Robert Libman: A group in shock welcomes Legault's phrases on Israel

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“Thanks, Premier Legault”, was the sentiment of many Quebec Jews this week.

On the subject of the extremely polarizing situation of the Center East, politicians too usually attempt to tread fastidiously and be overly nuanced of their feedback. François Legault was something however in his response to the assault on Israel by Hamas terrorists.

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With the Nationwide Meeting flag at half-mast, Legault appropriately affirmed that “nothing, completely nothing can justify the assaults by Hamas terrorists on civilians. … I wish to inform all of the Montreal Jewish group and people in Israel and the world, I wish to inform everybody that the Quebec nation is at your aspect.”

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He additionally expressed shock at seeing the pro-Palestinian rallies in Montreal and elsewhere during which demonstrators had been celebrating the homicide of harmless civilians. “It’s shameful,” he mentioned.

Legault’s phrases had been genuinely appreciated by a group in shock, and important coming from the premier of a province with a spotty historical past concerning antisemitism. To not point out that over the previous 50 years, the connection hasn’t been straightforward between the Jewish group and nationalist-inclined Quebec governments below the Parti Québécois and Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec.

For the reason that emergence of the PQ-led separatist motion within the Nineteen Seventies and subsequent language laws, tens of 1000’s of Jews who recognized primarily with the anglophone group left Quebec. For individuals who stayed, many performed outstanding roles in standing as much as nationalism in organizations reminiscent of Alliance Quebec, the Equality Get together, or as constitutional attorneys concerned in difficult legal guidelines that dared to tread on minority rights.

Extra just lately, the CAQ’s Invoice 96 on language and Invoice 21 on the sporting of spiritual symbols once more despatched the group reeling and are being challenged. 

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This pressure through the years has led some within the anglophone Jewish group to attract parallels between Quebec nationalism and different regimes or to say that Quebec is antisemitic. However this blanket characterization, heard usually sufficient, is unfair and doesn’t replicate modern-day Quebec. Sure, there are antisemites and incidents in Quebec as there are in different provinces. Campuses are rife with anti-Israel sentiment, typically as a cloak for antisemitism, however it’s the case all through the world and sadly, simply as outstanding, if no more so at instances, on English campuses like McGill and Concordia.

The leaders of a few of Quebec’s most nationalist governments — reminiscent of PQ founder René Lévesque, Lucien Bouchard and Bernard Landry — held nice admiration for the state of Israel and the Jewish group. Lévesque termed Jews climate vanes of discrimination and met with the group many instances attempting to reassure them about their rights in Quebec.

As the one Jew out of 125 MNAs throughout my years within the Nationwide Meeting, I usually heard from members of the PQ caucus — hardline nationalists — about their admiration for what Israel completed as a contemporary democratic state, which some noticed as a mannequin for their very own nationhood ambitions. Lévesque himself as soon as in contrast the try to guard the French language to the revival of Hebrew because the nationwide language of Israel.

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Like Legault, present PQ Chief Paul St-Pierre Plamondon was additionally unequivocal in his condemnation, as had been Marc Tanguay, interim chief of the provincial Liberals, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and federal Conservative Chief Pierre Poilievre. The NDP federally and Québec solidaire provincially had been extra nuanced of their remarks.

Members of Quebec’s minority communities usually really feel like political orphans, federally and provincially, and don’t usually really feel included when Legault speaks of the Quebec nation. However for members of the Jewish group this week, Legault’s phrases actually dissipated that sentiment of exclusion, at the very least in the interim.

Robert Libman is an architect and constructing planning advisor who has served as Equality Get together chief and MNA, as mayor of Côte-St-Luc and as a member of the Montreal govt committee. He was a Conservative candidate within the 2015 federal election. twitter.com/robertlibman

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