Pro-Palestinian, Jewish demonstrators clash near Canadian synagogue

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada (AA) – Dozens of pro-Palestinian and Jewish demonstrators faced off Thursday, waving flags and shouting in front of a Toronto-area synagogue.

Police confirmed to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that arrests were made but did not indicate who was arrested and what if any charges were laid.

The synagogue was hosting a real estate event where land from the occupied West Bank was marketed.

Jewish demonstrators played music, danced in front of the synagogue and chanted “Israel is a Jewish land.”

Across the street, pro-Palestinian protesters chanted “Palestine is not for sale.”

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it is impossible to not feel for those suffering in the Gaza Strip as the Israel-Hamas war rages on.

But he said he has spoken to members of the Jewish community who have witnessed pro-Palestinian protests at synagogues and now feel unsafe.

“Canadians have a right to protest, absolutely, to make their anguish, their anger heard by other Canadians. That's important, and we will always protect that right,” he said at a press conference in Toronto. “But when the protests turn to hatred, or to acts of harassment — particularly against fellow Canadians — there's a line that's crossed.”

This is the second time in a week that real estate marketing of such properties has resulted in demonstrations.

Tuesday, a Quebec court granted a temporary ban barring several pro-Palestinian groups from coming within 50 meters (164 feet) of various Jewish buildings, including a synagogue, in Montreal.

The real estate being offered for sale included land in settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal by Canada and the UN.