Canadian NDP leader slammed for Yom Kippur message claiming Jews failed 'to stop ongoing genocide'

Canadian New Democratic Party Leader Avi Lewis faced widespread criticism for a Yom Kippur social media post where he stated, "we failed to do our part to stop an ongoing genocide committed in our name." Critics, including Liberal MPs Anthony Housefather and Ben Carr, and advocacy groups like CIJA, condemned the remarks as antisemitic, arguing that holding Jewish people collectively responsible for the actions of the Israeli government is dangerous and contributes to threats against the Jewish community. Housefather stated, "Holding Canadian Jews and Jews across the world collectively responsible for events over which they have no control is despicable." Lewis defended his comments, asserting he was speaking as a Jewish Canadian from a place of personal reflection and profound sadness, not blaming all Jews for Israel's actions, and that "holding Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the state of Israel is antisemitic." The controversy unfolded as a shooting occurred outside a synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, on Erev Yom Kippur, prompting a separate post from Lewis expressing solidarity with the Jewish community.