'We tried to fight back,' says Jewish group that wanted to stop Palestinian flag-raising at Toronto City Hall
A Jewish advocacy group says it “tried to fight back” to stop the raising of the Palestinian flag at Toronto City Hall.
“We have to do something, because writing letters is a waste of time, saying ‘we condemn’ is a waste of breath,” executive director of Tafsik Organization Amir Epstein told National Post on Monday.
“We know that we have to do something, and so we tried, and we failed, but at least we didn’t go down as allowing it to happen. We tried to fight back.”
The group filed an injunction to stop the Palestinian flag from being raised. But it was dismissed before Monday morning’s ceremony, which went ahead, despite opposition from another Jewish advocacy group, B’nai Brith, as well as more than 25,000 people who signed a petition, and even a city councillor.
“Canada is supposed to be an inclusive country to everyone and it’s become really uninhabitable for so many people in the Jewish community,” Epstein said.
He added that the Palestinian flag has become “a symbol of violence towards our community.” Over the past two years, since Oct. 7, 2023 — the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, which sparked a war in the Middle East — the flag has been used by rioters “that go to the streets, blocking ambulances… blocking hospitals” and standing in front of synagogues to intimidate the Jewish community, he said.
Simon Wolle, the CEO of B’nai B’rith Canada, called the flag-raising in Toronto and in other cities across Canada “deeply disappointing.” He said it was “troubling,” especially against the backdrop of antisemitism within the country.
“It is not only callous, but downright inflammatory and dangerous for civic authorities to sanction events that pay homage to a day rooted in terrorism and violence,” said Wolle in an emailed statement shared with National Post on Monday.
The request to raise the flag was made to recognize Palestinian Independence Day, which was on Nov. 15.
“By giving credence to the (Palestine Liberation Organization’s) self-declared day of independence, our leaders are sanctioning the antisemitism and terror that were synonymous with the PLO and the First Intifada,” he said.
A video posted on X shows the Palestinian flag being raised to chants of “Free, free Palestine.” In another video, some attendees can be seen cheering and holding Palestinian flags at Nathan Phillips Square, below the platform where the flag was raised.
Historic moment as Palestinian flag is raised at Toronto City Hall for the first time.
— Caryma Sa'd - Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) November 17, 2025
???? Nov 17, 2025#Toronto #ProtestMania pic.twitter.com/2iQBDnHepJ
“Events like this flag raising undermine the noble efforts of all those who advocate for proliferation of human rights and detract from efforts to build a multicultural community,” said Wolle.
“We will not allow these decisions, which further jeopardize the well-being of and increase the marginalization of Jewish Canadians, to go unchallenged.”
He said B’nai Brith Canada “will leave no stone unturned in examining what mechanisms are available to us to hold those responsible for authorizing these inciting and hate-filled events accountable.”
Josh Landau, the director of government relations in Ontario for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said the group’s message to all levels of government “has been clear.”
“Symbolic gestures recognizing Palestinian statehood — including flag raisings — do not advance peace, especially while Hamas remains in power and terrorizes both Israelis and Palestinians,” he told National Post in an emailed statement.
After the flag was raised, Toronto police posted on social media around 11:30 a.m. ET, saying that a man at the demonstration had been arrested for assault with a weapon and administering a noxious substance. No injuries were reported.
“The fight continues,” Tafsik posted online Monday.
Injunction motion has been dismissed.
— Tafsik Organization (@Tafsikorg) November 17, 2025
The fight continues ???????? pic.twitter.com/2jGyq3iWbv
“Canada’s recognition of Palestine on September 21, 2025 , was explicitly conditional, requiring democratic reforms, demilitarization, exclusion of terrorist groups from governance, and progress toward a two-state solution — conditions that remain unmet,” said Epstein in a news release earlier in November.
“Proceeding with the ceremony under these circumstances misapplies the policy and transforms a civic symbol into a partisan endorsement.”
B’nai Brith told National Post last week that “commemorating this moment, in the context of rising antisemitism in Canada, is not only insensitive but also reckless and irresponsible.”
A Change.org petition to stop the flag-raising in Toronto garnered more than 25,000 signatures. It called for a different way to show support for Palestinians that would not create more division.
City Councillor James Pasternak also posted against the flag-raising , saying that although political activism is a sacred Charter right, “it does not grant blanket immunity to disrupt the lives of law-abiding citizens, trample laws, endanger public safety, or hijack civic spaces.”
According to the City of Toronto , flags of nations recognized by the Government of Canada on their national day or on the anniversary of a special occasion can be raised on existing courtesy flagpoles following an approved request.
The city confirmed to National Post last week that the request to raise the Palestinian flag was made on behalf of Palestinian advocacy group the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP).
However, Epstein said the event was being endorsed by groups including Toronto 4 Palestine, CJPME, Labour for Palestine, Palestine House, and others, who have histories of “protests escalating to violence or rhetoric accused of promoting anti-Zionism, which critics equate with antisemitism under definitions like the IHRA Working Definition adopted in various Canadian contexts.”
Meanwhile, the ICJP said in a news release that the flag-raising is “a symbolic show of solidarity” for Palestinians in Toronto and beyond.
The flag-raising is “inherently political,” said Epstein.
Other Canadian cities have recently raised Palestinian flags, including Calgary , Winnipeg and Mississauga.
Today, under the City's Community Recognition Program, the Palestinian flag was raised on the community recognition flagpole at #Mississauga Celebration Square as requested by the community to acknowledge Canada's recognition of the State of Palestine. pic.twitter.com/NheChwVv5H
— City of Mississauga (@citymississauga) November 16, 2025
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