City of Ottawa Faces Criticism for Abandoning Israeli Flag Raising Ceremony

Jewish advocates and politicians have criticized the City of Ottawa for cancelling an Israeli flag-raising ceremony after the city deemed the event could be a “substantial risk to public safety.” B’nai Brith Canada spoke out on social media saying it was “deeply troubled” by the cancellation of the ceremony. “Jewish individuals should not be further ostracized because of the threat posed by nefarious radicals,” the group said in a May 7 post on platform X. “It is the rogues who are creating division in our society. Capitulating to their threatening behaviour will only further embolden them.” The flag raising event has happened every year in Ottawa since 2007 and is done to mark the Israeli day of Independence, also known as Yom Ha’atzmaut, which originally took place in 1948....