November 20, 2025
TORONTO – B’nai Brith Canada has filed a formal complaint with the City of Toronto in response to a flag-raising ceremony at City Hall earlier this week recognizing Palestinian Independence Day.
Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Research and Advocacy, noted that the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was designated by Canada as a terrorist organization in 1988, when the group self-declared Palestinian Independence Day during the First Intifada.
“Toronto has become complicit in a campaign to rewrite history and reframe the First Intifada, a period of violent terrorism driven by antisemitism, which primarily targeted Jewish civilians in Israel,” Robertson said.
B’nai Brith Canada wrote to the City of Toronto’s Chief of Protocol and External Relations in advance of the event. We warned that the flag-raising ceremony would run afoul of the City’s Flag-Raising Protocol, which prohibits “flag raisings that espouse hatred, violence or racism.”
A letter we received in response did not meaningfully address our concerns.
“Public institutions must not be used to legitimize dates connected to extremist violence and terrorism,” said Simon Wolle, B’nai Brith Canada’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are calling on the City of Toronto to review the process that led to the approval of this flag-raising, and to enforce its protocols to prevent it from recurring. We expect the City to provide a full and transparent response – our community deserves nothing less.”