What is anti-Semitism? (News in Brief: Canada).

Montreal--In September 2002, over 1,000 Concordia University students and supporters gathered to protest against former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's presence on the campus to deliver a talk. Many of the students were of Palestinian background. They were visibly upset that Mr. Netanyahu, who has consistently taken a hard-line approach to the Palestinian issue, would be speaking without debate or even a question-and-answer period. His audience was pre-screened and handpicked for what would be a pro-Israeli media event. In the face of this obvious lack of a free exchange of ideas, the students rebelled, attempted to break through riot police barriers, broke windows, and threw objects in anger as they were gassed by police.

Mr. Netanyahu was forced to abandon his talk; instead he issued a prepared text to the media in which he likened the Palestinian resistance to Israel's stranglehold over the West Bank and Gaza as a "totalitarian mindset." He graphically attacked Yasser Arafat in these words: "[His] terrorist regime must be toppled, not courted. He (Arafat) tore them (the Oslo agreements) to shreds and soaked them in Jewish blood ..." (Globe, September 11/02). Of the rioting students, he exclaimed: "It's mad zealotry run amok . . . .They're supporting Saddam Hussein, they're supporting Arafat, they're supporting bin Laden." He admitted to the Post that he was "not unhappy with the day's events" (Post, Sept. 10/02).

This sequence of events begs several questions: Was it anti-Semitism on the part of the students? Did Netanyahu's reaction add fuel to the flames of antagonism? Did the university err in not allowing debate in an institution supported by tax dollars? Was there a judgement error in allowing such a contentious figure to be invited in the first place?

The Canadian print media praised Netanyahu and the Israeli position, and condemned the students' point of view, even repeating Netanahu's allegation that they were in cahoots with bin Laden. The Globe and Mail's editorial exclaimed that it was the students who denied freedom of speech to Netanyahu by not showing 'tolerance, by not trying to 'get along' with those whose opinions they disagreed with." The Globe was willing to make one small concession--perhaps the invitation to Netanyahu was "provocative." The Sun chain of papers, by way of several columnists, totally supported Netanyahu. Peter Worthington suggested that the students were promoting "freedom to hate" (Toronto Sun, 17 Sept. 02).

The reaction of the National Post could be predicted beforehand. The Netanyahu speaking tour was arranged by the Jewish Winnipegger Izzy Asper, owner of the Post, who himself compared the demonstrators to "Nazi Brown Shirts", a reference to the Nazi group of goons in Germany who used to beat up opponents of the National-Socialist Labour Party of Adolf Hitler in the 1920s and 1930s. Editorials' editor Jonathan Kay described Netanyahu as the "victim" (Post, Sept. 10/02).

Predictably and incredibly, the Canadian Jewish News (Sept. 19/02) called for Concordia to shut down Arab or Palestinian activities, and increase the opportunities for Jewish students to promote the Israeli cause.