Jewish group calls for Langara instructor to be fired over speech at pro-Palestinian rally
CBC
A Jewish group is calling for a Langara College instructor, now on leave, to be fired over a speech she made at a pro-Palestinian rally Saturday describing the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 as "amazing, brilliant."
But Natalie Knight, in a statement Friday, defended those remarks, saying she will not shy away from speaking out for the "just resistance to Israeli occupation and the genocide of Palestinians."
Knight was seen on video praising the Oct. 7 attack during a speech at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Oct. 28. A group called United in Struggle, which Knight claimed to be a member of in her speech, has posted a version of the video.
In the speech, Knight recounts a Sept. 2021 prison break by six people from a maximum security prison in the occupied West Bank. Israel, Reuters reports in a story matching Knight's description, said the men were convicted of or suspected of planning attacks on Israeli civilians but Knight called them political prisoners.
"This was a feat of determination and ingenuity only eclipsed — only eclipsed — by the amazing, brilliant offensive waged on Oct. 7," Knight said to cheers.
A statement Thursday attributed to United in Struggle called the controversy a "manufactured political firestorm" and accused groups standing with Israel of "conflating anti-Zionism with antisemitism, painting Palestinian resistance as terrorism, and attacking freedom of political expression."
"The aim of these attacks on Knight is not only to ruin her career and reputation, but to impose a freeze on public support for Palestine everywhere," the statement continues.
The group claims support from 24 other groups for the statement defending Knight. CBC has not independently verified those groups' support.
The Oct. 7 attack saw Hamas kill 1,400 Israelis and sparked renewed fighting in Israel and the Palestian territories.
Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry says more than 9,250 Palestinians have been killed as of Friday.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver is calling for Knight to be fired for her speech.
President Ezra Shanken said with many in the local Jewish community feeling unsafe, the comments are unacceptable.
"When you have people like this coming out with statements like this that glorify terrorism, I think it's really challenging," Shanken said, adding he was particularly disturbed to see that the speech appeared to be written down rather than improvised, and that it drew cheers from the assembled crowd.
"This is very shocking for a community that's really going through a difficult time."
This story is a collaboration between the Investigative Journalism Foundation and CBC Saskatchewan.
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