Dear Principal Fortier,

As antisemitism in Canada reaches dangerous levels, we at Jewish on Campus are alarmed that a club at your institution — Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights McGill — is co-sponsoring an online event with an individual who partakes in this hatred: Roger Waters. On July 14, the event “Standing up for student solidarity with Palestine” will feature Roger Waters, a virulent antisemite who has been denounced by major civil rights groups for his dangerous rhetoric and incitement.

Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights McGill’s decision to host Waters positions the university as a willing enabler of an individual who vocally supports conspiracy theories and Holocaust inversion. While we recognize the importance of free and open discourse as well as McGill students’ right to discuss the Palestinian struggle, the upcoming event endangers Jewish students and puts McGill’s name on an event of hatred that surpasses civil expressions of ideas.

At this event, Waters is expected to discuss the Palestinian struggle alongside a McGill student representative. However, Waters has a long history of espousing antisemitic views. For example, Waters has claimed that the United States is controlled by Jewish donors, who he refers to as “puppet masters” who are “filling the coffers and pulling all the strings” on policy regarding Israel/Palestine and the music industry. He has also compared Israelis to aliens and likened Israel to Nazi Germany.

Due to Waters’ demonstrated history of antisemitism, this university must not become complicit by allowing this event to occur. As an official club of McGill University, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights McGill’s co-sponsorship implicates the university itself in Water’s antisemitism by allowing it to spread. Other universities which were set to sponsor antisemitic speakers have recalled their support and dropped their sponsorship. We call on you to follow this precedent and pull McGill’s co-sponsorship of someone whose platform incites hate and violence toward your students.

Representing Jewish students at McGill University, Jewish on Campus calls for this event to be disassociated and for the administration to denounce Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights McGill’s decision to promote bigotry and endanger Jewish students.

We await your response,

Jewish on Campus

‍