Julius Suraski In The MSM

I missed this yesterday, about one of the guys in PM Harper's Israel trip entourage, from Stephen Maher:

Sorry about the small print.  For some reason I can't get the original to copy and paste. Maher also ignores the JDL/EDL connection, which I think is even more important than the Geller one, given the EDL's known propensity to violence and criminality.

Pam Geller, Robert Spencer Still Not Booted From Hilton Toronto/Markham Conference Centre

“The booking is confirmed to take place as scheduled,” the hotel’s General Manager Patrick Regina told the Jewish Tribune after consulting with legal counsel, Hilton World- wide and the York Regional Police Hate Crimes Unit.

A bit of background, including Mr. Regina's email address, here.  I've sent off one email already, and I know a few others have.  Mr. Regina appears unmoved.

Update: Pam Geller And Robert Spencer [Not Yet] Booted From Another Canadian Venue

The Hilton/Markham Suites Hotel doesn't want to deal with their bullshit.  This is the second time Geller has lost a GTA gig in the past year,  As on that last occasion, I imagine Meir Weinstein and the JDL will wind up hosting the pair at the Toronto Zionist Center.  These things always go the same way.

Update: From the comments at Shaidle's hubby's place it sounds like the hotel hasn't decided if they will turn away the two wingnuts or give them an audience.  I will see if I can get an email for the hotel management.

Update update: The manager of the Hilton/Markham Suites, Patrick Regina, can be reached at:  patrick.regina@hilton.com.

Pam Geller Banned From U.K.

Pam Geller has been banned from the U.K. for espousing views not "conducive to the public good".  She is, let us just say, chuffed, and her Canuck supporters overfoam with hatred and rage.   Here's part of the letter  Ms. Geller received:

A bit of a local angle to this story.  Pam hit town last month.  Tried to anyway.  Her engagement at the Chabad Flamingo synagogue in Thornhill got cancelled due to pressure from various quarters and she wound up performing at the T.O. Zionist Center before a crowd of the usuals.  A number of people within the GTA Jewish community, including Bernie Farber and the Toronto Board of Rabbis, condemned her appearance, and took heck for it on the blogs and on Sun TV and elsewhere.  That the UK home office has adopted a similar opinion of Ms. Geller's writing and behavior has got to be seen as sweet vindication for these folks.

PS.  I'm getting mixed signals on the fate of C-304, but  indications are that it has passed and the hate speech provision of the Canadian Human Rights Act is, for the time-being, dead.  But of course, it has recently been declared (yet again) constitutional, and resurrecting it under a Trudeau government would therefore be a snap.  Remember, Harper's gang was too frightened of this issue to put forward an official government bill and instead snuck it in as a PMB so as to avoid scrutiny.  The only people in support of C-304 are nazis, nuts, teenage libertarians, and journalists, and as a political coalition, this is one most MPS will want to run away from screaming.  The CPC won't put up a fight if S-13 or something similar resurrected in the light of day.  Meanwhile, haters will have to be pursued via the criminal code.  Ask Arthur Topham what that's like.

Bernie Farber

...poses with: Conservative Party organizer Georgeanne Burke, PCPO riding association president for Thornhill (MPP Peter Shurman's riding) Gila Martow, and York U professor Merle Jacobs.  Also in the picture is officer Ricky Veerappan, the fellow that got Pam Geller turfed from her Thornhill gig.  Kathy Shaidle thinks there's something scandalous going on here on Bernie's part.  I don't see it myself, but what's weird is how it doesn't seem to bother Shaidle that a couple of known Tories are also "in deep", as it were, with Veerappan.  Also doesn't seem to bother her that, according to Geller herself,  Jason Kenney, Canada's Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, was involved in the conspiracy to keep her from her Thornhill appearance.  Apparently there's lots of freedom hatin', Jihadi lovin' types playing for the blue team as well.

Toronto Rabbis Denounce Pam Geller

Excerpts from Toronto Board of Rabbis statement:

The Toronto Board of Rabbis (TBR) expresses its profound disappointment that a local Jewish organization has extended an invitation to Pamela Geller, a blogger who is known for her extreme criticism of Muslims in language that is intended to shock and ridicule.

The TBR is a strong supporter of freedom of speech for all,including Ms. Geller. Ms. Geller’s voice and message are already well known here in Canada and beyond. There was no sense in inviting her here to Toronto to speak before a Jewish audience.Sadly the only sure result of this event will be increasing tensions within the Jewish community and between Jews and Muslims in Toronto.

The rest is through the link.  Contains a mild shot at a "radical fringe Jewish group" that is presumably the Jewish Defense League.

Pam Geller Implicates Jason Kenney

The Queen of the Wingnuts has weighed in on getting turfed by the York Region Cops from her speaking engagement at  the Chabad Flamingo Synagogue.  Naturally, she is unhappy about it.  She says, among other things, this:

The police also told the rabbi that Jason Kenney, Canada's Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, has been asked to keep me out of Canada.

Its probably bullshit.  But somebody out there in, like, the media--the people who are  paid to ask  tough questions--should ask of Mr. Kenny whether he indeed was petitioned by police  to keep Pam Geller out of Canada, and whether he has agreed to do it.  Just for clarity's sake,

Pam Geller/Rabbi Kaplan Update

Something that has gone unmentioned in the T.O. Sun story on the matter is that Rabbi Mendel Kaplan of the Chabad Flamingo Synagogue has been in trouble with York Regional Police before.  A little over two years ago Kaplan, the force's "in-house rabbi", was the subject of an internal investigation over a sermon in which he instructed his followers to not support Kulanu or the Pride parade and referred to gays as "an abomination".  Interestingly enough, the officer handling the earlier investigation--Ricky Veerappan--is the same fellow that told Kaplan yesterday that the rabbi would be jeopardizing his volunteer position with the YRP if he hosted Pam Geller at his synagogue.

Kaplan's gay-bashing sermon was eventually  cleared due to the fact that it was expressed "in the context of a religious text", was a sincerely held religious belief, and etc.   No such justification can be given for this latest controversy.  Clearly the YRP had to act; they can't have a fellow interested in importing hate-mongers wearing their uniform.

News For Jews: Save The Canadian Jewish News And Pam Geller Gets Boot From Thornhill Synagogue

Bernie Farber writes of  the on-line petition to rescue the Canadian Jewish News, which will otherwise cease publication come June 20th:

Today for perhaps the first time in our young history as a Jewish community in Canada we may be without a trusted journalistic Jewish voice.

To be sure voices are being raised. To my utter delight and surprise the strongest of these voices seem to be emanating from a new younger generation of readers. Twenty-something folks like Rachel Singer and Alana Kayfetz (ironically the niece of one of Canada's most prolific Jewish journalists and community professionals from a day gone by, Ben Kayfetz Z"L) are putting words into action. Utilizing a 21st century communications device, the internet, they have developed a "Save the CJN" campaign" which has to date gathered more than 3000 digital signatures and close to 50,000 page views.

Playwright Arthur Miller once intoned "A good newspaper is a Nation talking to itself", indeed the CJN talked to a nation of Canadian Jews for over 40 years. To let it die without a bang would be a disservice to who we are as a people. Perhaps if we stood up this time and as my late father use to intone "open a mouth" we can save us from ourselves.

They are asking for electronic signatures and ideas.  I hope at some point somebody asks for money.

Meanwhile, Pam Geller will not be speaking at the Chabad Flamingo Synagogue in Thornhill:

Insp. Ricky Veerappan, of the force’s diversity, equity and inclusion bureau, confirmed he and officers from the service’s hate crimes unit met with Rabbi Mendel Kaplan of the Chabad Flamingo Synagogue on Tuesday.

[...]

Subsequent to his meeting with police, Kaplan cancelled Geller’s May 13 talk, which was sponsored by the Jewish Defence League (JDL) — a hard-line advocacy group that had rented space in Kaplan’s synagogue for the event.

Luckily for anyone who would still like to hear the "Queen of the Wingnuts", she will be appearing instead at the Toronto Zionist Center, protected by a security detail from the Jewish Defense League.