Welcome to Need to Know, The Hub’s twice-weekly roundup of expert insights into the biggest economic stories, political news, and policy developments that Hub readers need to be keeping their eyes on.
Shanah Tova in an age of betrayal
By Mathew Giagnorio, a writer, journalist and podcaster
What kind of civilization hands legitimacy to terrorists while lecturing its citizens about dignity and fairness? That is the question Canada has forced upon us this Rosh Hashanah, after announcing the formal recognition of a Palestinian state.
The government calls it a “step toward peace.” In truth, it is appeasement. Recognition has been granted before hostages are freed, before Hamas is dismantled, before genuine democracy exists. It signals to the world that terrorism works. Prime Minister Netanyahu put it bluntly: this is “a reward for terrorism.”
The betrayal is not only of Israel. It is of Jews everywhere, and of liberal democratic values themselves. A democracy that pretends violence can buy legitimacy is a democracy in free fall.
Meanwhile, in Toronto, about a hundred people gathered for a “Canada First” rally. They were not extremists. They were working-class Canadians—diverse in ethnicity and politics—united by frustration. Inflation, housing, stagnant wages. Their language echoed much of what Mark Carney and his Liberals themselves promise: dignity, fairness, opportunity. The difference is that the people at Christie Pits spoke from lived desperation, not polished rhetoric.
Abroad, Israel is abandoned to terror. At home, ordinary Canadians are abandoned to elites who use the right words while delivering nothing. The common thread is betrayal.
This Rosh Hashanah, the lesson is clear: renewal demands accountability abroad—no recognition without justice—and courage at home. We need leaders who listen to their citizens instead of dismissing them as fringe. Israel’s fight is civilization’s fight. And working Canadians’ fight for dignity is democracy’s fight.
Shanah Tova. May this year bring not illusions, but truth. Not appeasement, but courage.
A person waves a flag and a smoke bomb while marching during a pro-Palestine rally marking the anniversary of a Hamas attack on Israel in Vancouver, on Monday, October 7, 2024. Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press.
One step forward in the fight against hate—but Canada can’t stop here
By Talia Klein Leighton and Revi Mula, members of Canadian Women Against Antisemitism
For so many Canadians who have been fighting against antisemitism and pushing for change, the federal government’s introduction of Bill C-9 is a meaningful step forward.The legislation would make it a crime to intimidate and obstruct people from accessing places of worship, schools, and cultural and community centres. It also prohibits the display of certain terrorism or hate symbols in public.
For the first time, our Criminal Code will explicitly outlaw the public display of hate symbols tied to terrorist groups and extremist movements. After a year of seeing the Hakenkreuz, Hamas flags, and other emblems of violence on Canadian streets, this provision sends a message we have been waiting to hear: Canada will not be a safe harbour for hate.
