Jewish community members and groups are asking for an apology from the Mayor of Toronto after she was noticeably absent at a community-led vigil to honour the victims of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.
In an interview on Wednesday’s radio show on NewsTalk1010, Chow said she “really regrets” not “being able” to be at the vigil, claiming her office did not receive an invitation.
An online petition with nearly 2000signatures calls for Chow’s immediate resignation. Several voices online are also calling for Chow’s staff who may be responsible for the mayor not receiving the invitation, to be held accountable as well.
John Moore, the host of NewsTalk1010, said that she should have reached out even if Chow hadn’t received the invitation, knowing what an important day of mourning Oct. 7 was for the Jewish community.
“I wanted to mourn with the Jewish community of the tragic loss of lives and the horrific things that Hamas did,” Chow said. “My office said, and they even went to the IT staff (searching) in the inbox. They didn’t find (the invitation to the event), etc. I was wondering whether it got spammed, and anyway, it doesn’t matter. You’re absolutely right. I should have been there.”
Chow also released a statement before a city council meeting Wednesday, where she acknowledged the pain of Jewish citizens of Toronto but was absent of any apology for not attending the vigil.
“I want to acknowledge the deep pain and anguish in our city. Monday was a difficult day for so many people. It was the grim anniversary of the October 7 attack by Hamas in Israel, which claimed the lives of 1200 people and the abduction of over 200, many of whom are still held hostage,” Chow said. “For Toronto’s Jewish community, it was a deeply painful day for many with friends, family or other connections to Israel.”
She then spoke about how “for many others” Oct. 7 marks the start of a broader war in the Middle East, though didn’t express why.
“The day also signifies the start of a war that has shaken the entire region, the war in Gaza, which has caused tens of thousands of Palestinian lives, and now the bombing of Lebanon,” she said. “There is deep pain and anguish in Toronto’s Muslim Palestinian and Lebanese communities.”
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs has asked for an apology, saying that Chow’s excuses for missing the event are not acceptable as she was contacted multiple times in advance.
“Mayor Olivia Chow seems to find all the words except the right ones to explain away her decision not to attend the Oct. 7 commemoration in Toronto,” Michelle Stock, the Vice President for CIJA Ontario, said in a statement. “Her interview today on NewsTalk1010 and her statement before today’s council meeting were embarrassing exercises in avoiding accountability for her and her staff, who disappointed thousands and thousands of members of Toronto’s Jewish community.”
Stock said CIJA gave Chow the “benefit of the doubt” about missing three separate invitations and being asked personally about her attendance but that her comments on the radio show indicate that more was involved than her not receiving an invitation.
“I got caught up in the long discussion on bike lanes over Kingsway area where emotions were very high and the meeting went quite long and by the time I was done, I was exhausted,” Chow said on the radio. “I didn’t even know precisely what time the event was.”Stock claims the statements indicate that Chow knew there was a commemoration scheduled.
“As exhausting as discussing bike lanes may be for the Mayor, we assure her the Jewish community is more exhausted,” Stock said. “Over the last year, Toronto’s Jewish community has had to justify their right to exist as Jews, feeling unsafe as constituents in the city Mayor Chow is purported to lead. Although she claims she wants her city to be safe and inclusive for everyone, her persistent inaction says otherwise.”
Chow also said that she was celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, but CIJA, on behalf of the Jewish community, noted that it’s not equivalent to honouring the victims of the largest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
According to Toronto police, days before Oct. 7, 2024, there has been a rise in hate crimes committed since Oct. 7, 2023, with the Jewish community facing a 70% increase from the same period a year before the deadly attack.
“It is unacceptable. ‘Sorry’ should not be the hardest word for her to say. We’re demanding an apology, and if she is truthful about her regret, we hope she will agree to meet with CIJA without delay to discuss ways she can protect our community from the hate we’re facing today, as we have been over the last year.”
Chow did not respond to True North’s requests to comment before the deadline provided.