July 30, 2024
There are no words that can properly capture the depths of evil we witnessed this weekend in Majdal Shams.
The murder of 12 Druze children and youth—beautiful lives cut short by a Hezbollah missile while playing soccer—should make clear to the entire world the constant dangers faced by civilians along Israel’s northern border.
For so many of us who have visited Druze towns and enjoyed the hospitality of this special community, the images and stories from Majdal Shams are especially heartbreaking. We extend our solidarity to the Druze community—a cherished part of the Israeli mosaic—and pray for a full recovery for the dozens of innocents injured.
With the support of Federation CJA funding, The Jewish Agency for Israel’s Fund for Victims of Terror is providing emergency payments to the Druze families shattered by this atrocity, to assist with immediate needs, as well as rehabilitation. When Israelis are attacked, we will always be there to help those who are hurting.
And through our advocacy agent, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), we will continue to hold our federal government accountable for its foreign policy positions. This includes calling out the Minister of Foreign Affairs for failing to name Hezbollah as responsible for the attack in her initial statement. While the minister later issued a correction, it shouldn’t take community pressure for our government to do the right thing. When countries like Canada refuse to take a principled stand, it only encourages further aggression from Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran’s other terror agents.
Tensions are heightened on Israel’s northern border and the coming days will be critical. As we continue to monitor the situation through our team on the ground, we are prepared to deploy resources and shift our emergency efforts as needed—all to strengthen the people of Israel.
We are also committed to strengthening our local Jewish community in the face of rising hate. Just last week, Montreal signage panels were hijacked to incite violence, and multiple antisemitic incidents were reported.
Every act of anti-Jewish hate only redoubles our determination to stand proudly as Jews—and continue standing up for what’s right.
Above all, this is a time for healthy vigilance. If you see something, please say something by calling police. When safe, your second call should be to Federation CJA’s Community Security Hotline at 514-343-4343, or via our online form so our team can co-ordinate with law enforcement and Jewish institutions across our city.
We will keep our community informed as events develop, be it in Israel or here in Montreal.
Am Israel Chai.
Steve Sebag, Board Chair
Yair Szlak, LL.B, President and Chief Executive Officer
Federation CJA