The Upcoming Mayoral Election Will Be a Battle for Toronto’s Soul.

Brad Bradford, a councilor from Beaches-East York (Toronto’s east end), first sought the mayor’s chair in the June 2023 byelection, which was triggered by John Tory’s resignation. In that race, which saw multiple candidates splitting the center-right vote, he finished eighth, garnering just under 10,000 votes. However, his prospects for the upcoming elections are looking better, as he currently stands second behind Olivia. This indicates his determination for the position and the compromises he has made/is prepared to make, particularly those that require him to suspend his humanity and make openly partisan statements in support of Israel during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Brad epitomizes the quintessential North American politician who believes that the ends justify the means. For instance, Brad sees no issue with remaining silent about the more than 16,000 young girls killed in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes, while he comfortably celebrates the birth of his second daughter, claiming it has profoundly changed his life and that he cannot imagine life without her.

He has consistently weaponized accusations of antisemitism to demand injunctions against pro-Palestinian rallies, conflated Zionism with Judaism to stifle dissent, and supported Israel’s settler-colonial violence and genocidal occupation.

Brad also holds Torontonians protesting the Gaza genocide responsible for flouting the rule of law, rather than say a single thing about the still ongoing killing of innocent Palestinians and Lebanese by Israel. This may sound unbelievable, but it was evident in an interview he gave to an Israeli media outlet on June 4. When asked, “Antisemitic violence has increased year over year in Toronto; how do you intend to address that?” Brad confidently stated, “We (Torontonians) have become a global center for this type of abhorrent behavior. That’s why I led the charge to create bubble zones (around places of worship, schools, etc.). I will never stand at a podium (like Chow) and offer a declaration of a (‘Palestinian’) genocide, which I am unqualified to opine on because my job is in Toronto. My job is to take care of this city. She’s driving the division and pulling the city apart.”

“Unqualified to opine on?” We agree! And that begins with this very statement. A statement steeped in ignorance and misinformation. But that’s a discussion for another day. For now, let’s focus on Brad’s efforts to solidify his Israeli constituency in Toronto.

Brad’s List of Pro-Israel Maneuvers: 

–       He called Al Quds Day “an annual platform for antisemitic hate and extremist rhetoric” and campaigned to have it banned through a court injunction.

–       He joined Premier Doug Ford and Councilor James Pasternak in urging the Attorney General to shut down the Al Quds Day rally, a peaceful, Charter-protected demonstration held annually in solidarity with the Palestinian diaspora.

–       He labeled pro-Palestinian rallies as “unlawful pro-Hamas rallies” and demanded that the mayor and police prevent them from occurring.

–       He participated in the UJA Federation Walk with Israel, calling it “a powerful statement of solidarity, resilience, and love.”

–       He described the annual Al Quds march as “known for inciting violence and antisemitism,” characterizing the anti-genocide community’s peaceful expressions of solidarity with Palestinians as hatred.

While it is not uncommon for politicians to choose sides, even if they are wrong, unpleasant, or unpopular ones, if Brad had remained consistent with his pro-Israel and pro-genocide stance, it might have been acceptable to his diehard voters. Who knows, he might have even secured the office and gained an invitation to worship at the Western Wall, making pro-Israel claims like Eric Adams, the former mayor of New York.

However, Brad became greedy. On the day of Eid al-Fitr (March 10, 2026), he sneaked into a popular mosque in Scarborough to gather support for his upcoming mayoral bid.

What surprised many within Toronto’s Muslim community was that just two days after Eid, having embraced and shaken hands with Muslim worshippers, Brad sent out angry letters to the city’s lawyers stating: “I am calling for the City of Toronto to file an emergency injunction to shut ‘this thing‘ (Brad can’t even say the name of the Al Quds rally, which highlights his disdain for the term) down.” He followed this up with a tweet, writing: “Al Quds Day has become an annual platform for antisemitic hate and extremist rhetoric. In today’s climate, this raises serious public safety concerns. I call on the city to take the necessary steps—up to and including an injunction—to cancel the demonstration.”

So, which version of Brad is the real one? The one who tweeted on June 3: “I’m not anti-Jewish, and I’m not anti-Israel. I’m opposed to Benjamin Netanyahu, AIPAC, and any foreign influence over American elections,” or the one who wrapped himself in an Israeli flag and headlined the June 7 “Walk with Israel” march?

Confused? Not as much Brad himself.  

But the gig, as they say, is up. Voters in Toronto have begun to see through Brad’s immature attempts to present himself as the brightest person in the room. He has been playing both sides, showing loyalty to neither. What he hasn’t realized yet is that there will be a political cost for his deceit.

Pro-Palestine activists, both Muslim and non-Muslim, are raising important questions: What is your true stance, Brad? Why have all your statements over the past 40 months aimed at silencing Palestinian voices while normalizing Israel’s acts of violence? How do you reconcile your words, which seem designed to perpetuate Islamophobic stereotypes under the pretext of community safety? Why do you label calls to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque from harm as antisemitic?

And don’t you think that by conflating Zionism with Judaism, you have weaponized the term “antisemitism” to justify Israel’s settler-colonial agenda? What are the potential long-term repercussions of this in the region?

Finally, if these beliefs genuinely represent your views, why not be true to them? Who knows, you might even become the mayor, perhaps.

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