Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau Declares BDS Anti-Semitic

In a recent town hall meeting at Brock University in St. Catherine’s, Ontario, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement as anti-Semitic and contrary to “Canadian values.” He specifically accused the BDS movement of intimidating Jewish students on university campuses, claiming that the movement is often linked to discrimination and making individuals “feel unsafe on campus because of their religion.” The Prime Minister’s condemnation of BDS comes only a few months after Trudeau issued a formal apology on behalf of Canada’s refusal to accept 907 Jewish refugees aboard the German ocean liner MS St. Louis in 1939. Canada turned the boat away and with no safe haven it returned to Europe, where more than 250 Jews ultimately perished in the Holocaust.

Trudeau used the town hall as an opportunity to clearly state Canada’s diplomatic position on Israel. The country supports a two-state solution “that will be negotiated directly by Israel and the Palestinian people.” While the Prime Minister vociferously condemned BDS, he also highlighted the point that the State of Israel is subject to criticism like any other democratic country. He also gave mention to the differences between legitimate and illegitimate criticism of Israel by referencing former Canadian justice minister Irwin Cotler’s use of “the three Ds: demonization of Israel, a double standard around Israel and a delegitimization of the State of Israel.” This “three D test” is derived from the standard initially set by Natan Sharansky, and has become an internationally accepted gold standard in defining anti-Semitism relative to Israel.

Trudeau’s understanding of BDS and its capacity to spew vitriol, intimidate students, and damage Israel is both admirable and encouraging, especially during a period in which Israel is increasingly subjected to unfair criticism by states, non-governmental organizations, and other international actors.