Illustrative Israeli police at the scene of a terror attack in Tel Aviv. Photo: Reuters/Amir Cohen

A Canadian nonprofit promoting impartial coverage of Israel is calling for an investigation of a Canadian elementary school teacher who allegedly wrote social media posts glorifying Palestinian terrorism and denying Israel’s right to exist.

In an open letter to Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), HonestReporting Canada (HRC) claimed that the teacher, Abeer Mousa, said in a Facebook post that Palestinian women groom their children to accept violence as a means of political action, “as it is the only way to liberate the land and get rid of enemies.”

The concerning social activity goes back five years, HRC explained, noting that Mousa in 2018 lionized Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Dalal Mughrabi, who coordinated in 1978 the Coastal Road Massacre, which killed 38 Israelis, including thirteen children.

“She walked steadily towards the land that she dreamed of walking in her paths one day, and infiltrated with no fear to achieve her dream…and inscribe her name on the pages of history in the name of that love…That woman is Dalal Mughrabi…#theanniversaryofDalalMughrabi’s martyrdom,” she wrote. Three year earlier, Mousa said in response to a Palestinian’s murder of a 19 year old Israeli Defense Forces soldier, “And hopefully also his father, his family, and his entire people. May Allah burn them.”

Last month, HRC reported their findings to the Ottawa-Carleton District. A review of the content, which has since been deleted from the internet because Mousa has allegedly deactivated her social media accounts, will not happen until September, HRC said.

“While we appreciate that OCDSB has agreed to conduct a review, nevertheless, we think it’s unreasonable that such a review will have to wait two full months till September,” HRC said on Tuesday. “Given the serious nature of this matter and the considerable resources at the OCDSB’s disposal, we expect (and Canada’s Jewish community deserves) a prompt and formal investigation that is conducted with alacrity and transparency. Failing which, it’s not unreasonable for Canada’s Jewish community to draw the conclusion that our concerns are being ignored, met with unnecessary delay, and that that OCDSB is kicking the can down the road as it relates addressing this issue.”

Antisemitic incidents in Canada remain historically high, according to an annual audit issued in April by B’nai Brith Canada, a Jewish rights advocacy group. Nearly eight antisemitic incidents occurred every day in 2022, the group said, with 74 percent of those counted occurring online. Additionally, there were 404 incidents of vandalism, a 54 percent increase from 2021, and incidents in Ontario saw a 64 percent spike. Notable incidents in Ottawa, the capital city of the province, include a politician’s demanding that his Jewish neighbors answer for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and middle school students pantomiming a Nazi salute in class.

Last July, the Government of Ontario announced two new education programs on Monday to address growing antisemitism in Canadian public schools. Minister of Education Stephen Lecce said that the $327,000 initiative is an investment to “help us combat antisemitism in our homes, in our schools, and in communities right across Ontario.” The programs, “Unpacking Intolerance: Equity and Diversity Training for Educators” and “Tour for Humanity Virtual Summer Camp,” will be supported by the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC).

Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.