B'nai Brith Canada@bnaibrithcanada
Premier Wab Kinew owes the Jewish community, and the public at large, an immediate apology.
Speaking at the federal NDP convention, @WabKinew attacked U.S. policy by declaring, “Let the Epstein class fight the Epstein war.” That line was an invocation of a loaded and poisonous antisemitic dog-whistle which has gained traction around north America over the past months.
The idea that sinister, powerful Jewish elites are manipulating events from behind the scenes. When public figures reach for that kind of language, they enter the territory of classic antisemitic conspiracy rhetoric, whether they choose to acknowledge it or not.
Jews have lived with the consequences of these narratives for generations – the content changes, the narrative does not.
Premier Kinew used that frame in a major public address. That is profoundly reckless, and wholly unacceptable from a premier.
He must apologize clearly, publicly, and without qualification. He must also undertake formal training on antisemitism, which B’nai Brith is prepared to facilitate, so that he understands the history of these tropes, the damage they cause, and the responsibility elected officials bear when they speak on matters touching Jewish safety and dignity.
Leadership requires judgment. On this occasion, Wab Kinew showed a serious lack of it.
