The mission of the IDF reservists is to initiate a dialogue with students (who are ignorant of the facts about Israel and her neighbours) on campuses in the West, along the same lines as Herut Canada and Lauren Isaacs.
Once the event was announced, the intifada mob got wind of it as they always do and used social media to mobilize. They are a well organized group as they have been trained by their benefactors in Iran. (Yes they get funding from terrorists)
Once supporters of the event, like me, heard that the intifada mob were coming to the event in order to disrupt it and stop it as they always do, we planned to attend in order to stop them and to ensure that the event goes on. In my case as soon as I heard about it I sent a tweet to the president of York U, imploring her to do all in her power to keep the event going and the attendees safe despite any security threats.
Myself and 3 of my longtime friends decided to go to show our support and to hear the lecture from these brave IDF reservists. After parking, as we walked closer to the lecture hall, we could hear the screaming and banging. It sounded like a war zone. Megaphones were used, tables were banged upon and then we were confronted with a mass tangle of people trying to go up the stairs to the lecture hall. There was a lot of pushing and screaming and some punching. Police and security were present and tried to separate the two sides. We eventually were ushered in quickly into the theatre room where we were handed a sheet of rules that included: You agree to be quiet until Q & A time where you will raise your hand in order to ask a question, no weapons or sticks of any kind are allowed, etc.
Within the room, security in the form of police, York security and other under cover Jewish security personnel were placed throughout (not that the IDF reservists really needed them, lol). There were a few minor interruptions when some of the intifada mobsters at random times stood up, raised their Hamas flags and started shouting. They didn't last long as most of the attendees who got into the room were Jewish or otherwise pro-Israel. They were escorted out in short order. There was a Syrian refugee who stated that he wanted to thank these reservists for saving his family from Syrian persecution in the Golan Heights. You can follow him on Twitter. His name is Aboud Dandachi.
My friends and I left the lecture a few minutes early. From the high up view on a sort of balcony, we watched the hysterical intifada mob below us. They were about a hundred people or more. Their leaders were often standing on tables, shouting slogans like 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' or 'Viva viva Palestina'. You could feel their hatred from a distance.
As we made our way downstairs to exit the building, my short, firecracker female friend asked me if I want to enter the hall with the intifada mob. Without thinking I said yes and in we went. I had my Israeli flag with me of course. I bravely (read stupidly) started walking through the mob and doing a circle. I lost track of my friend as I paraded around the mob with a smile on my face and my flag held high. I think at first the mob was in shock to see an old Jewish guy walking through their mob by himself with an Israeli flag. No one knew I was there and I certainly had no protection. I was also wearing my old martial arts jacket from 30 years ago. I felt a sense of pride and a very uplifting feeling that I cannot describe. I almost made it through before their leader, a woman wearing a kaffiyeh (you can see her yelling in the video clip below), grabbed my flag and tried to rip it from my hands. Before I knew it there were dozens of other people all around me trying to pull the flag away and trying to pull me down. I went crazy and with my adrenaline pumping, fought them all off with the aim of holding on to the flag at all costs. Eventually the wooden spindle broke but I had my flag intact. Out of breath I ran to a nearby, bored security guard and asked if he saw what happened, that they tried to attack me and broke my flag. He didn't even say a word, just shrugged. Here's a pic of my flag:
Eventually I found my friends and at first we were going to be escorted out through a back door along with other Jewish attendees including members of the JDL (Jewish Defence League) who were on hand to help ensure that the event took place. The route was under construction and some of us (myself included) complained. It was our event. Why must we be treated like court Jews from medieval times, sneaking out through tunnels. I received the standard answer from the guard: 'You are free to leave via any exit you want but we can't guarantee your safety if you leave through the main exit'. I wanted to tell him that it's your job to protect us, so do your job but I shut my mouth. Eventually we did decide as a group to turn around and leave through the main exit. We left without incident.
Unless you were there, words can't explain the level of vile hatred we experienced. Many peaceful people who wanted to attend the lecture could not do so or would not do so due to the scare tactics of the intifada mob. York University's poor planning as to where the lecture would take place and lack of separation between the 2 sides was blatantly obvious. If a picture is worth a thousand words then a video is worth a million. Here is a short clip of the mob that I walked through on my own. I'm sure that G-d had my back. I got out unscathed and feeling proud:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sZRPAWD1OI
I have been to many demonstration before but none with this intensity. There are many other videos now available on the internet to help you get a picture of what takes place on campus. Here is another good post. I really did think I was in Gaza or Judea and Samaria (aka West Bank). Aboud, the Syrian refugee agrees. I feel very sorry for the Jewish students on campus who have to endure the intimidation and hate on a daily basis. During the lecture I offered my services to escort any Jewish student who is scared to go to classes. We found out that Hillel (the Jewish student body at York) wanted nothing to do with the lecture and in fact told Jewish students not to attend. Their equivalent group at University of Toronto did the same. They adopted what I call the shtetl mentality of keeping a low profile, hiding their kippot for those religious Jews that wear them in order not to cause any trouble. I understand the concept of not to incite violence. BTW, it is a Jewish concept. We have to weigh whether the benefit is worth the risk. It should be done on a case by case basis. In this case where we bring in people to inform the students at large, Christian, Muslim, Jews, atheists and others who are simply ignorant of the facts in the Middle East and the ongoing fighting there, I absolutely think that we have no choice. We must do it and support others who do. I know that in my case, I feel an even stronger connection to Israel now and to my brothers and sisters who defend Jews throughout the world. I'm sure others who attended did as well. I thank all those who attended and those who spread the word of what Jews and Israel supporters are facing right here in 2019 in Toronto. The benefits did outweigh the risks!
