York aboriginal group apologizes for ‘anti-Zionist vibes only’ incident
TORONTO – If you are a member of the Jewish community in Toronto, there is a good chance you’ve seen the image above of a York University student wearing an antisemitic T-shirt that reads “Anti-Zionist Vibes Only” at a Multicultural Week celebration on Jan. 27, 2020, ironically the same day as the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Hours before the incident took place, Hasbara Fellowships Canada Executive Director Daniel Koren took part in a frank and open discussion with York President Rhonda Lenton about the challenges facing pro-Israel clubs at York, as well as the state of antisemitism on campus.
He relayed that there must be repercussions for students who promote hateful rhetoric, and that more must be done to stop the spread of antisemitic misinformation and propaganda on campus.
After learning that the student in question was an executive member of the Aboriginal Students Association at York (ASAY), we at Hasbara Canada reiterated to York that such hateful intimidation tactics have no place on campus.
Daniel Koren and Rhonda Lenton during their meeting on Monday, Jan. 27 at York University
Today, the York administration assured us that it is heeding our concerns and taking this situation seriously, that Lenton has issued a statement condemning the actions of the student, who chose to independently display that offensive message, and that ASAY has issued an official apology for the actions of its executive member.
“While it is concerning to see Jewish students at York again being targeted for supporting their ancestral homeland, we welcome the apology from ASAY due to its representative promoting divisiveness rather than dialogue,” Koren said. “Given that ASAY has in the past claimed solidarity with hateful groups such as Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) and that it has referred to the Jewish State as ‘apartheid’, it is clear its members require further education on Jewish history, archaeology, and indigeneity.
“This apology, at the very least, is a good start,” he said. “We at Hasbara would welcome the opportunity to enlighten ASAY members as to why Jews are an indigenous people to the Land of Israel.”
In her statement, President Lenton said the “anti-Zionist vibes” shirt was “inconsistent” with the message of Multicultural Week, while ASAY regretted the “negative and far reaching impact” of its representative’s actions.
