By Howie Silbiger, Editor-in-Chief
The Montreal Jewish community let out a sigh of relief as word spread, earlier today, that the thug who attacked an innocent Jewish man in broad daylight had been caught. But that relief soon turned to outrage when the truth came out, he wasn’t nabbed by police. No, he was hunted down by Chaverim, a volunteer Jewish security team, while the cops twiddled their thumbs.
Where were the police? On the day of the attack, Mayer Feig, the Hassidic community’s representative, blasted them on X: “Why did it take the SPVM over an hour to respond?” He wasn’t the only one asking. A synagogue president demanded answers after his shul was desecrated. Parade-goers at Montreal’s Gay Pride said the same thing after they were pelted with urine-filled balloons, as first reported on The Howie Silbiger Show on TrueTalkRadio.
But a few days later, Feig changed his tune, suddenly praising the police after the thug was caught, even though the cops didn’t find him, had to be handed the suspect, and had to be shamed into making an arrest despite video evidence.
Since October 7th, Jews in Montreal and Toronto have been under siege. In the upside-down world of the Hamas propaganda machine, flush with cash, media manipulation skills, and zero shame, the victim has become the villain. They’ve successfully shifted the spotlight away from their own crimes: the October 7th massacre, the rape and torture of Jews, the kidnapping of Israeli hostages. Fifty of those hostages are still in Hamas terror tunnels right now, starving in the dark.
Let’s get one thing straight: yes, it’s tragic that civilians in Gaza are dying. Yes, it’s appalling that people there are starving while thousands of pounds of aid flood in every week, aid Hamas promptly steals and sells. But war is ugly. Civilians die. And the fastest way to end this war? Hamas could do it tomorrow: drop their weapons, release the hostages, surrender. They won’t.
And here’s what really sticks in my throat: the hypocrisy.
For almost twenty years, Jews in southern Israel lived under constant rocket fire. They had five seconds to find a bomb shelter, day or night. Bombs on buses. Stabbings in markets. Massacres in discos. The so-called “human rights” crowd didn’t care then. Not a peep. But now, when Jews fight back, the crocodile tears flow and the accusations fly.
Jewish lives never count. Jews are expendable. And when we defend ourselves, suddenly we are the monsters.
Right now, World Jewry is losing the propaganda war. We’re being physically attacked in the streets by anti-Jew bigots who feel empowered by their governments, governments like Canada, France, England, and Australia, all racing to reward Hamas with UN recognition of a Palestinian state. And the worst part? Local politicians and police in cities like Montreal and Toronto are letting gangs of anti-Jew extremists run wild, screaming for “death to Jews” in broad daylight.
Our so-called Jewish “leaders” are hiding in their offices. Enough. Either step up or step out. We need strong, loud, fearless leadership that doesn’t beg for approval from the very people who want us gone. If our current leaders won’t fight for us, then they need to get out of the way.
The time for polite letters and whispered meetings is over. The time for a Jewish roar is now.
Howie Silbiger is the Editor-in-Chief of the Montreal Jewish News. He hosts The Howie Silbiger Show and Political Hitman live on TrueTalkRadio.com, Monday–Thursday at 9:00 p.m.
