University threatens to sue rabbi over anti-Galloway email

Kathryn Blaze Carlson, National Post · Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010

York University this week threatened a Toronto rabbi with legal action if he continued to spread “defamatory” remarks about the school’s president and did not stop encouraging non-students to protest George Galloway’s speech on campus on Tuesday night.

Rabbi Aaron Hoch sent an email to 700 people on his community mailing list last week informing them about the speech by the controversial former British MP, and asking them to “take part in protesting this outrage” on campus. Mr. Galloway was banned in 2008 from entering Canada under suspicion that he financially supported Hamas — the Palestinian entity deemed by Ottawa to be a terrorist group — and who is currently on a speaking tour of the country.

The university’s general counsel retorted with a letter — dated Nov. 15 and obtained by the National Post — requiring Rabbi Hoch to “remove [the message] from your web site and to direct your supporters to cease and desist the distribution of the poster.”

Rabbi Hoch said there was no such “poster,” and said the email went viral and was posted to community forums. He said he did not post to a website any sort of message about Mr. Galloway.

At the centre of the school’s letter is Rabbi Hoch’s characterization of York University President Mamdouh Shoukri: “Mr. Shoukri has again showed his amazing tolerance for anti-Semitism and lack of vigilance regarding the feeling of safety for Jewish students on campus,” the email said.

The school’s letter called those comments “untrue” and harmful to the president’s reputation.

“We consider it actionable,” wrote Harriet Lewis, the university’s general counsel. “We expect a retraction and apology forthwith.”

Alex Bilyk, a university spokesperson, said the school “does not tolerate any racism or anti-Semitism on our campus,” and said the trigger for the letter was the “accusations that Dr. Shoukri was being anti-Semitic.” Mr. Bilyk called the remarks “defamatory” and said it is “to be determined” whether the school will pursue legal action.

Rather than retract the statement and apologize, Rabbi Hoch disseminated the chain of correspondence — including his initial call to action, the school’s letter, and his emailed response — to his mailing list. Rabbi Hoch, of the Dan Family Village Shul, said he has since been flooded with emails from people who are “giving voice to their frustrations.”

Those frustrations, he said, are born from the “intimidation” of Jewish students on campus, which he said culminated last year after a swarming by pro-Palestinian students of a group of Jewish students, who wound up barricaded inside the school’s Hillel lounge.

Concerns were amplified when Krisna Saravanamuttu assumed the presidency of the school’s student federation. Mr. Saravanamuttu was sanctioned when it was determined he participated in the crowd that cornered the Jewish students in 2009, allegedly chanting slogans such as “Zionism is racism” and “Racists off campus.”

The Nov. 15 letter also advised Rabbi Hoch that the school does not permit protests on campus by non-student groups, and said he is therefore “encouraging” people to “disturb and provoke others to disturb the peace.” The university warned that this “may constitute criminal activity,” and reminded Rabbi Hoch that he could instead protest off-site nearby the campus.

On the day of the event — which was hosted by the student federation and reserved to York University students, faculty, and administration — Rabbi Hoch emailed Ms. Lewis to say he “was not aware of restrictions on non-students joining students on campus.” He said he would “refer non-students to the off-site location.”

He said he did not protest at that location because the whole point — his “original intent” — was to stand by the students.

“The students feel abandoned and alone at times, and I feel it’s very important for people of good conscience to stand with the students,” Rabbi Hoch said.

Mr. Saravanamuttu, president of the student federation, said he disagrees with the rabbi’s characterization of Mr. Galloway as an “activist for terrorist organizations,” and said “those seem like baseless accusations to me.”

He said he welcomed the sort of peaceful protest that took place in the foyer outside the event, which drew upward of 700 people.

kcarlson@nationalpost.com
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