Not Surprised

Jonathan Kay: A Toronto Star columnist crosses the line

Posted: September 22, 2009, 11:36 PM by Jonathan Kay

Over the past few months, I've been traveling the United States, doing some research on radical political activists for a book I am writing. Most of the people I've met are fairly decent folks — even if they have views outside of the mainstream. But sometimes, you meet some hatemongers. They don't come out and say that they hate "Blacks" or "Jews" per se. This is 2009, after all. Instead, they use code words and euphemisms. So, for instance, instead of attacking Barack Obama's race, they make the ridiculous argument that he is somehow a Kenyan, and not a U.S. citizen. And when they are trashing Jewish-American politicians, they will call them "Israeli-American citizens" — implying that the fact the person is Jewish means he is somehow a secret Zionist agent. It's the old claim of "divided loyalties."

It's not the sort of creepy verbal trick I expected from a broadsheet Canadian newspaper journalist — until I got an email tipping me off to the fact that Antonia Zerbisias of the Toronto Star put this up on her Twitter feed: "MP Irwin Cotler's children join IDF. http://bit.ly/1Ttsq0 Which country are you loyal to, sir?"

Loyalty tests for a person's children? That's pretty disgusting, Antonia. Now why don't you use your Twitter feed to apologize. Or are you going to wait until your own newspaper slaps you down for yet another inappropriate attack on a Jewish public figure — like it did in July?

I think I see a pattern here. Just another example of how hatred of Israel is driving the once-respectable Canadian left stark raving batcrap.