Victoria police stationed officers and patrol vehicles in front of Jewish centres Friday after a former Hamas leader called on supporters to participate in a “day of rage” in reaction to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Police officers were watching both the Emanu-El Congregation Synagogue on Blanshard Street and the Chabad Centre for Jewish Life and Learning on Glasgow Street throughout the day, as children went to classes and worshippers attended the synagogue.
Rabbi Harry Brechner said he appreciated the gesture of protection from Victoria Police Chief Del Manak. The centres haven’t received any direct threats, but social media platforms are seesawing between sides in the conflict and there are safety concerns in the Jewish community considering the events unfolding since last weekend in the Middle East, Brechner said.
“[Police] presence is appreciated. … It’s easy to say words and incite feelings, so Chief Manak feels let’s be safe so that people can be secure.”
VicPD said in a statement that it had special duty officers assigned to various locations Friday, including the synagogue and Jewish Community Centre.
“They will be part of an overt, visible police presence in the surrounding area,” said Const. Terri Healy. “Our analysis and intelligence section is also continuing to monitor for any threats to community safety.”
The RCMP said it is aware of social media posts threatening the Jewish community in Canada, calling it a time for “increased vigilance.”
Several police forces say they have upped patrols in response to the Israel-Hamas war, but have not identified specific threats.
“Day of rage” demonstrations spread from the Middle East on Friday into other countries, including Malaysia, Bangladesh and Japan.
In Victoria, a group called the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid said on social media it would hold a demonstration at the legislature today at 1 p.m.
It did not post the event on its website, but said on social media: “Given the horrific situation in the middle east and imminent destruction of Gaza, we are holding a demonstration … please come to support Palestinians.”
No one at the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid immediately responded to an email request for an interview.
The Jewish community held a prayer vigil Thursday evening that drew about 400 people to Centennial Square, where Brechner called for an end to “violence against all civilians no matter where they may be.”
Avi Gilad, who attended the vigil, said it was a comfort to see so many people who are not directly connected to the “awful events that have happened” taking part in prayers and song.
“I’m glad it didn’t turn political and have a reaction around it … I think this community definitely wants peace,” said Gilad.
His parents, his wife’s parents and five grandchildren as well as Gilad’s older brother and sister are all in Israel. “They are safe enough … for now,” said Gilad, but the looming conflicts are always on his mind.
He has three children, ages 4, 9 and 11. He said he and his wife haven’t made any attempts to hide their worries about the war. “We talk to our families daily and our friends there, so [the children] experience it,” said Gilad.
“We need to filter out the really horrible stuff. The older kids are aware and we know there are childhood and adolescent feelings that get mixed up into this — I hate this world, I hate this life, I hate being a Jew, I hate this and that.
“It’s a hard thing to work your adult mind through, let alone as a kid.”
Almost everyone Gilad knows has experienced a death of someone close this week.
“One of the hardest things to understand about Israel from here is how small and how dense it is,” he said. “It’s smaller than Vancouver Island and as dense as Manhattan … it’s like nine million people, so everyone knows everyone and there’s no escaping this even if you’re physically safe and unharmed.”
A Jewish friend standing nearby added: “Just look at the concentration of people in Gaza. It’s just as much if not more so.”
Dahlia Beck, who has several relatives in Israel and had a distant family member murdered at a music festival during the Hamas attacks, said she is grieving the state of war.
She called the vigil “heartwarming,” but wished there were Palestinians there because “my heart bleeds for them, too.”
Brechner said the imam from the Quadra Street mosque was unable to attend because of a family matter, but sent an email of support prior to the vigil.
Brechner said he and the previous imam were close friends who worked together with Syrian refugees and other causes.
Beck, a director of Congregation Emanu-El, was born and raised in Israel, but left decades ago for Canada. “Part of the reason I’m here is because I couldn’t live there anymore,” she said. “The violence … it’s a feud, the hatred is so strong and there seems to be that few organizations and people are trying to change it.”
Beck said it’s a good opportunity now for Israel to help the Palestinian people. “Don’t raze Gaza … come with a plan for building,” she said. “Gaza should thrive and have schools and gardens.”
She said moving Palestinians into the narrow and crowded Gaza Strip has only brought poverty and misery, and it’s the same on the West Bank
“Israelis, and I was one of them until a few years ago, colluded,” said Beck. “We were tired, we basked in our own victimhood. We started having a higher standard of living … ‘there are 30 Muslim countries, they can go there.’ I can quote all of those, but it doesn’t add up. It’s not right. Our shared humanity is such that they deserve to live like everybody else.”
Beck said the war has left her torn.
While she calls herself a Zionist, she believes Palestinians living in and out of Israel should be treated with dignity and respect. “Because if they don’t have dignity and respect and peace and quiet, Israelis won’t have it either.”
Brechner said there’s no easy answer to ending the conflict, but there is hope.
“In certain ways [Palestinians and Jews] are really connected whether we want to be or not,” he said. “Palestinians and Israelis are really kind of similar with family life, but we created this crazy wedge.
“Obviously the Palestinians are indigenous to the land and we’re indigenous to the land and the world’s never seen an indigenous people get kicked out and 2,000 years later show up and say ‘we’re back.’ ”
>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]
