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In interviews with media following the discovery of swastikas ina York University classroom earlier this week, Friends of Simon WiesenthalCenter (FSWC) President & CEO Avi Benlolo stressed three critical points:

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1. That the incident on Monday at York is not unique. Swastikas and other instances of antisemitic graffiti have become more prevalent on university campuses over the past several years. For example, this past October saw a spate of swastikas scrawled on building signs at the University of Toronto.
2. That there is a link between     anti-Israel activities that promote ill feelings against Jewish people,     and antisemitism. This link is not being sufficiently discouraged by     university administrations, which should ensure campuses are safe spaces where students do not feel victimized.
3. That the best starting point to address antisemitism, as well as other acts of hate such as the bomb     threats against Muslim students at Concordia University yesterday, is to name these incidents for what they are: hate crimes. Furthermore, these hate crimes must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The reluctance on the part of government officials to prosecute is the biggest road block in laying hate crimes charges.

FSWC is pleased to see themedia is taking this issue seriously. An overview of media coverage on theincident is provided below.

To watch CTV coverage featuring Avi Benlolo ClickHere

To hear the podcast with Avi Benlolo on AM640 Radio's TheMorning Show ClickHere 

Click Here to read Avi Benlolo explaining that "the incident  [is] part of a larger pattern ofanti-Jewish hate on university campuses" in the Toronto Sun

ClickHere to read FSWC's Community Intelligence Brief quoted in the Toronto Star

ClickHere to see FSWC quoted in MetroNews.ca