Brock To Host Anti-Zionist Panel Framed By Critics As Anti-Israel And Antisemitic

ST. CATHARINES — Brock University will host a panel on October 30 titled Antisemitism: Law, Justice and Decolonization in a Time of Genocide. The organizers have invited scholars associated with the Jewish Faculty Network, a group that has openly opposed the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism. Pro-Israel and Jewish community advocates say the event is anti-Zionist, anti-Israel, and risks inflaming campus hostility toward Jews.

The scheduled speakers include Alejandro I. Paz of the University of Toronto; Sheryl Nestel, a sociologist affiliated with New College at U of T; and Jillian Rogin, associate professor at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law. The event listing states the panel will examine claims that accusations of antisemitism are being used to silence criticism of Israel. A Palestinian buffet is being offered at the event.

The Jewish Faculty Network was formed as a national body of academics opposed to the IHRA working definition because they contend it conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism. That opposition is a focal point for critics who argue the Network is not defending Jewish students so much as protecting and promoting anti-Zionist political positions inside academe.

Pro-Israel groups responded sharply to the Brock announcement. They say the panel’s premise, that labeling some criticism of Israel antisemitic is a tactic to silence dissent, effectively excuses or downplays genuine threats against Jews on campus. Those groups argue that the IHRA working definition, while sometimes imperfectly applied, offers an essential tool to identify conduct that crosses from political speech into discrimination and intimidation.

The timing, critics say, is especially troubling. Since October 7, 2023, Jewish communities across Canada and university campuses in particular have reported heightened levels of harassment, intimidation, and threats. Jewish advocacy organizations have pointed to a marked rise in antisemitic incidents and urged institutions to adopt clear definitions and enforcement mechanisms to protect students and staff. In that context, they say, an event that rejects IHRA and amplifies anti-Zionist arguments risks emboldening those who would turn political disagreement into harassment.

Supporters of the Jewish Faculty Network frame their stance differently. The Network says defending academic freedom and opposing a working definition that they view as chilling dissent are core principles. They argue that protecting vigorous scholarship and legitimate criticism of state policies is vital and that IHRA can be misapplied to shut down research and solidarity work on Palestine. The Network’s public statements and submissions to government bodies make that position clear.

But pro-Israel advocates say the practical effect matters more than abstract theory. They note recent episodes on Canadian campuses in which protest activity and rhetoric crossed into intimidation of Jewish students. Those community leaders call for institutional clarity and firm enforcement of conduct codes. They worry that panels which cast doubt on the utility of IHRA without offering alternative safeguards will leave Jewish students less protected, not more.

Brock University’s event page lists multiple academic co-sponsors and invites public attendance. Organizers say the session will include audience questions and aims to interrogate how antisemitism is defined and policed in law and academe. Critics say the forum is likely to amplify arguments that have been used to contest protections for Jews rather than to strengthen them.

For Jewish and Zionist advocates, the remedy is straightforward: universities must adopt robust, consistently enforced policies that distinguish political debate from harassment, and they must protect the safety of Jewish students who affirm Israel. They warn that tolerating events that question such measures will have real consequences for campus safety and for the rights of Jews to live and study without fear.

This article is based on verified information from Brock University event listings, the Jewish Faculty Network’s public statements and submission to the House of Commons committee, CIJA policy material on IHRA, and B’nai Brith Canada reporting on antisemitic incidents.