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Ontario Arabic-Language Newspaper Blames Jews for the Holocaust

Screenshot of article entitled “Hidden Khazaria” published in al-Meshwar newspaper

Nov. 14, 2017

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – An article appearing in a bi-weekly Arabic-language newspaper distributed across Southern Ontario blames Jews for the Holocaust and promotes antisemitic conspiracy theories, B’nai Brith Canada has learned.

The article in question, entitled “Hidden Khazaria,” appears without attribution on page 17 of the Nov. 10 issue of al-Meshwar (page doesn’t exist) which is owned and edited by Nazih Khatatba. While it takes the form of a review of an antisemitic book written in Russian by Tatyana Gracheva, the author of the al-Meshwar article makes it clear that he agrees with Gracheva’s conclusions, stating that she “corroborates all of these facts using historical sources.”

In particular, the article claims that “the Zionist movement and the banks affiliated with it worked with the fascists in Germany, and funded Hitler’s election campaign and his rise to power in 1933.” It goes on to assert that there are “facts which confirm their defence of the fascists’ wealth in order to commit massacres against the Jews in Europe to compel them to migrate to Palestine.”

The article also insists that “the United States is the hidden second Khazaria and that it is secretly ruled by descendants of these Jews, and that there are multiple techniques that their descendants now use to subjugate the governments and the states which refuse to become part of their global empire.” Khazaria is a reference to a Turkic state based in southern Russia that partially converted to Judaism during the eighth century CE.

“This article is yet another anti-Jewish libel promoted by an Arabic-language newspaper in Ontario,” said Michael Mostyn, Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada. “Al-Meshwar has a long record of antisemitism, and it is disturbing to see that some members of the community continue to distribute it and place advertisements in it.”

Khatatba is a former board member of Palestine House, based in Mississauga. In August, federal NDP leadership candidate Niki Ashton disavowed his support after B’nai Brith exposed Khatatba for promoting Holocaust denial on an Arabic-language television program in May of 2016. Khatatba denied the allegations at that time and lashed out at B’nai Brith instead of issuing an apology.

Last week, Palestine House led a demonstration at Celebration Square in Mississauga where protestors chanted, “Oh youth, join him, join him – the martyr has sacrified his blood!” B’nai Brith has launched a petition demanding that the City of Mississauga publicly condemn the protest, impose fines on Palestine House for violating the rules of conduct at Celebration Square, and prevent it from taking advantage of city property for similar future rallies.