Israeli flag-raising in major Canadian cities spurs outrage amid Gaza war
Al Jazeera
Rights advocates say decision to fly Israeli flags on country’s independence day ‘completely inappropriate’ and hurtful.
A decision by some major cities in Canada to raise Israeli flags to mark the country’s Independence Day has spurred outrage, with Palestinian rights advocates saying Israel should not be honoured as it wages a deadly military assault on the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli flag will be raised in the Canadian capital, Ottawa, as well as in Toronto, the country’s largest city, on Tuesday to mark Israeli Independence Day, also known as Yom Ha’atzmaut.
The Ottawa flag-raising will be a private event after a planned public ceremony at city hall drew widespread condemnation.
“This decision is based on recent intelligence that suggests hosting a public ceremony poses a substantial risk to public safety,” the city said last week.
In Toronto, municipal staff approved a request from the Consulate General of Israel to raise the Israeli flag, The Toronto Star newspaper reported.
