Jewish groups critical after Leader of the Alberta NDP apologizes for a photo-op with Israel’s ambassador

Naheed Nenshi posed for the photo at the Calgary Stampede and then backpedaled on the 'immense hurt' it caused. The post Jewish groups critical after Leader of the Alberta NDP apologizes for a photo-op with Israel’s ambassador appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News .

Jewish organizations in Alberta have sharply criticized a July 16 social media post by Naheed Nenshi, leader of the Alberta NDP, in which he apologized for having his photograph taken with Iddo Moed, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, at the Calgary Stampede last week. The photo in question was posted on July 9 on the Embassy of Israel’s Facebook page, one of three photos that show Moed making the rounds in Calgary and meeting with Nenshi, Tom Mulcair, the former federal leader of the NDP, and Myles McDougall, Alberta’s minister of advanced education.

In the text accompanying the photos, the embassy said that the ambassador “was honoured to share the Canada-Israel allyship, solidarity for the Jewish community, and commitment to stand up against antisemitism” alongside the political leaders with whom he was photographed, including Nenshi. In other posts, Moed can be seen at the Calgary Stampede with Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Of his photograph, Nenshi, who served as Calgary’s mayor from 2010 to 2021, said, “At one of many public events at Stampede, I was approached by the Israeli ambassador.

We had a very brief and frank exchange during which a photo was taken. After talking to many people in the community over the last couple of days, I better understand the immense hurt that has been caused to a lot of folks.” Nenshi, who currently represents the Edmonton-Strathcona riding, went on to affirm the Alberta NDP’s belief in human rights before criticizing the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza as a violation of international law, where, he said, at least 20,000 children have been killed.

“A few days ago, southern Lebanon, the ancestral home of many Albertans, was bombed, as part of a sustained campaign,” he added. “Even here at home, we’re seeing increases in anger, hatred, anti-Palestinian racism and antisemitism. I believe and will always believe that we have the ability here to be models for the world on how people of different faiths can live together purposefully and lift one another up to ensure we all live a life of dignity.

I have dedicated my life to that goal, and I’ll never waver from it.” Jewish leaders in Alberta strongly disapproved of Nenshi’s decision to backpedal on the photo-op, finding it unsettling to the Jewish community, contrary to the values of free and open dialogue and driven by vociferous elements within the Alberta NDP, the province’s official opposition. “At a time of increasing polarization and escalating antisemitism, it is alarming that a political leader is swayed by the most vocal and extreme voices who dictate who they can meet with, speak to, or engage,” Stacey Leavitt-Wright, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton, told The CJN.

“Criticizing politicians for simply taking a public photo is not only unproductive, but it reinforces a culture where engagement is punished and division is rewarded. Demonizing Israel and the inherent double standards adds to a climate of hostility and security concerns for anyone who maintains a connection to or support of Israel.” Leavitt-Wright, together with Rob Nagus, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Calgary, and Marley Gillies, the senior director of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs for Alberta, also put out a joint release shortly after Nenshi’s post.

In it, they faulted Nenshi for displaying a lack of leadership by not maintaining relationships and engaging in dialogue during tense and divisive periods. “The expectation that elected officials must apologize for a photograph in a public diplomatic interaction sets a troubling precedent and risks creating an environment where engagement itself becomes impossible,” their statement read. The release pointed to the different approaches in existing diplomacy within some circles, wherein any interaction with Israeli representatives becomes controversial, but dealings with representatives from other nations are seen as part of the duty of a public official.

This failure to encourage dialogue, they said, leads to an environment that singles out Jewish communities. “We are also concerned that Mr. Nenshi’s statement goes beyond acknowledging hurt for a photograph and represents a one-sided and harmful accusation against Israel. These statements legitimize hostility toward Israel and fuel antisemitism,” they said.

“Actions like this make Alberta Jewish communities feel increasingly isolated and targeted. We reject the idea that a choice must be made between supporting Palestinian civilians and standing against antisemitism. Albertans can hold compassion for innocent lives on all sides while unequivocally condemning terrorism and opposing the alarming rise in antisemitism here at home.”

Ambassador Moed released a statement later on Thursday about the Stampede episode, saying “Friendship should never be controversial.” “I reconnected with Albertan friends old and new, and saw firsthand the growing strength of the Israel-Alberta partnership. But it’s unacceptable for hate to creep and fester into a space built on hospitality, undermining the respect and empathy that should define it,” Moed said.

The ambassador could not be reached for comment before The CJN’s deadline. For his part, Nenshi told the media in Calgary that he could not recall what he and the ambassador discussed during their brief meeting and that he refused an invitation last weekend to attend an event called Israel in Canada. On Thursday, Nenshi also announced that he will be leaving his current seat as the Alberta MLA for Edmonton-Strathcona and run in an unspecified Calgary riding in the next provincial election slated for Oct. 18, 2027.

In December 2023, two months after the Oct. 7 attacks, Nenshi’s successor as Calgary mayor, Jyoti Gondek, did not attend the annual menorah lighting at City Hall because, she said, the event had become too politicized. The post Jewish groups critical after Leader of the Alberta NDP apologizes for a photo-op with Israel’s ambassador appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News .