FSWC Stands Against Hate, Injustice and Intolerance

As the world mourns the murder of George Floyd and people from all walks of life raise their voices against injustice, FSWC remains committed to its mandate to stand against not only antisemitism but other forms of hate and intolerance as well, including anti-Black racism.

As Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal said, "Freedom is not a gift from heaven, you must fight for it every day." We condemn the senseless murder of Floyd and stand with responsible leaders and members of the Black community in their fight for freedom and to eliminate racism and bigotry. We also denounce individuals and groups who have hijacked peaceful protests with violent riots, looting businesses and attacks on the Jewish community in cities across the U.S. and support Black community leaders and members who spread their message through constructive dialogue and actions.

At FSWC we believe education is the leading way to fight hate and discrimination in our communities. We urge all leaders in government, education and law enforcement to invest time and resources into diversity education and training - including programs that inspire young people to stand against hate in their schools and train professionals on how to protect and promote diversity and inclusiveness in their workplaces and communities - and use their voices to promote human rights, tolerance and equality.

Together we can work toward building understanding and peace among all races and cultures and a world free of hate and discrimination.

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Prophetic Words That Are Relevant Today

As we mourn the murder of George Floyd, as we hear anguished voices of protest over the brutal killing by a police officer, as we watch in horror at the mayhem, unprecedented looting, vandalism and violent attacks against law enforcement, as we witness innocent storekeepers and their employees watch as their business and livelihoods are destroyed, as we worry about a fractured nation, let us pause to hear a clarion moral voice whose prophetic words are relevant to us today and who speaks to America’s future: Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech.

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Los Angeles Jews Take Stock After George Floyd Protests Batter Local Institutions

Amid protests following the killing of George Floyd, synagogues and Jewish-owned buildings and stores in Los Angeles have been damaged and hit with antisemitic graffiti, including slogans like "F*** Israel" and "Free Palestine." The Jewish Free Loan Association is now offering interest free "looting loss loans" for damages or destroyed Jewish businesses

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Serbia Becomes Latest Country to Adopt IHRA Definition of Antisemitism

Serbia is the eleventh country to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which will help the country in "recognizing and prosecuting cases of this dangerous phenomenon," said Israel's embassy in Belgrade. Canada, which is a member of the IHRA, announced it would be adopting the definition last June.

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Thousands of Iranians Said to Contact Israel’s Foreign Ministry to Request Asylum

Israel's Foreign Ministry has been reportedly receiving tens of thousands of public and private messages online from non-Jewish Iranians asking for help in escaping Iran and receiving asylum in Israel. The rush of requests are believed to be due to the dire economic situation in Iran and the country being hit particularly hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

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Austrian MPs Want Iran-Backed Hezbollah Banned Within European Union

On Friday, representatives from a coalition of parties governing Austria introduced a resolution calling on the European Union to reassess Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. “Hezbollah wants to destroy Israel and propagates antisemitism and spreads radical Islamic ideology,” said Reinhold Lopatka and Michaela Steinacker, MPs from the Austrian People’s Party.

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Saskatchewan Government Welcomes New Farm Research Company from Israel to the Province

FSWC is pleased to see Canada's economic partnership with Israel growing after the Saskatchewan government announced it is welcoming a leading genomics company from Israel to the province. Israeli NRGene, which supplies some of the largest farm-based companies in the world with computational skills to improve breeding of crop plants and farm animals, will be setting up an office in Saskatoon and will spend over five million dollars on farm research in the next two to three years.

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Report Antisemitism and News of Concern to FSWC

If you would like to report antisemitism or news of concern to Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, please email jaime@fswc.ca.

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