The Liberal candidate for Whitby-Oshawa offered an apology last week for remarks he made likening Prime Minister Stephen Harper to Hitler in e-mails he sent out to constituents in 2007.
Brent Fullard sent out mass e-mails with the subject lines “Heil mein Harper” and “Thyssen steel… supporting Hitler’s rise to power,” which was about a business group’s support for Harper.
“My mistake was inexcusable,” Fullard said in a statement. “These comments are hurtful to the millions of people who suffered and were killed by the Nazis and to those who remember them.”
Canadian Jewish Congress said that it helped secure the apology from Fullard.
“Mr. Fullard understood our concerns and responded with his apology,” said Congress co-president Sylvain Abitbol.
“We can be passionate about issues, but at the same time we must be passionate about respect and human dignity,” added Congress’ other co-president, Rabbi Reuven Bulka.
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Also last week, Jewish community members across the country began receiving Rosh Hashanah greeting cards from Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
The cards say “L’Shana Tova U’Metuka” (“Have a Sweet and Happy New Year”) and contain a photo of Harper and his family.
Readers called The CJN to report on this activity, with some expressing confusion, and others anger, over how the Conservative party obtained mailing addresses for Jewish constituents.
A spokesperson for the Conservatives told the paper that every year the party sends Rosh Hashanah greetings to its Jewish supporters and organizers and also compiles a list of additional Jewish people who “might like to receive a card” based on suggestions from those same supporters and organizers.
“We do not use any prepared lists,” the spokesperson said, adding that the holiday mail-out was not part of the current election campaign budget because it’s done “on a regular basis” each year as a separate item.
The Liberals have demanded unsuccessfully in Parliament that the Conservatives reveal how they compile their list of Jewish voters. Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart concluded after a brief investigation that there was no violation of federal privacy legislation since political parties are exempted from most of its provisions. Harper also sends out Christmas cards and Chinese New Year cards.
Frank Dimant, executive vice-president of B’nai Brith Canada, said that the greetings from Harper should be considered by the community as “sincere efforts to reach out to members of the Jewish community,” and he said that his organization welcomed them as “a meaningful gesture of respect by a prime minister that recognizes the diversity of Canadians and the multitude of traditions that they embody.”
With files from Ha’aretz.
