Ontario NDP MPP apologizes for antisemitic remarks

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An Ottawa-area provincial politician has apologized for comments that critics deemed antisemitic.

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On Sunday, Joel Harden, the Ottawa-Centre member of Ontario’s provincial parliament, apologized for comments he made in a video roughly one year ago in which he said the “single greatest origin of violence in the Middle East is unquestionably the state of Israel.”

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“I have asked many questions of Jewish neighbours here about how much longer we should put up with this,” said Harden, an Ontario New Democrat.

The remarks, which Harden made in a discussion with Peter Larson, an Ontario blogger, hit social media Saturday and ignited immediate controversy.

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The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said his comments could “only be called antisemitism and misinformation about Israel.”

In his Sunday statement, Harden said he wished to “apologize unreservedly” for his comments.

“I spoke in a way that perpetrated an antisemitic stereotype towards Jewish neighbours,” it said. “I will continue to work with Jewish leaders who can help me understand antisemitism.”

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In the video, Harden makes claims about the state of Israel dehumanizing Palestinians. He also discusses the criticism that critiques of Israel are cast as antisemitic.

He said he’s been called an anti-Semite for his views.

“I don’t shrug it off,” Harden said. “I understand why people are active and vigilant in fighting antisemitism because it’s a real problem.”

He said that he calls out people who say antisemitic things, and explains that he believes his role is to “humanize the Palestinian people” instead of calling Israel names.

“Go back to the humanity, and the inhumanity, of what’s happening in Palestine,” said Harden. “I can also understand, from the pro-Palestinian standpoint, the barbarity and scale of viciousness can lead someone to strike out with intemperate, hateful language, because of that real hurt, where people are at.”

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Still, Harden had his defenders on social media.

Svend Robinson, a former member of Parliament, said his comments were “solidarity with Palestinian people and a call to end the brutal, illegal, dehumanizing Israeli occupation of their land.”

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The interim leader of Ontario’s NDP, Peter Tabuns, said the comments were “unacceptable and hurtful.”

“I welcome his commitment to further education about antisemitism,” Tabuns said in a statement. “Antisemitism has no place in our party.”

Data from Statistics Canada, cataloguing police-reported hate crimes between 2017 and 2019, found that the highest number of hate crimes based upon religion were directed at Jews.

The agency reported 1,028 crimes in those years. The next-largest group was Muslims; there were 696 hate crimes reported against Muslims.

With additional reporting from Bryan Passifume

• Email: tdawson@postmedia.com | Twitter: tylerrdawson