Jewish, Muslim communities in Whitehorse wrestle with grim anniversary of Oct. 7 attack

As some Whitehorse residents rallied on the weekend to draw awareness to the effects of the Israel-Hamas war on Gaza, the president of the Jewish Culture Society of Yukon called on residents to remember the 1,200 Israelis killed on Oct. 7, 2023.

"It's a very, very difficult day for us," Rick Karp said Monday, one year after Hamas militants staged a deadly assault on Israel, touching off an invasion by Israel that has killed more than 41,000Palestinians.

"One year later, it's a time to think back, to commemorate the lives lost," Karp said.

Karp said membersof his society were marking the day by joining events in Victoria remotely.

While the horror of that Oct. 7 attack lingers, the response by Israel has been widely criticized as disproportionate, with nearly two million Palestinians now displaced from Gaza. It has sparked protests, marches and calls for politicians from city councillors to Canada's prime minister and beyond to push for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The weekend rally in Whitehorse, held two days before the anniversary, saw nearly 100 people come out to protest Israel's actions.

That event was organized by Solidarity Whitehorse, as part of an international day of action to mark what organizers described as a year of genocide and resistance.

Israr Ahmed, the former president of the Yukon Muslim Association, spoke during the rally. He touched on the number of civilians, especially children, who have been killed in Gaza. He urged those who attended to keep asking questions.

"Why is it that there are no sanctions upon those perpetrating these crimes?" he asked. "Why is it that there is no arms embargo yet?"

Speakers at that rally described their frustration over political and material support for Israel and the difficulty they experienced locally getting support for Palestinians even from Whitehorsecity councillors.

"Through the grief and the discomfort of this year, we've grown into this community with a shared desire for liberation," said Sana Javed, one of the speakers.

Javed said as a Muslim woman and a person of colour, the last year has been eye-opening for her. She said she keenly felt the lack of support from her local leaders when community members called for a ceasefire in Gaza, with Whitehorse citycouncil initially shutting down and then eventually reconsidering a motion to join that call.

"We've watched our supposed leaders reach the highest levels of hypocrisy to justify and assist in conducting the violation of international law, while watching a livestream of families being torn apart," she said. "Even in our tiny little town, we are here and we will not be silent."

Communities still supporting each other

Over the past year, Jewish, Muslim and Christian community leaders in Whitehorse have come together to support humanitarian relief in Gaza. Ahmed and Karp are among the leaders involved in those efforts.

Karp said that relationship is still strong and they have now raised funds twice for a group calling for peace in Gaza.

But he said he wants people to understand the scope of Hamas' attack last year, its mandate to destroy Israel and also how it treats Palestinian civilians.

"What I say is, we are all calling for peace in the area," he said.

"We're all calling for Palestinians to have a state and Israel has offered that several times, in return for recognition of the State of Israel. We're calling for peace. Let's work together, not against each other and let's hope and pray that peace will come to the area."