(Ottawa) Four university presidents acknowledged Monday that anti-Semitism was a problem on their campuses, before federal MPs.
MPs questioned the presidents of the University of Toronto, McGill University, Concordia University and the University of British Columbia about their codes of conduct, their responses to pro-Palestinian encampments and their efforts to include Jewish students in equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives.
When Liberal MP Anthony Housefather asked all four if anti-Semitism was a significant problem on their campuses, they all said yes.
Graham Carr, president of Concordia University, highlighted several incidents at the institution since October 7, including what he called a “shameful” attack on the Jewish group Hillel Concordia.
Mr. Carr also noted that there have been peaceful actions, including by pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups holding information tables next to each other, without incident.
“I share both positive and negative examples to be transparent. Yes, tensions exist at Concordia, but there is also a remarkable calm,” he said.
He added that the school’s senior leadership has been consulting regularly with Jewish faculty and students since Oct. 7 to hear their concerns and advice on how to support them.
University of Toronto President Meric Gertler said “comprehensive and multifaceted” efforts have been made to combat anti-Semitism.
“Are they enough? Until there are no more cases of anti-Semitism, the answer, for us and for society as a whole, must be no,” he added, in his opening remarks.
Meric Gertler also highlighted a 2022 apology from the university’s medical school and affiliated hospitals for the “shameful historical practice” of imposing quotas for Jewish medical students and trainees in hospitals from the 1940s in the 1960s.
Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman questioned him about the encampment on his campus, asking if any students had been suspended for behavior endangering Jewish students.
Meric Gertler responded that no one has been suspended yet, but processes are underway.
Their testimony on Parliament Hill comes as Jewish leaders, students and professors express concerns over the increase in hate speech and violence since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas last fall.
In recent weeks, several pro-Palestinian camps have also emerged on Canadian university campuses.