Forty pro-Israel demonstrators opposite the Israel Consulate in Toronto yelled back at more than 700 pro-Arabs protesting Israel’s military operations in Gaza Sunday afternoon . Khaled Mouammar, president of the Canadian Arab Federation (CAF), stated, “The massacre taking place in Gaza must stop. People are suffering and dying. There is an actual genocide taking place.” The CAF president has previosly gone on record demanding that Canada boycott "the Apartheid State" and that his government should not criticize Hizbullah terrorists. Police were busy keeping the groups from attacking each other. Other than minor scuffles, there were no incidents of violence between the groups. Additional pro-Arab demonstrations took place throughout Canada. The Toronto pro-Arab organizers called on the Canadian government to condemn Israel’s actions. While Canada’s Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon has expressed concern about the escalating violence, he has nevertheless stated that Israel has the right to defend itself. Harris Leusher, one of the pro-Israel demonstrators, stated that Israel’s attacks on Hamas in Gaza are justified. “You can’t fire 50 rockets a day continuously year after year and not expect something to happen,” the demonstrator stated while waving an Israeli flag. “If the United States launched rockets from Detroit into Windsor [a Canadian city] every day that hit schools and playgrounds, wouldn’t Canada have the right to do something?” Pro-Arab Protest in Eastern Jerusalem In Israel, about 20 Arab residents of Jerusalem protested Monday afternoon against Israel’s military operations. The demonstrators, who were holding a vigil by the Damascus Gate of the Old City, were dispersed. One man was arrested after attempting to incite violence among the other protestors.
