Liberal Party revokes candidacy over vetted candidate’s past anti-semitic comments and beliefs

The comments were brought to light by Jewish advocacy group B’nai B’rith.

According to them, Guillet celebrated the release of Hamas supporter Raed Salah. Salah has made past anti-semitic comments such as suggesting that Jews were responsible for 9/11, and the blood libel that Jews use the blood of children to make “holy bread”.

In a now-deleted social media post, Guillet praised Salah as a “jihad-fighter” and “frontier-fighter”.

Guillet’s own comments have also come under fire. In one interview with Radio Canada, Guillet suggested that Israel was an apartheid state and has accused Jared Kushner, who is a Jewish-American of having dual-loyalties, a common antisemitic trope.

B’nai B’rith and Conservative Party brass have called for the resignation of Liberal candidate for Montreal riding Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, Hassan Guillet.

“The antisemitic tropes of ‘Zionists controlling governments’ and of ‘dual loyalty’ are two of the more abhorrent expressions of paranoid anti-Jewish conspiracy theories,” said Michael Mostyn, Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada.

Montreal resident and Wellington, Quebec Conservative Senator Leo Housakos told The Post Millennial that he was “disgusted” by the allegations.

“I think its indicative how the Liberal Party and Justin Trudeau talk a good game but when it’s time to walk the talk, they certainly don’t do it,” said Housakos.

“The Jewish community should not tolerate antisemites and should not be tolerating public figures and people that are running for this Liberal government that have so overtly preached hatred and I find that totally unacceptable.”

“Here we have a case in point where the Liberal Party and Mr. Trudeau have not done the vetting that was required to make sure that people like that who preach hatred aren’t running for public office,” said Housakos.

Guillet was contacted by the Post Millennial and responded with a statement in French clarifying the remarks. The following comments have been translated into English.

“If these statements could be considered offensive to some of my fellow citizens of Jewish faith I apologize. My intention was not to offend anyone. The lack of sensitivity of these statements does not reflect my personality or my way of being,” said Guillet.

“Since then I have evolved. Everyone who knows me, personally or through my works, knows that I am against hate, racism, anti-Semitism and violence regardless of the identity of the perpetrators or victims.”

Furthermore, Guillet claims that his work is a testament towards his fight against hate and anti-Semitism pointing towards the documentary “Frères d’âme” as an example, in which he appeared alongside Archbishop Gérald Cyprien Lacroix and Rabbi Avi Finegold to discuss faith.

“Personally, as a Canadian citizen and as a future Member of Parliament of Canada, I adhere to Canadian values ??and the values ??of the Liberal Party of Canada of inclusiveness, tolerance, openness and respect,” said Guillet.

Earlier today the Liberal Party released a statement regarding the controversy announcing that they have revoked Mr. Guillet’s candidacy.

“Following a thorough internal review process that has been on-going for a few weeks, the Liberal Party of Canada has made the decision to revoke the candidacy of Mr. Guillet for the riding of Saint-Leonard Saint-Michel in this fall’s election,” read an official statement.

A recent Facebook post by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs has claimed that the party was first notified of Guillet’s comments as early as June.

According to Senator Housakos, however, the Liberal party needs to do more to address the candidate’s comments.

“I think number one, Prime Minister Trudeau should apologize to the Canadian people,” said Housakos. “To come out clean and say that this form of antisemitism would not be tolerated in this party and investigate and find out how somebody who is clearly anti-semitic and preached hatred was embraced and supported by the Liberal Party of Canada.”