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Posted on 04/06/2004 11:40:52 AM PDT by yonif
A fire destroyed library books and damaged a library computer system at the St. Laurent branch of United Talmud Torahs (UTT) elementary school on the eve of the Passover holiday (April 5), and police found anti-Semitic notes, written in French taped to the school's walls.
Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin confirmed that the school, which was closed at the time of the blaze Monday, was firebombed. In a statement, Martin said, "the assault was not directed against the Jewish community of Montreal. It is an act of violence directed at all Canadians and one to which we must collectively respond."
Montreal police spokesman Yves Surprenant refused to say how the blaze started or provide details about the notes' contents, except to say they were signed by an unknown organization. But the Canadian Jewish News reported on its website that a firebomb was thrown through a window, and traces of accelerant were found in the building.
Surprenant said it was "the most deplorable act"' he has seen in 24 years on the force.
"What was written on the notes really told us it was a hate crime," he said.
Professor Nitza Perry, a representative of the Jewish community in Montreal, told Army Radio that she met with some Holocaust survivors Tuesday following the attack. "They are panicking. This reminds them of the [nineteen] thirties. Where they burn books, they burn people, the survivors told me," Perry said.
Quebec's French-language TVA television network reported that the notes denounced recent Israeli attacks against Palestinians, including the killing of Sheik Ahmed Yassin, founder of Hamas.
CTV News quoted a portion of the letter Monday: "Our goal was only to sound the alarm without causing deaths. . . .but this is just a beginning. If your crimes continue in the Middle East, our attacks will continue."
"The media are reporting that police found anti-Semitic notes at the scene, but the police are neither confirming nor denying this, saying the investigation would be compromised if details were leaked."
"Canada is multicultural, a really pleasant place. This place is like a mosaic with people coming here from all over the world. There are Israelis, Koreans, Muslims Pakistanis and Indians and many others. But I think there was some naivety here unfortunately.
"The Quebec area has more anti-Semitism than the rest of Canada; maybe it's the relationship to France, and the immigrants from Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco," she said. "The Muslim community has tripled here," Perry added.
Sidney Benudiz, head of the school, called the fire "an act of terrorism, plain and simple." He said the school has had some graffiti and minor vandalism in the past.
Martin said the firebombing was an "attack on freedom."
Setting fire to "a place of learning, where young children gather is an offense against all that Canadians cherish," the prime minister said.
Rabbi Reuben Poupko, co-chair of the Jewish community security co-ordinating committee, urged the community not to alter its normal activities in the wake of a firebombing that seriously damaged a Jewish school on the eve of Passover, the Canadian Jewish News reported on its Internet edition.
"We intend not to grant these criminals a victory by amending the way we live because of this act. We will continue to congregate in our synagogues and educate our children in Jewish schools. We will determine how we live live, not them," he told the CJN.
B'nai Brith Canada League for Human Rights chair Stephen Scheinberg said the incident points to Montreal Jewish institutions' being "woefully unprepared," reported the CJN. He said the community should be looking at what is being done in Europe and Latin America, where round-the-clock guards and physical barriers are common practice at Jewish buildings. "This is a wake-up call," he told the Canadian Jewish News.
The attack follows a recent spate of anti-Semitic violence in Toronto.
Three Toronto teenagers were charged after several vandals toppled headstones at a Jewish cemetery and spray-painted anti-Semitic slogans on a synagogue. In a separate incident, a 46-year-old man was arrested after a Star of David, an equal sign and a swastika were sprayed on construction boarding in west-end Toronto.
Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, who attended a branch of the Talmud school, said the attack was part of increased trend in anti-Semitism, both in Canada and worldwide.
Canada "will not be silent and we will not be intimated and we will act and we will bring the full force of law to bear against those who would commit these cowardly acts of racist, hate crimes," he said.
Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay promised an increased police presence at Jewish institutions during the holiday period.
Last month, B'nai Brith Canada reported an increase in anti-Semitic incidents across the country in 2003, saying there were almost 600 cases of violence, harassment and vandalism against Jews and over 100 such incidents in Quebec alone.
At sundown Monday, Jews around the world began observances of the weeklong Passover festival, commemorating the flight of the ancient Israelites from bondage in Egypt, as described in the Old Testament.
With AP
Canadians are setting themselves up for the Daniel Pearl Treatment.
1930 Rising unemployment puts the unemployment insurance into greater crisis. Meyer of the Democrats and Bruning of the Centre Party propose a new compromise. Three of the four Social Democrat Ministers accept the compromise but the Social Democrat group in the Reichstag rejects it. On 27th March Muller resigns as Chancellor.
30th March Bruning forms a minority government. By including a program of agricultural support he gets the National Party to vote for the government - against the wishes of the National Party leader, Hugenberg.
July Bruning's government proposes a finance package in response to the growing economic crisis. The Nationalists are divided but mainly against. Bruning needs Social Democrat support and the Social Democrat offers this on condition of changes. Bruning rejects the compromise and the measure is defeated. Bruning then goes to the President, the conservative Hindenburg, and imposes the finance reforms by emergency decree under Article 48. Article 48, intended to be used only in times when security and public order were seriously disrupted or imperilled (but this was never defined) gave the President far reaching powers. The Social Democrats move suspension of the decree which passes. Bruning asks the President to dissolve the Reichstag.
14th September. Elections are held while unemployment is around 3 million. The Nazis make sweeping gains and smaller gains are made by the Communists. To form a new coalition now would need everyone from the Social Democrats to the right wing 'splinter' parties. Bruning knowing he can rely on Article 48 dosn't even try. From now on Germany ceases to be a parliamentary regime but Presidential regime ruling through the Chancellor appointed by the President. Bruning now imposes a policy of deflation which the Social Democrats reluctantly 'tolerate' by voting against motions suspending the decrees. Unemployment continues to rise.
March/April 1932: Hindenburg's term expires. Bruning persuades him to stand again. The Social Democrats and the Democrats support him as the lesser evil and he is elected on the second ballot - but Hitler gains 37%.
13th April: In response to growing NAZI violence Bruning's government persuades Hindenburg (very reluctantly) to ban the SA.
June 1932: Hindenburg fed up with issuing unpopular decrees on Bruning's behalf replaces him by von Papen. Papen, reactionary, stupid and arrogant, was however an officer and fine horseman and so the ideal Chancellor in the eyes of the ageing President.
Papen meets Hitler and Hitler hints that the Nazis might support the new government in exchange for lifting of the ban on the SA and new elections. Papen falls for it and the Reichstag is dissolved (4th June).
20th July Presidential rule is imposed on the Prussian Land - using SA-communist clashes as a pretext. This gives the Chancellor direct control of the police force of 2/3rds of Germany.
31st July Elections to the Reichstag. Hitler makes sweeping gains. The Nazis, along with the communists have a blocking majority in the Reichstag and as Hitler breaks his promise to support Papen once again Germany is ruled by emergency decree.
12th September The new Reichstag meets. The communists move to repeal one of the emergency decrees and to no-confidence the government. Papen, to forestall this, attempts to immediately dissolve the Reichstag but not before the vote is counted - 512-42 against the government. The new elections show some losses for Hitler but gains by the communists keep the Reichstag deadlocked.
By now Germany is already a Presidential dictatorship in which any attempt to oppose the emergency decrees by the Reichstag will be met by dissolution. However Papen loses the support of his cabinet and Hindenburg reluctantly agrees to Papen's resignation.
2 Dec 1932: Schleicher, former friend of Papen and former minister heads the new government. Papen then , driven by a desire for revenge, seeks out Hitler. Hitler demands the Chancelorship, the Ministry of Interior, and Commissioner for Prussia. Papen wants to be Prussian Commissioner himself but offers the Interior Ministry of Prussia. As this is what Hitler really wanted he agrees and all that is required now is to get the consent of the virtually senile Hindenburg.
Jan 30 1933: Hindenburg appoints Hitler as Chancellor.
March 1933: During the election campaign massive intimidation by the SA means that only, apart from the Nazis, only the Nationalists are able to campaign. The Prussian police, now under Nazi control, employs 50,000 'auxiliaries' who are mainly SA to be used against the opposition. Many Nazi opponents are beaten up , some 50 killed. Despite this the Nazis only get 43.9% of the vote but with the Nationalists they have a majority. With the election over the communists are banned and their Riechstag deputies arrested.
23rd March: An enabling act giving dictatorial powers to Hitler's government is put to the Reichstag. A 2/3rds majority is required and 2/3rds of the Riechstag must be present. However along with the Nationalists, the Peoples Party and the Catholics vote for. The Democrats (all five of them ) are split but decide to vote for, on the grounds that as Hitler is going to establish a dictatorship anyway it is better to let him do it legally. Only those Social Democrats who attended (many are already under arrest) have the courage to vote against.
My main source for this page was "A history of the Weimar Republic" by Erich Eyck. Extra details from "The Hundred Days to Hitler", R Manvell and H Frankel and "German Liberalism and the disolution of the Weimar Party system" by L Jones.
Israel made a covenant with God. For that the world hates them.
Israel broke their side of the covenant by refusing to listen to the prophets when they told them about Jesus. For that God temporarily removed his protection.
God still has plans for Israel in the end times. For that the world hates them.
Islam perhaps more than any other false relition takes specific aim at the Jews and instructs their followers to hate them.
I don't either. But that's the source of it. It is Satanic in origin. Satan works hard to influence man to be at war with God.
The hell it wasn't.
It is an act of violence directed at all Canadians
No, just the Jews...I see no evidence at all that it was directed against "all Canadians".
and one to which we must collectively respond." The collective response part is good. But I can't have full confidence in its success until the Prime Minister gets himself a clue.
Throw in "the Quiet Revolution" of the 60s, where people decided en masse to stop going to church and start worshipping socialism, and suddenly, we have a theory here.
Something is always going to rush in to fill a moral or religious vaccuum, and folks usually aren't going to like what it is...
You don't even want to begin to go there. Unless your aim is to start a fight between Christians and Jews, keep opinions like that to yourself.
Well starting a fight with Jews is certainly not my desire.
But Jews do need to answer for themselves why they were sent back into exile. I've voiced my opinion and if they have a different one, then so be it. But I'm not doing the Jews any favors if I let the question of why go unasked.
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