For Immediate Release
Toronto, January 16, 2003… B’nai Brith is outraged to learn that Ambassador’s Baaklini’s conversation with Foreign Minister Bill Graham has ended with what the organization calls “empty words” and “platitudes”.
Rochelle Wilner, National President, stated: “When we wrote to our Foreign Minister urging him to re-evaluate the Ambassador’s credentials in light of his outrageous statements, we never expected that this matter would be dismissed so easily. Baaklini cannot be allowed to hide behind his diplomatic immunity. He is an embarrassment to Lebanon and a liability to Canada.”
Frank Dimant, Executive Vice President, stated: “The facts of the matter are that the senior diplomatic representative of Lebanon has attempted to import racist propaganda into this country and has employed veiled threats against the people of Canada. This is not a question of causing “controversy”, as Baaklini puts it, as if his views represented one side of a legitimate debate. The Canadian Jewish community does not agree with the Foreign Minister that this matter is now closed. The Ambassador should not be allowed to remain in Canada.”
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For further comment call Rochelle Wilner at (416) 254-1010
or Frank Dimant at (416) 802-1057
B’nai Brith has been active in Canada since 1875 as the community’s foremost advocacy and volunteer organization.
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