Israeli Loyalists Unhappy with Carney’s Choice of a Muslim for His Council.

On June 1, 2026, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the Holy Blossom Temple synagogue in Toronto to address a largely Jewish congregation on how his Liberal government plans to combat antisemitism in Canada.

The choice of venue raised eyebrows across the country. If the goal is to fight hate in all its forms, why select Holy Blossom, a synagogue that supports the controversial state of Israel and is known for conducting marathon prayers for the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)? For instance, the synagogue’s website openly states, “We know many congregants have dear ones in Israel. If you have a dear one who is serving in the IDF now, please send us their name so that we can include them in our daily prayers.”

Moreover, the synagogue organizes missions for congregants to volunteer at Israeli occupation force bases. Earlier this month, it was reported that the synagogue was planning a tour of Israel featuring multiple events centered on Israeli soldiers and the occupied territories.

But it wasn’t just the choice of location that concerned some; the PM Carney-established Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality, and Inclusion had a controversial new head. Marc Gold, a figure critics accuse of promoting apartheid and genocide for years, was given a formal government role to address what he describes as “discrimination.”

Amidst all this, Canadian supporters of the Zionist cause had complaints of their own, particularly regarding the appointment of Omar Alghabra to the council.

A prominent Israeli Zionist commentator in Toronto lamented, “The new federal committee tasked with addressing Canada’s surging anti-Jewish hatred will include an Edmonton lawyer who filed a Charter challenge defending anti-Israel encampments, and who previously lobbied for Hezbollah to be removed from Canada’s list of terrorist entities,” referring to Omar, a former Liberal MP for Mississauga Center.

In a matter of hours following Carney’s announcement, outrage brewed among individuals with known Israeli-Zionist sympathies, who criticized Omar for his previous role as president of the Canadian Arab Federation. His lobbying efforts aimed to have groups like Hezbollah and Hamas removed from Canada’s list of officially recognized terrorist organizations.

The Conservative Party of Canada was quick to respond. “I remember Mr. Alghabra lobbying me, before he entered politics, to keep Hezbollah legal. So, I’m not convinced he’s the right person to combat antisemitism,” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told a local reporter on Tuesday.

Unfortunately for the opposition, Omar was not the only member on the team they were concerned about. Avinash Nanda, another member, also raised eyebrows. An Edmonton lawyer, Avinash, had become well-known in Zionist circles after he filed a Charter challenge in April 2024 in defense of an anti-Israel encampment at the University of Alberta.

This challenge was part of a series of encampments organized across North American university campuses during the spring and summer of 2024. Two years after the University of Alberta ordered the Edmonton Police to evict the encampment, referred to by organizers as the People’s University for Palestine, they were met with a Charter challenge from two former students and a professor. Avinash had filed that suit.

The committee also includes former speed skater Catriona Le May Doan, the former chief equity officer for the City of Vancouver, Aftab Erfan, Métis rights advocate Gary LaPlante, and Martine Roy, an LGBTQ activist who was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2023 for her advocacy in “diversity, inclusion, and equity.”

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