MP Housefather appointed to new role fighting antisemitism

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather has been named the federal government's new special adviser on Jewish community relations and antisemitism.

A statement from the Prime Minister's Office says Housefather will advise Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and ministers on the federal government's efforts to "combat antisemitism and ensure Jewish Canadians are able to live with vibrancy, security, and dignity."

Housefather's appointment comes after splits opened up in the Liberal government caucus over the Israel-Hamas war. It also raises questions about how Housefather's role will differ from that of Deborah Lyons, the government's special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism.

"There has been no time in my lifetime when Jewish Canadians have felt as threatened as they do today," Housefather said in a media statement published Friday.

"While we cannot make antisemitism disappear, all levels of government, universities and police can take concrete steps to make Jewish Canadians feel safer in this country."

The MP for Mount Royal will undertake his new responsibilities while continuing his role as parliamentary secretary to the president of the Treasury Board. The government says he will be working closely with Lyons, Jewish communities and relevant stakeholders across the country.

Prime Minister Trudeau said in a media statement Friday that the government will do "whatever it takes to fight antisemitism and hate, which is unfortunately too prevalent in our communities." 

"With Mr. Housefather's appointment, we're continuing to make sure Jewish Canadians' voices are heard, protecting Jewish Canadian communities, and making Canada more inclusive for everyone."

Housefather has clashed with his government over its stance on the Gaza war. In March, he said he needed to re-evaluate his place in the Liberal caucus after many of his fellow Liberal MPs supported an NDP motion on the war, saying he believed "a line had been crossed."

The NDP motion originally called on the government to officially recognize Palestine as a state and to "suspend all trade in military goods and technology with Israel."

Most Liberal MPs supported the motion after some last-minute amendments. The final wording urged the government to "work with international partners" to "pursue the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East," and to work "towards the establishment of the State of Palestine as part of a negotiated two-state solution."

Jewish advocacy groups such as B'nai Brith Canada are reporting a record spike in antisemitic acts.

Housefather himself was a recent target of an antisemitic message. On Tuesday, the Montreal MP shared a photo of a poster that called him a neo-Nazi and said he should "get out of Canada."

The photo shows the poster taped to a concrete lamppost in Montreal. A Nazi flag and an Israeli flag — with the star of David replaced by a swastika — are displayed on the sign alongside the words "Housefather = Neo-Nazi" and "get out of Canada."

"My family has been here since the 19th century and we have indeed helped build this country. I am not going anywhere. Sorry, antisemites. You may not like what I have to say but I will keep saying it," Housefather wrote in his social media post.

Caucus concerns about appointment

At least one member of the Liberal caucus has questioned his ability to unite Canadians in the new role.

Shafqat Ali, a Liberal MP for Brampton-Centre, told CBC News in a text message in June that he believed "Ben Carr or Julie Dabrusin, or anyone who has a balanced approach, would do a better job."

"I think his appointment won't be helpful in addressing antisemitism or Islamophobia because he lacks in judgment and has contributed more in dividing Canadians in the last eight months," said Ali, the Liberal MP for Brampton-Centre.

Housefather has repeatedly described himself as a Zionist, and did so during the debate on the NDP motion in the House of Commons.

WATCH: Jewish student describes seeing 'no Zionists allowed' signs on campus   

Jewish student describes seeing 'No Zionists allowed' signs on campus

7 months ago

Duration 1:31

McGill University student Nicole Nashen says it was 'terrifying' to see an anti-Zionist sign on campus because 'that means no Jews allowed.' Nashen was testifying before a parliamentary committee to discuss antisemitism on university campuses.

​​A senior government official — who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to comment publicly — said dealing with the rise in antisemitism and violence directed against Jewish communities across Canada is a priority for Prime Minister Trudeau.

The official said the government is also committed to combating Islamophobia, more than a year after it appointed Amira Elghawaby as Canada's first special representative devoted to the issue.

In May, Trudeau said that "Zionism is not a dirty word or something anyone should be targeted for agreeing with." 

That same month, Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, said the Liberals appeared to be feeling the fallout from trying to appease both Muslim and Jewish voters since Hamas's attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Jewish organizations have accused the government of not being supportive enough of Israel. The Liberals have seen their popularity among both Jews and Muslims falter.

A spokesperson for Independent Jewish Voices said Housefather's appointment will "only further inflame tensions between communities in Canada."

"Housefather represents a regressive pro-Israel perspective and one that is rejected by a growing number of Canadian Jews," Corey Balsam said in a media statement to CBC News.

B'nai Brith Canada referred CBC News to its statement about the antisemitic poster targeting Housefather. In it, the group congratulated him on his new role.

Housefather's appointment comes after the Liberals lost a hotly contested byelection in the federal riding of Toronto-St-Paul — a former Liberal stronghold where Jewish voters make up about 11 per cent of the electorate, according to Elections Canada data from 2019.

The loss marked the first time a Conservative candidate won a seat in urban Toronto since the 2011 federal election and led to questions about Trudeau's leadership and the prospects of the Liberal Party.

In a media statement issued Friday, Neil Oberman, the Conservative candidate in Mount Royal, questioned Housefather's new role.

Oberman said that if the Liberal MP "really wanted to be effective in stopping antisemitism and standing up for Jewish Canadians, he wouldn't be taking this fancy new title, he would be leaving Justin Trudeau's caucus."