Vancouver mayor, Jewish group accuse newly elected councillor of antisemitic posts

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 09, 2025 10:56 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim and immoderate Jewish assemblage groups are condemning comments made connected societal media dating backmost to 2021 by recently elected metropolis councillor Sean Orr. 

In a Wednesday greeting quality conference, Sim and Ezra Shanken, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver— which describes itself arsenic the community's centre for Jewish philanthropy — asked Orr to address his statements and publically apologize. 

Specifically, the instauration called connected Orr to retract a remark posted successful August 2021 connected X, formerly known arsenic Twitter, that stated, "Everyone knows Vancouver City planners are controlled by a concealed cabal of Jews who person a bunker successful the earth's halfway fml." 

In a connection Monday, Orr said his tweet was taken retired of context, and was meant to beryllium condemning "an antisemitic dogwhistle" utilized by the poster helium was responding to.

He said his post was sarcastically quoting a gag by comedian David Cross, who utilized akin wording portion talking astir the stereotypes helium faced increasing up Jewish successful the American South.

"It's unfortunate that this was taken retired of discourse and misrepresented," Orr said of his tweet. "My [campaign] level called retired anti-semitism by sanction & committed to warring it, on with Islamophobia and different forms of racism."

On Wednesday, Sim said his quality league was "not political", and Shanken said helium was wounded by the posts.

"It deed maine successful the pit of my stomach," said Shanken. "We are yet a sarcastic remark for this individual. We are a butt of this individual's joke."

The federation, on with nationalist Jewish groups similar B'nai Brith Canada and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, besides condemned Orr for accusing Israel of committing acts of genocide pursuing the Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught by Palestinian militant radical Hamas.

The Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE), Orr's party, said their campaigner has been a accordant dependable of absorption to fascism and antisemitism, and said the attacks connected Orr were a "bad religion effort to smear him" for his absorption of Israel's warfare successful Gaza.

Orr topped the polls successful past week's byelection, with the 2 candidates belonging to Ken Sim's ruling ABC enactment coming successful sixth and seventh place.

WATCH | Orr talks astir his plans successful council:

A antithetic Canadian Jewish enactment is lasting by Orr, condemning what it called "disingenuous attacks" launched successful "bad faith." 

"Councillor Orr has shown integrity and courageousness successful condemning Israel warfare crimes," said Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) successful a connection released Tuesday. 

The IJV identifies itself arsenic a grassroots enactment representing Canadian Jewish voices advocating for bid successful Gaza.