October 29, 2024
HALIFAX – With a snap election on the horizon in Nova Scotia, B’nai Brith Canada is urging candidates to endorse its 7-Point Plan to Tackle Antisemitism.
“Embracing B’nai Brith’s recommendations would demonstrate a genuine commitment to fighting antisemitism,” said David Granovsky, B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Government Relations. “Our 7-Point Plan contains many items that fall within the jurisdiction of the province, such as addressing antisemitism in primary and secondary schools and curbing incitement on university campuses.”
Strategies that can be adopted and implemented to combat these issues are contained within B’nai Brith’s Policy for Combating Antisemitism on Campus (PCAC) and its Policy for Combating Antisemitism in Schools (PCAS), which our organization shared with provincial leaders earlier this year.
“This election is also an opportunity for Nova Scotia to become the seventh province to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism,” Granovsky said. “That is among the most important objectives that can be achieved at the provincial level to address the spread of antisemitism in this country.”
The election will take place Nov. 26. It was declared Sunday when Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston (Pictou East) dissolved the provincial assembly in a surprise move that he described as a message for the Federal Government, which has faced several rounds of non-confidence votes.
Since Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel last Oct. 7, antisemitism has spiked in the Maritime Provinces, including in Nova Scotia.
“B’nai Brith is committed to working with leaders at all levels, from coast to coast,” said Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Research and Advocacy. “Whatever the outcome of the snap election, we look forward to working with the Government in Nova Scotia to ensure the well-being of the province’s Jewish community.”
