Canadian university’s antisemitism advisor resigns over praise of Lebanon pager explosions

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada (AA) - The antisemitic advisor at Canada’s University of Ottawa has resigned after posting on X that deadly device explosions this week across Lebanon targeting Hezbollah were “brilliant,” Canadian media reported Thursday.

The attack was reported to be on Hezbollah officials, whose pagers exploded, but thousands of civilians were wounded by the explosions and dozens killed, including children.

Artur Wilczynski authored the post praising the attack on Tuesday.

“Today’s targeting of Hezbollah operatives was brilliant,” he wrote. “It struck a major blow against a terror group that has fired thousands of rockets against civilians all while the useless UN mission in Lebanon stands by.”

Israel has not claimed responsibility for the pager explosions, but it is widely believed to be behind them. On Tuesday in parts of Lebanon and Syria, at least a dozen people were killed, including two children, by the exploding pagers. More devices exploded Wednesday, killing at least 25 and wounding 600.

As the backlash erupted, Wilczynski at first defended his post but later apologized and resigned on Thursday.

“I believe in accountability. My posts on the Hezbollah/Israel war caused harm & affected my ability to help combat antisemitism at U of Ottawa,” he posted on X. “My intent in sharing is irrelevant when it is clear many were hurt by them. I apologize. I resigned as Special Advisor on Antisemitism.”

The organization Independent Jewish Voices, which condemned the attacks, said Wilczynski did the right thing.

“Mr. Wilczynski’s resignation is the first step in a larger move towards accountability on the part of public officials and lobbyists and confirmation that the Canadian public and Jewish Canadians will never accept the notion that somehow the recourse to terror is worthy of praise,” the organization said in a statement on its website.