York Regional Police have arrested a man who appeared to be holding a nail gun while attacking pro-Palestinian protesters as two groups clashed outside a Thornhill synagogue Sunday morning.
Police said no injuries were reported. A 27-year-old Vaughan man has been charged with possession of weapons dangerous to the public, assault with a weapon, mischief and two counts of assault.
Pro-Palestinian groups gathered outside the Aish Hatorah synagogue as it was hosting a travelling Israeli real estate presentation. They were met by a counterprotest promoted by the former leader of the Canadian chapter of a far-right extremist group called the Jewish Defense League.
In an online video of the incident viewed by the Star, a man is seen pointing a nail gun at pro-Palestinian protesters, shoving and smacking those nearest to him. Later in the video another man points to a mark on his jacket and claims he was shot with a nail there.
Protest organizers had called for demonstrators to gather at the synagogue to stand “against the illegal selling of Palestinian land.” However, this seems to have been a reference to a separate event planned for Thursday at another synagogue. Promotional materials for that event say it will provide advice on real estate sales in both Israel and illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. There’s no indication that Sunday’s presentation addressed the West Bank.Â
Protest organizers told the Star that while they could have been clearer in distinguishing between the two events, ultimately, they believe all Israeli land is stolen and any attempt at selling it is worthy of protest.
The protest at the synagogue comes at a time of increasing concern from the Jewish community that pro-Palestinian demonstrations amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war are targeting Jewish establishments to intimidate them. Protesters strongly deny any antisemitic intent and say their activism and civil disobedience is aimed at Israel, not Jews.
Aish Hatorah Rabbi Avram Rothman told the Star in an interview Sunday that he strongly condemns the man who brandished the nail gun.
“I’m embarrassed to have heard that such a thing happened,” he said. “We’re a pro-Israel institution but we are open-minded, fair people. We can have discussions with people. For someone to bring a weapon like that, it’s certainly wrong to do.”
Rothman said while the news that protesters were coming to the synagogue was frightening to some of Aish Hatorah’s membership, which he said includes Holocaust survivors and people in their eighties, he supports the right to protest.
“They want to express they feel the Palestinians have been abused. I see no reason why they shouldn’t be able to express that,” he said. “I don’t expect that just because they disagree with me they shouldn’t be able to express themselves.”
With files from Nawa TahirÂ
