The president of CUPE Ontario is speaking out after reposting what Jewish organizations are calling “vile” and “toxic” on social media.
On Sunday, Fred Hahn reshared a video on Facebook of a diver at the Paris Olympic Games, which ran from July 26 to Aug 11. The altered video showed the Olympian with a Star of David on their arm before they jumped off a diving board and turned into a bomb that kills civilians.
His actions have since been met with criticism from Jewish advocacy groups and others upset with his decision to share the video.
In response, some Jewish advocacy organizations in Toronto are reacting to the incident.
“The video shared by Fred Hahn is vile and toxic. It takes the very ideal of the Olympics – bringing nations together – and turns it on its head by weaponizing it against Israel. This is just another example of the antisemitic content the union leader regularly shares across his social media accounts,” Vice President of External Affairs and General Counsel for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs Richard Marceau said in a statement to Now Toronto on Thursday.
“It is also representative of the antisemitism that he has infused into CUPE’s practices, which has made Jewish CUPE members feel unwelcome, targeted, discriminated against, and harassed. Union members have the right to feel protected and represented by their leaders. Hahn, in contrast, sows division and exclusion,” he continued.
In addition, B’nai Brith Canada‘s Director of Research and Advocacy Richard Robertson agrees that Hahn’s actions have harmed the union’s Jewish members.
“Fred Hahn continues to misuse his public profile to spread misinformation and promote antisemitic content. His actions are outside of the scope of his position at CUPE, are contrary to Canadian values, and have a profoundly negative impact on the Union’s Jewish members,” Robertson said in a statement to Now.
“Rather than waste his time fomenting division and inciting hatred, Hahn should focus on advocating for the needs of the thousands of public employees that he claims to represent,” he added.
Hahn addressed his actions on Thursday, saying the post was not antisemitic in light of Israel’s ongoing war on Palestine.
“After ten months of what the world knows to be a genocide, there is a growing chorus in Canada and around the globe calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to Israel’s war on Palestine. Last week, Israel bombed a school and killed people at prayer; atrocities like that take place every day, and they are where our attention should be focused,” Hahn said in a statement to Now Toronto on Thursday.
“Criticism of the actions of the state of Israel is not antisemitic. That’s the core of our union’s response in a process working its way through the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, and it reflects a view that’s shared more widely every day,” Hahn continued.
Some Canadians are also reacting on social media and say Hahn should be permanently removed from his post.
“He needs to be gone from that role. Antisemitism spreads like a virus,” one Reddit user said.
“He needs to go. Think of how betrayed Jewish and Israeli-Canadian CUPE members must feel. They need safe spaces not repulsive antisemitism,” another user said.
“He needs to resign. I’m a CUPE member and I’m disgusted by him,” another user commented.
Meanwhile, others are in support of the leader and says opposing genocide is not “anti-semitism.”
“In defence of Fred Hahn! @FredHahnCUPE and CUPE Ontario have been very involved in supporting Palestine solidarity and opposing genocide against the Palestinian people. Opposing genocide is not “anti-semitism,” one X user said.
“I support @FredHahnCUPE he called out a genocide. Don’t see an issue with that,” another user said.
Hahn made labour history by becoming the first openly gay President of CUPE Ontario in 2010. Currently, the union represents 290,000 members in Ontario.
