Winnipeg – The silence from Mayor Gillingham’s office — and every other member of Winnipeg City Council — since Councillor Sherri Rollins raised concerns about a civic award given to a man promoting hate speech is not just disappointing. It’s revealing.
Rollins, speaking from a human rights conference overseas, made it clear that the recipient of the Mayor’s BIZ Award, Ramsey Zeid, had publicly shared a video on the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba’s official channel calling for global uprisings against Israel and its allies — including city halls and corporations in Canada. The video went so far as to call Zionists “demonic,” describe Israel as a “terrorist foreign entity,” and advocate for violent “intifada revolution.”
That video wasn’t a slip of the tongue. It was scripted. Deliberate. Uploaded. Shared. And, according to Rollins, it follows a pattern — one in which Mr. Zeid has promoted lists identifying Jewish people in positions of influence, including the councillor herself and her daughter.
So why the silence?
The response was deafening, hiding behind a technicality: Suggesting the award recognized a business, not a person. That may pass as a talking point in a staff meeting. But to the public, it looks like cowardice.
To lead is to take a position. To remain silent when hate is directed at an entire community is not leadership. It’s evasion.
This isn’t just about local politics. What we’re witnessing is part of a larger trend — one that’s spreading across the country. According to Statistics Canada, hate crimes targeting Jewish Canadians rose by 52% in 2022. Jewish Canadians remain the most frequently targeted group for religious-based hate in this country. And that data predates the Oct. 2023 Hamas attacks and the polarizing rhetoric that followed.
Yet even now, in 2025, the public silence from many elected officials continues.
Where is Prime Minister Mark Carney?
Canada has seen numerous incidents of Jewish businesses being vandalized, synagogues being targeted, and Jewish students feeling unsafe on university campuses. Protesters have chanted openly for intifada in our streets. Swastikas have been displayed at rallies. Still, we’ve heard little to nothing from the Prime Minister. That’s not leadership either.
On May 19, Prime Minister Carney joined the leaders of the United Kingdom and France in issuing a joint statement declaring their commitment to recognizing a Palestinian state “as a contribution to achieving a two-state solution.” While framed as a diplomatic gesture, the timing was troubling. It came as hate-fuelled rhetoric and threats against Jewish Canadians continued to escalate at home. Carney’s willingness to speak out on the international stage, while remaining silent on antisemitism in Canada, sends a clear message: Global image matters more than protecting citizens here.
Premier Wab Kinew and his NDP government have also remained quiet. This is a government that fast-tracked Bill 43, a law that makes it a human rights violation to refuse to use someone’s preferred gender pronouns. That bill was pushed through under the claim of protecting individuals from harm, but when actual threats of violence are posted online targeting a specific religious group, this same government says nothing.
It shows where their priorities lie: Activism over governance. Politics over principle.
Bill 43 was a signal that the government is willing to legislate speech when it fits their ideological framework. But apparently, when hate speech is directed at Jewish Manitobans, it’s a matter of opinion — not action.
We can’t have it both ways. You either believe in protecting people from hate, or you don’t. You either apply those protections consistently, or you reveal that your concern isn’t about hate at all — it’s about controlling who gets to speak and when.
The rising tide of antisemitism in Canada is not a right-wing or left-wing issue. It’s a national problem. And just because politicians ignore it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. The Jewish community sees it. They live with it. They worry about it. And right now, they’re being failed by people in power who won’t even speak out.
This isn’t complicated. An elected official — Rollins — put her name on the line to call this what it is: Hate speech. She provided evidence. She quoted the video. She called on her colleagues to act.
They didn’t.
It’s worth asking: What exactly are they afraid of?
Is it fear of losing political favour within activist circles? Fear of offending loud online voices? Or just fear of doing the right thing when it requires courage?
Because speaking out against antisemitism, even when it’s politically inconvenient, shouldn’t be a risk — it should be a duty.
Let me be blunt. Winnipeg honoured someone who promoted a video that called for violent revolt. That video encouraged action against Canadian institutions. It described an entire people as “demonic.” That’s not a difference of opinion. That’s not free expression. It’s dangerous.
And for every politician who thinks they can brush this off, avoid comment, or wait it out — you’re mistaken. The public notices. Jewish Canadians notice. And history will notice.
Canada is a nation built on diversity, tolerance, and freedom. But those values require defending. You don’t preserve tolerance by tolerating hate. You don’t defend free speech by excusing threats. And you don’t protect democracy by standing still while a targeted community is vilified.
What we need right now is not more silence. We need backbone.
Mayor Gillingham should rescind the award. The City of Winnipeg should issue a formal statement denouncing antisemitism and reaffirming that there is no place for calls to violence — direct or implied — against any group. Premier Kinew and his cabinet should speak directly to this issue and demonstrate that their concern for safety and inclusion applies to everyone, not just the communities that align with their ideology. And Prime Minister Carney should break his silence and lead by example.
If our leaders won’t stand against hate when it’s difficult, then what are they leading?
— Follow Kevin Klein follow on Facebook, X and visit his website kevinklein.ca
This article first appeared in the Winnipeg Sun.
The silence is deafening…
Where are the Canadian Jewish leaders that can help Jews cope with the growing threats?