Jewish group calls raising Palestinian flag at Toronto City Hall 'reckless' as other events planned in Canada

A Jewish group is urging the City of Toronto to cancel the raising of the Palestinian flag at city hall, as more than 20,000 people sign a petition saying it could “inadvertently cause division and tension.”

B’nai Brith Canada told National Post over email that the event “violates the city’s prohibition against flag raisings that promote hatred, violence, or racism.” The flag-raising is planned for Nov. 17 , in recognition of Palestinian Independence Day, which takes place two days prior.

B’nai Brith Canada wrote to the city, warning that “commemorating Palestinian independence in this way — as it was self-declared by then-Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) chairman Yasser Arafat on Nov. 15, 1988 — would sanitize the PLO’s antisemitic ideology and acts of terror.”

Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith’s director of research and advocacy, said that the PLO’s ideology “precluded the notion of Jewish self-determination, promoted antisemitism, glorified hate-motivated violence, and perpetuated hostilities in the region.”

“Commemorating this moment, in the context of rising antisemitism in Canada, is not only insensitive but also reckless and irresponsible,” he said.

The Change.org petition that was created last week by Ron Jones called for other ways to support “Palestinian awareness and solidarity that do not involve flying a flag at a city-level government institution.”

“Events in the Middle East, especially those involving Israel and Palestine, are complex and deeply rooted in history, with implications that transcend borders,” says the petition. “The decision to fly a flag should respect the feelings and views of all community members, ensuring that city hall remains a place of unity rather than discord.”

In a statement to National Post, City of Toronto’s d irector of media relations and issues management Russell Baker said the flag-raising policy is “council-approved.” It allows non-profit or charitable organizations to request flag raisings, “including flags of nations recognized by Global Affairs Canada, Government of Canada, on existing courtesy flagpoles.”

In September, Canada recognized Palestinian statehood , in a move that upset many Jewish advocacy groups in the country.

The city approved the Nov. 17 request from advocacy group, the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), said Baker. The flag will be lowered at the end of the day. In 2025, there have already been dozens of flag raisings at Toronto City Hall. The Israeli flag was raised on May 1 to mark Israel’s independence day.

Flying a specific flag does not imply or express “support for the politics or policies of nations and/or organizations, but raises the flag in recognition of those citizens or members that have made the request,” Baker said.

Shane Martinez, a lawyer at ICJP Canada,  told Now Magazine that the flag-raising in Toronto “symbolizes Palestinian resilience and is a powerful expression of solidarity with Palestinians everywhere.”

However, Toronto City Councillor James Pasternak said in a post on X that those who made the request are activists, not “diplomatic representatives.” He said they were looking to “stage a political stunt under the guise of marking the anniversary of the 1988 Palestinian Declaration of Independence — on its own, a deeply partisan observance tied to a violent and unresolved conflict overseas.”

“Over the past two years, Torontonians have grown sick and tired of mobs holding rallies in neighbourhoods, blocking streets, damaging infrastructure, and endlessly draining police resources. We cannot reward these groups by giving them a platform for further political agitation,” said Pasternak.

He said what is planned for Nov. 17 in Toronto is not comparable to the reason the flag-raising program was created, which was to “honour official partners of Canada.”

Pasternak pointed out that Canada’s recognition of Palestinian statehood was “dependent on reforms, demilitarization, and elections that exclude Hamas, a listed terrorist entity in Canada.”

“To date, none of those conditions have been met,” he said. “Political activism is a sacred Charter right, but it does not grant blanket immunity to disrupt the lives of law-abiding citizens, trample laws, endanger public safety, or hijack civic spaces.”

Other Palestinian flag-raising ceremonies are planned in Canada.

One is scheduled in Calgary on Nov. 15 , according to the city. It is set to take place at the Municipal Plaza. Another is scheduled the same day in Winnipeg at Memorial Park, across from the Manitoba Legislative Building, according to the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba. It was announced by Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew in late October that a Palestinian flag-raising would take place.

An open letter written by the Israeli Canadian Council (Manitoba) urged Kinew to rethink the move, saying there were better options to show unity and bring the community together. “If the Israeli flag must be raised in secrecy while the Palestinian flag is raised in celebration, the message is unmistakable: intimidation works,” the group said.

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