Concerns Over Gaza

Apr 16, 2025

I am writing this letter as a follow-up to the recent story in the Frontenac News about the Israeli draft resisters who were on a speaking tour across Canada.

I am Jewish and my extended family was murdered by the Nazis.

I am very worried about the Palestinians who, in my opinion, are suffering a similar fate at the hands of the Israelis that my relatives suffered at the hands of the Nazis.

I recently heard Dr. Yipeng Ge, a Canadian doctor who worked in Gaza, speak about Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and, on Saturday, an Australian doctor who has also worked in Gaza was interviewed on the CBC and she was very critical about Israel's actions.

As a Canadian, I am very aware of settler colonialism and, in my opinion, which is shared by other Jews, Israel is a settler colonial state which is favouring Jews at the expense of the Palestinians. I am worried about free speech in Canada if the Conservatives become the next government because they have promised to defund the CBC which, if it happens, will mean that we will lose factual reporting about issues in the Middle East.

If the Conservatives win and do not eliminate the CBC, they will probably put pressure on the CBC, following the example set by President Trump in the USA, to suppress the Palestinian narrative, given that rabid, fanatical supporters of Israel like Melissa Lantsman are influential people in the Conservative Party. 

Therefore, I am appealing to voters who care about free speech and human rights not to vote for the Conservatives in the federal election. In my riding, that means not voting for Scott Reid but for somebody who has the best chance of defeating him. You can get more information about how to make Palestine/Israel an issue in the campaign at VotePalestine.ca.

- Wolfe Erlichman