Lauren Isaacs is the Toronto Director of Herut Canada and a student at York University in Toronto.
On her Facebook page Lauren Isaacs described in detail an incident between Zionist and Arab/Muslim students that occurred in York university campus on October 7, 2019:
October 7, 2019 A – “Herut Canada is at York University! Come say hi and learn all about Zionism!! We can’t wait to dispel myths and educate about Israel today! Herut North America #ZionUnite”
October 7, 2019 B – “I would like to preface this video [see transcription below] by saying that I was told by several students at York University today that I should NOT be allowed to display a Zionism sign because, according to them, the majority Muslim population on campus finds it offensive. Please watch. Pictures will be posted. Am Yisrael Chai. Never again means NEVER AGAIN! Herut Canada Herut North America #ZionUnite”
October 8, 2019 – “Blatant Antisemitism and violent incitement directed at myself and Jewish students at York University today. Security had to break up angry Palestinian mobs throughout the day because they were screaming at and intimidating Jews. Herut Canada Herut North America”
Here is Lauren Isaacs’ video message:
Hey guys, Lauren Isaacs here. I just came from tabling at York University and I wanted to tell you what happened and debrief about the day. We had a good first hour. We engaged a lot of students both Jewish, Christian, Muslim in conversation, changed some minds, educated about Israel and Zionism. We did have a large sign up that said I’m a Zionist, ask me why. We were hoping to engage people in meaningful dialogue about the Zionist movement. Starting about an hour into the day a lot of hostile people started coming past table in large groups. A lot of Arab and Muslim students started coming past and they were angry. They were yelling they were screaming, they were hurling insults, personal insults at us. They were swearing profanity all over the place. They were putting us off sticking their tongues out, spitting at us.I got called a Nazi several times. What else? Zionism is Nazism was one of their favourite slogans they also shouted out a bunch of the regulars viva viva Palestina, viva viva intifada, openly calling for intifada, violent uprising at York University in Toronto. Free Palestine from the river to the sea, you know the chant from Hamas that says ethnically cleanse all the Jews from the land. They were openly chanting all these things. It was intimidating to say the least. Sometimes they were 40 or 50 students crowding around the table at once all yelling all screaming pushing up against us, personally insulting us. York security had to be called twice to come and disperse the mob that was crowded around our table and it was getting ugly. it was getting ugly. I was intimidated. Usually I don’t feel in danger on campus. Today I did feel in danger. Today I did feel endangered. If security hadn’t come I don’t know what would have happened. They were you know 40 to 50 angry Palestinian people who were openly supporting Hamas by the way, they were saying there’s no right for a Jewish state to exist, they want to wipe Israel completely off the map, we’re colonialist Zionist oppressive evil entity yada yada you know the story, classic antisemitism. It was scary, it was demoralizing, it was upsetting, it was extremely disappointing. Sometimes we don’t hear on social media, in actual news on TV about what’s going on on campuses. There’s serious stuff going on on campuses at York University as well as many other universities in Canada and around North America are hot beds for antisemitism, hating Israel, delegitimizing the Jewish people in the Jewish state and radicalizing students. It was very upsetting, but it was important to see people’s true colours today, and the kind of antisemitism that I’m not even going to say is masquerading as anti-Zionism because when people come up to the table today and say that Jews control the world that’s not anti-Zionism, that’s open antisemitism, and it was very upsetting today but it was also very enlightening. The work needs to continue, pro-Israel Zionist work needs to continue. We need to be on campus, we need to have a presence and we need to attempt to educate people and unbrainwash them from the antisemitic hate that they’ve gotten into in this day and age. So I’m very grateful to York security who came, protected us today and all the pro-Israel students who stopped past the table. We’re gonna keep doing the work and hopefully we’re making a difference. Happy Holiday everyone, see you later.