United States in 2003.<\/p>\n

This spring, Canada welcomed international leaders for the FIFA Congress, including Palestine Football Association head Jibril Rajoub, who was previously convicted of throwing a grenade at an Israeli army bus. Israel later released Rajoub in a prisoner exchange, and he committed further offences. Once in Canada, Rajoub publicly refused to shake hands with the FIFA Arab-Israeli representative, Basim Sheikh Suliman. Meanwhile, Canada refused to let the Iranian FIFA representative into the country. These decisions were inconsistent, not the \u201cpragmatic and principled\u201d actions of a country committed to human rights.<\/p>\n

If Canada wishes to be a human rights champion, it must work to stop terrorism at home. The government should protect Canadians from danger. Consistent law and immigration enforcement and UN decisions that support these rights would be a good start.<\/p>\n

Education\u2019s another way to be an effective middle power. Increase funding for teaching and researching social sciences, including international relations, political science, religious studies and history. These disciplines offer perspectives to better understand global issues and events. Canada must move beyond popular theories like the oppressor\/oppressed model that doesn\u2019t adequately explain conflicts beyond biased white\/black racial narratives. This oppressor theory fails in Middle Eastern, African or Asian contexts where Western conceptions of colonization, race and power don\u2019t easily apply.<\/p>\n

With a broader social science\u00a0<\/span>approach, future Canadian leaders could better understand complicated global situations. Educated Canadians with these skills could better examine global economics, conflicts and the geographic strengths.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For instance, our media and government often ascribe outsized power to Israel. This is a common antisemitic conspiracy theory. Israel\u2019s a tiny democracy of 10 million people, with sizeable minority populations. Many also demonize Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel\u2019s prime minister. Canada, like many Israelis, may not agree with Netanyahu\u2019s government\u2019s policies, but no other Middle Eastern leaders were elected by functioning democracies. Further, media seldom hold any other Middle Eastern country responsible for its role in the conflict.<\/p>\n

Canada\u2019s resources, educated population and multicultural diversity could make it a powerhouse. Yet, its foreign policies don\u2019t use intellectual rigour. Historically, Canada has offered up inconsistent international policies, and bias regarding many of its minorities. Past prime ministers have apologized, promising to forge a better Canada. Instead, Canada\u2019s \u201coppressor\u201d rhetoric poses as a \u201cpeaceful\u201d bystander and blames Israel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Canada has a tradition of simplistic politics of blame like \u201cwar is bad.\u201d Our geographic isolation protects us. It allows Canada to watch hate happen and reproach others without getting involved. Our country must accept that consistently being a bystander isn\u2019t good enough. Failing to condemn or shame those who committed grievous wrongs isn\u2019t good enough. It wasn\u2019t OK to join the Nazi party 90 years ago. It wasn\u2019t OK to reject Jewish refugees. We know where this kind of hatemongering leads. Canada, and Canadians, can do better than this.<\/p>\n

Joanne Seiff <\/b>has written regularly for the <\/i>Winnipeg Free Press and various Jewish publications. She is the author of three books, including <\/i>From the Outside In: Jewish Post Columns 2015-2016, a collection of essays available for digital download or as a paperback from Amazon. Check her out on Instagram @yrnspinner<\/a> or at joanneseiff.blogspot.com<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In mid-May, a Winnipeg Free Press article by John Longhurst announced a new online database for research. This open access resource lists the names of German Nazi party members. The article\u2019s target audience: the Manitoba Mennonite community.\u00a0 As background: Many German Mennonites, previously pacifist, joined the Nazi party starting in the early 1930s. In the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[801,3157,3076,6312,4242,23840,9692,24886,7824,3597,1774],"class_list":["post-49040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-op-ed","tag-antisemitism","tag-canada","tag-education","tag-governance","tag-history","tag-mark-carney","tag-mennonites","tag-nazi-party","tag-policy","tag-politics","tag-terrorism"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49040\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}