For Immediate Release
Toronto, April 12, 2002: B’nai Brith Canada denounces remarks made on Thursday, April 11 by Mr. Rashad Saleh, President of Palestine House in Mississauga, on a CFRB Talk radio show. Saleh called into dispute the historical validity of the Holocaust as part of his diatribe against Israel. His use of the phrase “so-called” in reference to the slaughter of six million Jews is grossly irresponsible and inciteful.
Meir Romem, Consul General of Israel, who was on the show with Saleh, had this reaction: “I was shocked, angered, and dismayed by Mr. Saleh’s outrageous statement. This kind of statement has become a regular mantra among anti-Israel advocates. Every Jew who hears or reads such things feels physically wounded. I utterly condemn these hateful remarks.”
Rochelle Wilner, President of B’nai Brith Canada, asked: “Does Mr. Saleh truly wish to be considered a colleague of Ernst Zundel and Jim Keegstra? Any credibility he may have had as a partner for dialogue has now been destroyed. Will we next hear of the ‘so-called’ suicide bombers? We are not calling for an apology, but it is our duty to ensure that all Canadians know what manner of person represents Palestinian interests in the Toronto area.”
Frank Dimant, Executive Vice President, explained: “At Camp David, Arafat denied the historical validity of the Jewish Temples in Jerusalem. Yesterday, on live radio, Rashad Saleh a man who claims to speak, in his own words, for ‘the Palestinian people’, continued the ongoing campaign of Palestinian advocates to deny Jewish history and suffering, delegitimize the connection of the Jewish people to their homeland, and justify the killing and maiming of Jewish civilians by terrorists bankrolled by Arafat.”
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For Further Comment, Please Call Frank Dimant at 416-802-1057 or Rochelle Wilner at 416-254-1010.
B’nai Brith has been active in Canada since 1875 as the community’s foremost advocacy and volunteer organization.
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