Canadian museum exhibit downplayed intifada, October 7th

A Jewish watchdog group identified the exhibit’s advisers were linked to social media posts praising or justifying the October 7 massacres.

By World Israel News Staff

A pro-Palestinian museum exhibit in Canada described the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel as merely an “attack” while omitting references to the massacre of civilians, and characterized the Second Intifada as a “Palestinian uprising” despite years of suicide bombings targeting Israeli civilians.

The exhibit, hosted by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR), came under scrutiny after an investigation by B’nai Brith Canada found that several individuals who advised on its content had previously shared anti-Israel material on social media, including posts defending or minimizing Hamas’ murderous actions.

According to B’nai Brith Canada, members of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba (CPAM), including Rana Abdulla and Ramsey Zeid, participated in shaping the exhibit.

The watchdog organization said its investigation uncovered a series of social media posts by CPAM and its members that demonstrate intense bias against Israel and the Jewish community.

Among the examples cited, B’nai Brith said CPAM repeated a blood libel in April 2024, alleging that “Israeli forces skinned dead Palestinians and stole their organs before burying them in mass graves in Gaza.”

The organization also said CPAM used its social media accounts in May 2024 to urge followers to “stop condemning October 7.”

Approximately one year after the October 7 attack, Zeid wrote on his X account that “Palestinians had the right to do what they did on Oct. 7.”

CPAM promoted false claims regarding Israeli hostages released by Hamas, asserting that those who returned to Israel “almost seemed as though they were returning from a vacation rather than captivity.”

The exhibit also describes the Second Intifada — which claimed the lives of more than 1,000 Israelis in suicide bombings targeting buses, restaurants, shopping centers, and other civilian locations between 2000 and 2005 — as a “Palestinian uprising.”

It also referred to October 7 simply as a Hamas “attack,” without referencing the large-scale killing of civilians or allegations of atrocities committed during the assault, including rape, torture, and mutilation.

“The social media disseminations associated with Zeid, CPAM, and other members of PCAN demonstrate an inherent bias against and hostility towards the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” said B’nai Brith in a media statement.

“That they authored, shared or reposted such items, and yet, were included in CMHR’s consultation process, is shocking.”