Hamilton lawyer faces $250K defamation lawsuit over social media posts about Israel-Hamas war
CBC
A Hamilton lawyer and a regional director with one of Canada's largest construction unions are embroiled in a $250,000 defamation lawsuit over social media posts about the Israel-Hamas war.
Court documents obtained by CBC Hamilton show Victoria Mancinelli, director of public relations for the Labourers' International Union of North America (LiUNA) in Central and Eastern Canada, is suing Mohamad Bsat for implying Mancinelli supported the "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinian people and their supporters.
In his court filings, Bsat, a staff lawyer at the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic, says the lawsuit is designed to silence him. He also denies defaming Mancinelli, saying he believes her comments were "irresponsible, inflammatory" and could "potentially give rise to dangerous situations" to people at pro-Palestinian rallies.
Tensions arising from the current war, which began after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, have spurred lawsuits and legal threats across Canada on a range of issues, including a suit against protesters for blocking traffic, allegations against universities of allowing antisemitism and another related to efforts to get people out of Gaza.
Some individuals in Canada have also seen people get fired or face calls to not be hired based on their publicly stated political beliefs.
Palestinian officials say over 26,600 people have been killed and at least 65,000 wounded in the Israeli military response to Oct. 7, mostly Palestinian women and children.
Around 1,200 people were killed during the initial Hamas-led attacks, including several Canadians, according to Israeli officials. They said 253 others were taken hostage, with about 130 yet to return home.
Israel also says its forces have killed roughly 9,000 Palestinian combatants in Gaza and 221 of its soldiers have been killed in the fighting.
None of the claims in the Hamilton lawsuit have been tested in court.
Mancinelli declined an interview, but told CBC Hamilton in an emailed statement that Bsat's comments were "false" and "intensely painful and repugnant."
"They have caused me not only sleepless nights, but the fear that some people, misled by these untruths, may want to cause harm to me or my family," she said.
Mancinelli's statement of claim, filed with Hamilton Superior Court in late November, states she posted to X, formerly Twitter, condemning a rally planned for Oct. 15, advertised as All out for Palestine.
Mancinelli implored the mayor and Hamilton police to take action, saying "this is not a rally for 'freedom'."
"We know the real meaning behind them. What message does this send to the Jewish community or any community in response to the brutalities of hate and terror?" she wrote on Oct. 14, referring to the rally.
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