The Liberal Party of Canada has revoked their candidacy for a Montreal-area candidate after past anti-semitic remarks were reported on in the media, despite the party knowing about his behaviour since June.
A report by B’nai B’rith revealed that the Saint-Léonard Saint-Michel candidate, Hassan Guillet, expressed past beliefs and statements which were anti-semitic.
In one case, Guillet was to have celebrated the release of Hamas-activist Raed Salah on social media. Salah has claimed in the past that Jewish people were behind 9/11 and that they use children’s blood to bake “holy bread”. In the post which, has since been deleted, Guillet allegedly glorified Salah as a “jihad-fighter”.
Another interview by Radio Canada shows Guillet speaking of Israel as an apartheid state and peddling the anti-semitic trope that Jared Kushner, who is Jewish himself, has dual-loyalties to Israel.
In prepared comments provided to True North, Guillet claims that his views have “evolved” since he made those comments.
“Since then I have evolved. Everyone who knows me, personally or through my works, knows that I am against hate, racism, anti-Semitism and violence regardless of the identity of the perpetrators or victims,” said Guillet.
“If these statements could be considered offensive to some of my fellow citizens of Jewish faith I apologize. My intention was not to offend anyone.”
According to the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, they notified the Liberals of Guillet’s beliefs back in June.
“We discovered Mr. Guillet’s comments and in June registered our concerns directly with the Liberal Party. Party officials indicated that they would look into the matter,” reads a Facebook post by CIJA.
However it wasn’t until B’nai B’rith reported on the story on Friday, and prominent Conservative Party members, including party leader Andrew Scheer, called for his ejection, that the Liberal Party decided to sever their ties with Guillet.
“I find it shocking that this candidate was able to become a Liberal candidate in the first place and it raises the question as to why people with these hateful views are attracted to the Liberal Party in the first place,” wrote Scheer on the incident.
In the statement announcing the end of Guillet’s candidacy, the Liberals hint that an internal review regarding the matter had been going for several weeks.
“Following a thorough internal review process that has been on-going for a few weeks, the Liberal Party of Canada has made the decision to revoke the candidacy of Mr. Guillet for the riding of Saint-Leonard Saint-Michel in this fall’s election,” claimed the official Liberal Party statement.
True North reached out to the Liberal Party for comment but have yet to hear back.
