WARMINGTON: Chow ‘wore black’ to mourn these misplaced Oct. 7

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Discuss a black mark.

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Saying “it doesn’t matter” that she didn’t attend the Oct. 7 vigil to honour these slain by the hands of Hamas as a result of she “wore black” all the day, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has now boxed herself right into a nook.

There’s simply too many tales, spins and unfathomable narratives to depend.

She had already tried saying she didn’t obtain the invitation from the United Jewish Enchantment Federation (UJA) that everyone else did, that the e-mail might have been “spammed,” that her employees are who direct her the place to go, that she was in a motorbike lanes assembly in Etobicoke and that she was “exhausted” and he or she wasn’t certain she may make it anyway as a result of issues ran late in a gathering at that ended 5:30 p.m.

Usually it’s three strikes and also you’re out. Chow retains lacking so many pitches it’s tough to maintain monitor.

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When questioned by CP24 morning hosts Jennifer Hsiung and Nick Dickson on why she didn’t get to the candlelight ceremony that drew tens of hundreds of mourners, Chow mentioned the next:

“On the finish of the day, it doesn’t matter. On Monday, I wore black all the day, even a lot of the weekend, as a result of mourning the loss was prime of thoughts … I depend on my employees to inform me the place I’m going … I apologize to the Jewish group and can do higher.”

That is akin to telling somebody that you just skipped a funeral however wore black the entire day whereas attempting to additionally say you didn’t know in regards to the funeral since you didn’t get discover of it. By saying she was carrying black on Oct. 7 and by saying in a press release there can be vigils, it’s unfathomable to recommend she wasn’t conscious of this huge gathering on the UJA’s Sherman campus.

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Whereas odd and insulting, it received stranger.

“I simply depend on my employees to inform me the place I’m going. And by late night, once I completed it (on the Crooked Cue), I believed, ‘Hmm, that is it? So, then I’ll not have made it anyway.”

Former Toronto mayor John Tory made it, so did Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca.

Mentioned Chow: “But it surely’s neither right here nor there. I remorse it not with the ability to be there. I apologize to the Jewish group and can do higher.”

There’s a lot work to do there. But it surely has begun, says the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

“Following loads of discuss in regards to the situation with others however not with us, we’re happy to listen to that the mayor intends to write down a proper letter to Jewish group to apologize for her absence at our Oct. 7 commemoration occasion and her workplace has confirmed a gathering with CIJA and UJA within the subsequent few weeks,” CIJA Ontario Vice President Michelle Inventory mentioned.

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“Whereas an apology is a begin to rebuild the connection with the group, what we want greater than phrases is significant motion to scale back hate crimes in opposition to the Jewish group on this metropolis, which we look ahead to discussing along with her,” she mentioned. “The Jewish group deserves to really feel supported and guarded by the mayor.”

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Canadian Ladies In opposition to Anti-Semitism added they’re “deeply disenchanted” however “not stunned” since “antisemitic incidents have skyrocketed throughout Toronto, the mayor has constantly handed the buck … she has the facility to carry civility, peace and respectful dialogue again to our city. As an alternative, she appears to go for performative shows that depart the residents of Toronto questioning whether or not she is working for our metropolis or just enjoying dress-up.”

Chow usually wears clothes that represents the occasion she is attending. However this time she mentioned she wore the suitable apparel whereas not attending.

All of Chow’s lame excuses can be troubling from anyone however are notably untenable coming from an elected mayor.

jwarmington@postmedia.com

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