NDP candidate Sarah Jama following her victory in the byelection for the Hamilton Centre seat in Ontario’s provincial parliament. Photo: Twitter

Jewish organizations in Canada have expressed concern following the election of an activist accused of making antisemitic comments to Ontario’s provincial parliament.

Sarah Jama — a 28-year-old disability and housing rights activist — won an overwhelming victory in Thursday’s byelection for the Hamilton Centre seat in Ontario as a candidate for the left-wing New Democratic Party (NDP).

In the run-up to the election, Jewish groups highlighted her record of allegedly antisemitic remarks concerning Israel. According to B’nai Brith Canada, Jama is a supporter of the movement to subject Israel to a regime of “boycotts, divestment and sanctions” (BDS).

Video has been circulating of a speech Jama delivered at a May 2021 rally in downtown Toronto during the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Standing in front of signs denouncing Israel as an “apartheid” state and declaring “Zionists you will see, Palestine will be free,” Jama accused police in Hamilton of “protecting Nazism” and targeting “Black Muslim Palestinians, saying we don’t have the right to push to exist.”

On another occasion, Jama described Israel as an “illegitimate country,” asserting that the “same people will continue to fund the killing of people here, locally, and globally,” apparently referring to Jews, the National Post reported.

Prior to the election, B’nai Brith had called on NDP leader Marit Stiles to withdraw Jama’s candidacy, despite the likely cost to the party in the form of a seat.

“We realize that, with the byelection imminent and slated for March 16, withdrawing Ms. Jama’s candidacy would mean that the ONDP would likely lose the seat,” B’nai Brith CEO Michael Mostyn said earlier this week. “Nonetheless, Ms. Stiles needs to do the principled thing. There should be no room in the Legislature for a member whose demonizing of the Jewish state will only lead to more hate aimed at Jews in Ontario.”

Jama attempted to soothe relations with the Jewish community following her victory. “I pledge to speak out against antisemitism and show up for the community when I am needed,” she said.

Noah Shack,  vice president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), told broadcaster CBC said that Jama’s outreach was an “important first step” but added that her “actions will speak louder than words.”

Jama’s comments were “seriously concerning” and had a “significant harmful impact,” Shack emphasized.