Paul Goldman and Stephen Schachter,
Co-chairs, Pacific Region Advocacy Council, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs
On January 7th, The Link published an editorial by Dr. Sawraj Singh entitled “Racism, Capitalism, And Zionism Are The Worst Cancers Affecting The World.” In addition to calling Zionism “cancer”, this column stated that Jews are monopolizing key professional fields in the United States, and influencing American foreign policy in a negative – even discriminatory – manner. It further promoted an array of conspiracy theories and bizarre allegations, most of which have nothing to do with Jews. In response, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (a national organization representing Jewish Canadians, and one of our affiliates) issued a statement requesting a retraction and apology from The Link.
We note that this is not the first distasteful column by Dr. Singh that The Link has published. In its June 12, 2011 edition, Dr. Singh wrote: “The western media is constantly promoting the myth of the Holocaust without ever bothering to verify the historical facts.” And in a column on January 15th, “Please Don’t Confuse Zionism with Judaism”,responding to criticism over his depiction of Zionism as cancer, Dr. Singh reaffirmed his belief that Zionism is racist and discriminatory. He went even further – accusing Zionists of attempting to provoke a third world war, and charging: “I and my family have first-hand experience of becoming victims of the racist conspiracy.”
We believe Dr. Singh’s rants are indefensible and entirely unworthy of publication. That said, we want to take this opportunity to explain not just why such comments are hurtful to Jewish Canadians, and should alarm all communities, but how they scorn the deep ties and shared interests of our two communities.
Coincidentally, the depth of this relationship was demonstrated just three days after this offensive article was printed, in a meeting between India’s Minister of External Affairs (S.M. Krishna)and Israel’s Prime Minister in Jerusalem. Minister Krishna affirmed that the high level of collaboration that exists today between India and Israel represents a perfect fit for both countries:“We have learned so much from Israel, particularly in the field of agriculture and science and technology innovation. And India is naturally an ally of Israel in all these frontiers of science and I look forward to an increased economic content to our existing political relationship.” And, in your January 15th edition, you cited another example of this relationship in the article:India, Israel Should Cooperate To Checkmate Terror.
These two relatively young democracies, established within months of one another in 1947 and 1948, are poised to be world leaders in the 21st Century in a range of fields. Indeed, people all over the world stand to benefit from the great work India and Israel are undertaking together – something for which Indo-Canadians and Jewish Canadians can be proud.
In fact, it is our pride as Jewish Canadians in Israel’s accomplishments, alike the pride Indo-Canadians have for India’s achievements, which makes it so important for your readers to understand what Dr. Singh’s vicious attack on Zionism means to the Jewish community.
Zionism was the political movement that led to the founding of the State of Israel in 1948 in the ancestral home of the Jewish people. Despite being smaller in size than Vancouver Island, and despite being surrounded by many hostile neighbouring countries, Israel has since flourished as the only democracy in the Middle East. Today, Zionism is not an endorsement of any particular Israeli government policy (all democracies should receive open and fair criticism for their policies). Rather, Zionism is simply the belief that Israel – the world’s only Jewish state – has a right to exist.
And so Dr. Singh’s labelling of Zionism as “cancer” does not represent a legitimate criticism of Israeli government policies, but rather a hateful denial of Israel’s right to exist. After all, cancer has no redeeming value – and the only solution is to kill or remove it. Recalling his previous statement that the Holocaust is a “myth”, it’s clear that Dr. Singh’s written tirades have no place in the pages of a prominent Indo-Canadian newspaper.
Although we were disappointed to read Dr. Singh’s disturbing writings, we know theyreflect the hateful views of one individual alone, and are entirely unrepresentative of the Indo-Canadian community. Here in the Lower Mainland, the Jewish community is proud of the close relationship we have with our Indo-Canadian neighbours. Though our religions and origins may differ, the shared values we hold are undeniable – including a similar emphasis on family, community, hard work, faith, and integrity. Beyond our communities, I would add that the shared values we hold as Canadians tie us together even more. Nothing, and certainly not the ranting of a single writer, will affect the strong and enduring relationship between our two communities.
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