Toronto (February 28, 2020) – Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) has delivered a submission detailing the longstanding antisemitism problem at York University to the Honourable Thomas Cromwell who has been tasked with conducting an independent review of the November 20 events.

The 50-page submission, prepared by the law firm Fogler, Rubinoff LLP on behalf of FSWC, outlines the history of antisemitism at York University and the ways the administration has enabled antisemitism to fester, provides testimonies from York students and faculty and offers critical recommendations to combat antisemitism at York. The organization will respect the review process and not release its document until the conclusion of the review, or as deemed necessary.

“This document will prove to be an important historical resource about how our community has confronted antisemitism at York University,” said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo. “The November 20 events, which saw a violent protest break out against an event hosted by Jewish students, was the result of the university allowing antisemitism to fester and ultimately erupt on campus. The university has taken the right step by launching a thorough review and will hopefully take our recommendations on how to combat antisemitism seriously.”

According to York University, the independent review commenced in January and is expected to finish no later than March. Mr. Cromwell is expected to make findings and recommendations with respect to the university’s role in relation to the planning for the event; the preparations and security arrangements for the event; the university’s policies governing freedom of speech on campus and more.