Organizations stand “in solidarity” with Palestinian people
Around 100 protesters braved the first snow of the season in defence of Palestine, marching from Norman Bethune Square to the Israeli Consulate on Wood Avenue on Sunday.
The “Defend Palestine Speak-out” march was hosted by several “associations in solidarity with the Palestinian People,” according to a press release from the Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians. The groups present also included the Montreal-based human rights organization Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU).
Representatives from Neturei Karta International based out of Monsey, New York, also attended the protest. Neturei Karta International is a group of Orthodox Jews who oppose Zionism and the existence of Israel, claiming it goes against the teachings of the Torah.
Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, associate director of Neturei Karta International, said Zionism is the cause of current tensions in the region.
“The root problem is unquestionably Zionism,” he said. “The fact is, we were living together … in the same courtyards as the Muslims and Arabs. There was never a problem because of religion.”
“The Zionists narrative is that it’s an ingrained hate from the Muslims to the Jews,” he added, “but that’s patently false.”
