Rebel News Podcast - EZRA LEVANT ｜ Is ArriveCAN here to stay？ Canada Border Services signs off on cryptic new press release

00:00:00.000 Are things about to get better at our hellacious Canadian airports anytime soon?

00:00:20.680 Well, in a word, no.

00:00:22.500 It's Friday, August 5th, 2022. I'm David Menzies, and this is the Ezra Levent Show.

00:00:31.180 Shame on you, you censorious bug.

00:00:36.720 So, on Wednesday, a press release from Canada Border Services Agency, CBSA, plopped on my desk.

00:00:53.600 And at first blush, the headline certainly looked promising.

00:00:56.900 Well, that sounds quite jolly now, doesn't it, given that outrageous lineups at Canadian airports, while they're so due rigueur these days, in fact, it's now far beyond annoying and aggravating.

00:01:20.380 The Canadian airport experience is a borderline form of torture.

00:01:26.040 Indeed, as we recently reported, thanks to the various stupefying mandates of the Justin Trudeau Liberals, Toronto Pearson International is the number one airport in the world.

00:01:38.300 Number one when it comes to the most delayed flights.

00:01:42.880 Yes, this dubious achievement is based on data obtained from the flight tracking company FlightAware.

00:01:51.140 The data covers the period of May 26th to July 19th, 2022.

00:01:57.320 Oh, and FlightAware noted Pearson was number four in the world when it comes to cancelled flights.

00:02:05.080 Way to go.

00:02:05.720 Pearson International Airport has been ranked the worst airport in the entire world, sir, in terms of flight delays, fourth worst in the world in terms of cancelled flights.

00:02:15.680 What has been your experience here?

00:02:17.520 I guess I'd say we agree.

00:02:20.660 We're flying through Toronto to get back to Columbus and lost all of our luggage and all of our flights got cancelled.

00:02:26.660 Came in from Reykjavik and my flight to continue on to Saskatoon has been cancelled.

00:02:33.520 So, I'm going to find the Sheraton Hotel where I have a voucher and I also have two $10 meal tickets.

00:02:43.740 What can you get for $10?

00:02:46.460 And after that, I'm going to check in and watch television until I fall asleep.

00:02:51.980 You know, the situation at Pearson and other major Canadian airports is so dire, it is quite literally a matter of life and death.

00:03:01.260 Oh, not for the beleaguered homo sapien travellers, we just endure misery and plenty of it. 0.99

00:03:08.900 Rather, I speak of pets.

00:03:11.220 Remember our story last month about little Winston?

00:03:14.540 This was a rescue dog flown to Toronto from the Dominican Republic by Jenna Butts.

00:03:21.260 Winston probably wished he never left the DR.

00:03:24.140 You see, the airport folks lost the little dog like he was a piece of luggage.

00:03:31.180 By the way, parts of Pearson now resemble the island of lost luggage as hundreds of wayward suitcases pile up.

00:03:38.320 But what made matters worse when it came to Winston is that Jenna says airport and airline staff,

00:03:46.020 well, they didn't seem to care that her dog was lost and famished and thirsty.

00:03:52.060 Check it out.

00:03:52.580 I've seen a lot of people saying, you know, you saved him from the Dominican and then you had to save him from Air Transat as well.

00:03:57.940 Quite literally, the voyage almost killed him.

00:04:00.660 They called me downstairs and the custom woman ripped open his crate and had him with a bowl of water in front of him. 0.99

00:04:08.240 And he was soaking wet in his own pee.

00:04:10.660 And they could have definitely been more empathetic.

00:04:13.280 I was kind of just pushed to the side and nobody was helping me.

00:04:16.760 So I blame Air Transat.

00:04:18.060 But you know what is truly incredible about the dubious achievements of Pearson International?

00:04:24.540 All airports were surveyed by FlightAware, including those airports situated in third world nations.

00:04:33.880 Pearson's record of 57.1% of flights arriving late is inexcusable.

00:04:39.960 And by the way, things were only slightly less ghastly at Montreal Trudeau Airport, with 52.6% of flights being delayed.

00:04:50.280 Indeed, so much for flying the friendly skies, air travel in Canada today resembles the title of one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes,

00:04:59.100 namely Nightmare at 20,000 feet.

00:05:03.000 Not that Liberal cabinet ministers experience delays and cancellations and endless lineups.

00:05:09.640 For them, it's first class and customer service excellence all the way.

00:05:14.240 They are VIPs, after all.

00:05:17.160 They get the royal treatment while slapping down a carbon footprint that is godzillion in size.

00:05:24.600 Indeed, you don't really think Justin Trudeau has to get in line when he, say, buggers off to Costa Rica like he did last week, do you?

00:05:35.380 Hey, they say that Nero fiddled as Rome burned way back when.

00:05:39.640 Today we have a prime minister who surfs and smokes a bong as Canada becomes increasingly dysfunctional.

00:05:46.600 No, seriously, whether it is getting on a plane or renewing one's passport, nothing seems to work properly anymore because so many government employees are apparently still sitting on their fat ricotta cheese candy asses at home as opposed to being on the front lines providing, you know, customer service as opposed to virtual customer service.

00:06:13.340 In fact, that day we visited Pearson International last month, not even the vending machine that dispenses the still mandatory face diapers was working.

00:06:25.980 Well, you know what, folks?

00:06:26.960 My cameraman, Mauricio, was told to put a mask on.

00:06:29.500 He didn't have one.

00:06:30.600 He's directed to the vending machine.

00:06:32.620 And guess what?

00:06:33.960 It's not working.

00:06:35.220 Isn't that just so typical about how things are operating right now at Pearson Toronto International?

00:06:45.040 You can't even pay for an overpriced face diaper without something going wrong.

00:06:50.940 Wow.

00:06:51.540 To quote the ever-loving thing, what a revolting development.

00:06:56.720 Anyway, back to the CSBA press release that seemed to indicate that hope is on the horizon.

00:07:04.440 Here's what it said.

00:07:06.540 Quote,

00:07:07.140 CSBA is constantly exploring innovative ways to deliver a better and faster experience for travellers without compromising the safety and security of Canada's border.

00:07:19.860 To modernize and expedite the travel experience, the CBSA is now providing travellers the option to submit their customs and immigration declaration

00:07:30.780 up to 72 hours in advance of their arrival in Canada through ArriveCat.

00:07:36.540 The advance CBSA declaration optional feature is currently available for international travellers arriving at Toronto Pearson, Montreal Trudeau, and Vancouver International Airports.

00:07:51.880 In the coming months, the optional feature will also become available to travellers arriving at Winnipeg, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, Billy Bishop Toronto City, Ottawa, and Quebec City International Airports.

00:08:05.960 By submitting their customs and immigration information in advance, travellers spend less time at primary inspection kiosks or e-gates when they arrive at the airport, resulting in shorter lineups in arrival halls.

00:08:22.700 End quote.

00:08:23.280 Okay, fair enough, it's something, I suppose.

00:08:27.020 Yet, the more I continued to read this press release, folks, the more annoyed I became for a couple of reasons.

00:08:35.300 Firstly, everyone knows that ArriveCat is a dead dog with fleas. 0.61

00:08:40.840 It is a major source of delays when this pig in a poke is actually working, that is. 0.96

00:08:47.200 But here's the thing, nowhere in the press release does the CBSA announce a retirement date for this unnecessary hunk of junk.

00:08:58.140 I would suggest the vast majority of Canadians who travel desperately want to know when ArriveCat is going to be tossed upon the scrap heap of obsolescence.

00:09:08.560 But no.

00:09:09.380 And so it was that my spidey senses began tingling here.

00:09:14.700 Is ArriveCat here to stay as in forever and ever?

00:09:18.860 Do the Justin Trudeau liberals love the idea of an app that provides them with the personal medical status of Canadians?

00:09:27.640 I think they do.

00:09:28.920 Because they are control freaks.

00:09:31.020 After all, wasn't ArriveCat supposedly to be a temporary measure in terms of dealing with COVID-19?

00:09:39.600 Oh yes, the coronavirus.

00:09:42.080 You see, here's another thing that grinded my gears reading through that CSBA press release.

00:09:48.540 Not once does this agency ever mention COVID-19.

00:09:53.880 Don't you find that odd?

00:09:55.200 After all, it was the pandemic that turned air travel into a god-awful nightmare for all of us in the first place.

00:10:04.160 And while most of the world has returned to a pre-COVID-19 state, well, not so at Canadian airports for reasons that remain unfathomable.

00:10:14.900 But then again, keep in mind that Justin Trudeau is a man who admires the basic dictatorship of China.

00:10:21.740 He actually said that back in 2014 before becoming prime minister.

00:10:27.100 Now, call me an extremist if you must, but I kind of get a sick feeling in my gut when I hear the future leader of a Western democracy saying he admires a communist dictatorship that is becoming increasingly belligerent on the world stage these days.

00:10:44.340 You know, folks, if I ever got a chance to ask one question to the PM, it would be this.

00:10:51.700 With China being ground zero for COVID-19, a virus that has killed millions and caused global economic damage in the trillions of dollars,

00:11:03.680 Mr. Prime Minister, do you still admire China?

00:11:07.820 I think it's a fair question, but don't expect any of the Trudeau-funded mainstream media trained SEALs to utter such an impolite query.

00:11:18.680 One must never bite the hand that feeds, after all.

00:11:22.580 By the way, the day the CSBA release came out, guess who was gushing over this so-called advancement on social media?

00:11:32.000 Well, well, well, it was none other than Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.

00:11:38.260 He had this to say on Twitter, quote,

00:11:40.380 The new advanced declaration feature in the Arrive Can app, now available at Montreal Trudeau Airport, makes submitting your info quicker and easier.

00:11:52.640 Most importantly, it cuts the time spent at the kiosk by a third, end quote.

00:11:59.060 Really? Does anyone believe that? A one-third reduction in wait times?

00:12:05.380 As we've demonstrated in recent weeks, Marco Mendicino is such a compulsive liar, he actually makes sneaky Patrick Brown blush.

00:12:14.920 Mendicino still clings to the outrageous lie that law enforcement agencies asked the federal government to enact the Emergencies Act,

00:12:23.440 even though there's not a single police chief in our great dominion that will confirm this supposed fact.

00:12:30.900 So when Mendicino gets giddy over the supposedly new and improved Arrive Can,

00:12:36.740 sorry, I'm not buying what the right Honourable Pinocchio with a portfolio is selling.

00:12:43.420 After all, this is a shyster who would spit in your face and have the chutzpah to tell you it's actually raining.

00:12:50.860 In any event, earlier today, a press conference was held by Deborah Flint.

00:12:56.940 She's the president and CEO of the Greater Toronto Airport Authority.

00:13:01.180 This is the entity that runs Pearson.

00:13:04.220 And there was a whole lot of blather about future improvements coming to Pearson,

00:13:10.000 hopefully before the second coming of Christ. 0.89

00:13:13.060 The press release issued at the event also bragged about current achievements.

00:13:19.820 I use air quotes there, folks, because one achievement was this, quote,

00:13:23.880 last week across the airport, 44% of all flights were on time, end quote.

00:13:30.880 Wow, 44%, you say?

00:13:34.380 Hey, let's have a ticker tape parade. 0.99

00:13:36.300 You know, if a baseball player was batting 440, he'd be the best slugger in the game since Ted Williams.

00:13:44.800 But for a business to achieve a 44% success rate, sorry, that's a failing grade.

00:13:52.520 In any event, here are the questions I asked Ms. Flint.

00:13:56.820 I thought the queries were clear and concise.

00:13:58.940 As for Ms. Flint's answers, I'm not sure she actually provided any tangible answers.

00:14:06.340 Here, check it out for yourself.

00:14:08.320 Thank you for your time, Ms. Flint.

00:14:09.400 David Menzies with Rebel News.

00:14:11.300 Ms. Flint, on Wednesday, the Canada Border Services Agency issued a press release

00:14:16.140 about alleged improvements to the disastrous Arrive Can app.

00:14:21.020 But the press release was ominous for two reasons, I think.

00:14:23.860 One, there was absolutely no mention when the Arrive Can app is going to be retired.

00:14:30.760 Secondly, there was no mention of COVID, which is the ostensible policy reason for having the Arrive Can app in place in the first place.

00:14:38.760 Therefore, the conclusion is, it looks like the Justin Trudeau Liberals want Arrive Can to be a permanent fixture for Canadian air travel.

00:14:47.320 And my question to you is, are you lobbying this government to get rid of this lousy app so that this airport can finally start to function as it should be?

00:15:01.600 The federal government is responsible for health and security and border screening policies at this airport.

00:15:09.600 We absolutely have a seat at the table with the government to talk about how those policies and practices affect the airport

00:15:17.480 and how we can work more effectively together to improve the passenger experience, to decrease the processing times

00:15:24.980 and to increase the ability for passengers to control their journey.

00:15:29.560 What we've seen along the way is that the health requirements that were previously in the airport,

00:15:35.580 arrival testing taking place here, requirements for employees, that those have been removed.

00:15:43.020 And we've seen an incredible change in the efficacy of processing as a result.

00:15:48.560 As I shared earlier, I believe that the future can be more digitally enabled.

00:15:53.480 I will say that I am pleased to see that the Arrive Can has been adapted to include the customs arrival function

00:16:01.320 so that it eliminates the time that an individual is spending at a kiosk in the airport.

00:16:08.460 The individual did not use to spend time at a kiosk in the airport doing that function.

00:16:12.360 It used to be filled out on paper, and not that that was a great solution,

00:16:16.420 but it kept it out of the airport processing space and function.

00:16:20.780 So with that addition, we've seen a significant reduction in processing time with the adaptation of those mobile tools.

00:16:28.200 What the mobile tools in the future are remains to be seen.

00:16:32.160 But what I'm advocating for is the airport of the future to be digitally equipped with mobile-enabled tools,

00:16:38.580 biometric tools, and modern screening functions.

00:16:41.760 Pearson is the absolute worst airport in the entire world in terms of delayed flights.

00:16:48.520 You're the fourth worst for cancellations.

00:16:50.400 What's really troubling is this report includes data for airports that are situated in third-world countries.

00:16:58.320 In addition, the lineups here are outrageous.

00:17:01.020 There are literally tons of lost luggage.

00:17:03.160 There are people who have had their animals almost die due to dehydration because they got lost.

00:17:08.320 Not that it seems that the staff here cares about that.

00:17:11.680 My question is, because Pearson is a mismanaged mess and an international laughingstock,

00:17:19.020 has any GTAA employees been fired?

00:17:23.640 Or indeed, Ms. Flint, have you even considered tendering your resignation?

00:17:28.520 I am joined here by a representative group of people that reflect the unwavering commitment to make this airport better.

00:17:38.000 Everything that you've said about the passenger experience here, I take to heart.

00:17:44.560 I take accountability.

00:17:46.520 I am deeply committed to making sure that the passengers have a great and reliable experience.

00:17:53.220 And as I've led the airport to be one of the top airports in the world,

00:17:56.680 I'm committed to making sure that we rise back to that status once again.

00:18:02.000 Toronto Pearson is very unique.

00:18:03.940 And this is not uniquely to Toronto Pearson.

00:18:08.740 We are in a significant transitionary environment coming out of a global pandemic.

00:18:13.920 A global pandemic that's quite not over as of yet.

00:18:16.920 And so we're working through those issues.

00:18:19.280 We have an incredible strength in leadership in the industry.

00:18:23.720 One that is going to give us the confidence that we can move this airport back forward.

00:18:28.100 But the strengths of being the sixth most internationally connected airport in the world and the complexity that comes along with that.

00:18:35.360 Two borders within our airport facilities being the largest airport in Canada.

00:18:42.480 These are all significant strengths for the future, but they are also challenges in the immediate.

00:18:47.600 When I think the stories will be told that we rose from the most challenging situation of airports across the world back to the greatest heights.

00:18:56.720 And I'm committed to making sure that happens.

00:18:59.580 You know, folks, I think Miss Flint is potential Liberal Party of Canada material here. 0.91

00:19:05.060 You know, blather on forever without actually saying anything.

00:19:09.640 There is no planet blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

00:19:13.160 By the way, here's an excerpt of Miss Flint's bio, quote, at GTAA, Deborah began her leadership at the onset of the global pandemic and has led Pearson to being globally recognized and awarded for its healthy airport program, end quote.

00:19:33.900 So there we have it, folks.

00:19:35.740 Welcome to Justin Trudeau's new and improved Canada.

00:19:38.980 You run the worst airport in the world and you get an award.

00:19:44.820 Talk about failing upward.

00:19:47.480 Don't know about you, but I think it will be months, maybe years before things finally get back to normal at the airport. 0.97

00:19:57.060 Because the folks in charge and their political puppet masters, well, folks, they simply don't give a rodent's rectum.

00:20:08.980 The Jewish-Russian community center is located in North Toronto, but on several occasions recently, video surveillance indicated that an individual was trying to break into the center. 0.87

00:20:31.220 While he damaged the building's front facade, he never was able to actually break in.

00:20:37.720 Perhaps the man was motivated by anti-Semitism or maybe he was just a garden variety thief who reckoned there were valuables to pilfer from inside the building.

00:20:48.060 But here's the real story, folks.

00:20:50.760 When Rabbi Shmuel Neft reported these incidents to the police, incredibly, the cops at 32 Division, they simply couldn't be bothered to take this matter seriously.

00:21:03.720 But why?

00:21:05.300 And joining me now is Rabbi Neft for more on this story.

00:21:09.280 Hey there, Rabbi.

00:21:10.020 How are you doing?

00:21:11.460 Good to see you, David.

00:21:12.200 Great.

00:21:12.880 So first things first, in the beginning of your quest for justice, as I understand it, you were put on hold for more than two hours.

00:21:23.280 Is that correct?

00:21:25.360 Yeah.

00:21:25.620 So when we finally got a hold of the security footage that showed the incident, which was, by the way, the third of a series of incidents, second break-in, but a third incident involving the same individual.

00:21:41.720 By the way, she's a woman, apparently. 1.00

00:21:44.400 The police called me back today and told me they found who it is.

00:21:49.200 But we'll get to that.

00:21:50.040 So I found the footage, I was ready to hand it over to the police, and I called as soon as we were able to download it, I called 32 Division to the non-emergency hotline.

00:22:00.320 And yes, as you said, I stayed on hold for just about two hours.

00:22:04.700 I managed to pray in the afternoon services and evening services, as well as go out to dinner with a community member, all while on hold with the Toronto Police Service.

00:22:14.720 Unbelievable. And then when you actually got to speak to them, I understand they were very nonchalant about what was happening. Is that correct?

00:22:25.280 The truth is, is that I never really reached them in a direct way.

00:22:29.120 I gave up at about 10, that was last Thursday, the 27th of July, I pretty much gave up on the phone call and drove to 32 Division, which is not so far away, on Yonge Street, and thinking that I would be able to get their attention in person.

00:22:48.080 And I was basically told that, number one, that the system that they have is that non-emergency reports go exclusively through the phone line, the hotline, emergency things obviously go through 911, and they couldn't do anything for me there at the scene.

00:23:10.780 And basically, so before I was trying to be a little stubborn, so I was trying to maybe see if I could do anything, I said, you know, I was on hold for two hours.

00:23:22.680 Yeah, we know, you might be on hold for two hours, three hours, four hours.

00:23:25.860 I said, why is that?

00:23:27.040 He said, frankly, well, we're understaffed right now, which is mind-blowing.

00:23:32.660 And basically, yeah, 10.30 at night, he said, get back on the phone, wait until they answer, and then you'll be able to report the crime.

00:23:42.680 And that's when I decided I'm going to take other measures in trying to get the attention of the police department.

00:23:49.300 And Rabbi Neft, I can understand why you would be sensitive to this kind of attempted break-in at your community centre.

00:23:57.320 We were talking off camera, you came to Toronto from New York, and of course, my producer, Naya Efren, we went down to New York in 2019 when there was a horrible spike in anti-Semitism.

00:24:09.800 It would be people basically looking like you, walking down the street, minding their own business and getting sucker-punched, or worse.

00:24:15.520 And of course, your hometown, Pittsburgh, in 2018, that was the scene of that horrible synagogue attack there.

00:24:24.680 So, when someone is coming, perhaps even weaponized, we don't know, you can't tell from the footage, it is cause for concern.

00:24:34.560 And quite frankly, I'm scratching my head why the police were so nonchalant about this.

00:24:41.460 Right. So, I'm saying, ultimately, you could tell by the footage that, you know, this wasn't a hate crime.

00:24:47.180 We have to be real with ourselves. What is a hate crime? What is not a hate crime?

00:24:50.420 Hate crimes are not rare anymore in the city of Toronto and its surrounding areas. Let's start with that.

00:24:56.520 I could, you could, the level-headed observer could see that this was an attempted theft.

00:25:02.920 And the police department called me, the inspector, chief, lead inspector of 32 Division.

00:25:07.580 By the way, I have to make mention that after all the noise we made, 32 Division was on the job, on ball.

00:25:14.040 The detectives calling me almost daily, updating me. I called, I have a, you know, I have a lead detective's personal cell phone number.

00:25:21.640 We were in touch about things throughout the week.

00:25:24.300 And then when I finally found footage of the first and second incidents with this individual, the next day, I called him that night, Wednesday night, Thursday, yesterday.

00:25:32.140 I had an officer right, bright and early to come pick up that footage.

00:25:34.960 So they've been on the ball ever since we made a lot of noise.

00:25:38.240 But like, like you said, David, we, we don't take these things lightly.

00:25:42.000 This is a, this is a, this is not a community center.

00:25:44.100 This is a, well, this is not just a community center.

00:25:46.040 It happens to be a synagogue.

00:25:46.940 This is a, this is the heart of the, of the local Jewish community.

00:25:49.720 Um, and look, historically Jews have a longstanding trauma, uh, of, of feeling vulnerable throughout history before we, you know, in, in, in the old countries, uh, whether it was in Europe or whether it was in the Middle East, Jews were mistreated all over.

00:26:06.920 And, you know, coming to Canada and coming to North America in general, but especially Canada, which is, which is always a place where people, you know, other Canadians tell me that Canada is better than the United States of America.

00:26:20.880 You know, I'm American, so I'll stay out of the conversation, but people say, you know, it's safer in Canada.

00:26:25.820 It's, there's, there's, there's better amenities in Canada.

00:26:28.540 There's better protection in Canada.

00:26:29.960 Well, look, the Jewish community lives in Canada and they're starting to feel that, they're starting to get, you know, a little feeling of that same vulnerability they had, right?

00:26:39.220 Especially we, you know, JRCC stands for Jewish Russian Community Center.

00:26:43.040 We, we work primarily with Russian speaking Jews, people who grew up, at least the older generation already, grew up under the thumb of the KGB.

00:26:53.880 They, their upbringing was, there's, the police are not for you.

00:26:58.160 The police are against you.

00:26:59.380 That was the existence of the police back then.

00:27:01.500 They come to Canada. 0.99

00:27:02.740 The police, they, they, they, they, they're taught that the police are supposed to protect them.

00:27:06.320 And they, they feel even, even a little bit, but the, a breach in this, in this feeling of protection.

00:27:11.520 And that starts to spark up all of those old traumas again.

00:27:15.720 Are we really protected?

00:27:17.420 Is this really our home?

00:27:18.980 Are we really safe here?

00:27:20.700 So it's, so yeah, my, our case, obviously, you know, attempted theft, but this person was, came here once.

00:27:29.380 Came here twice and came here three times.

00:27:31.320 They were targeting the synagogue for whatever, you know, whatever was inside, whatever she wanted to get.

00:27:36.140 And, and, and a very, at least superficial level, we, you know, would feel this lack of, of attention from those who we felt, at least.

00:27:46.380 And now, you know, we, now, you know, you know, you know, like I said, they were on the ball, but then we were feeling vulnerable.

00:27:52.160 I, I, I said to the officer at 32 Division, I said, you're sending me home now and I have to go to bed thinking that this person is going to come back another time.

00:28:01.860 And now this, now this person has smartened up and knows what works and what doesn't work.

00:28:05.240 So then when she actually gets into the building and starts stealing things and runs out and I find out about it, so she's already way gone with all of my stuff.

00:28:13.580 Then I'm going to call you.

00:28:14.700 Then you're going to come a little faster.

00:28:15.800 And then you're only going to, only then you're going to take care of it.

00:28:17.860 And that, you know, that's, that, that's, that's, that's no way to live.

00:28:21.980 We're not in Chicago.

00:28:22.960 We're not in Detroit.

00:28:23.620 We're not in, we're not in New York.

00:28:24.880 We're in Toronto.

00:28:27.380 Well, you know, Rabbi Neft, I'm glad at least the police, as you said, are now treating this more seriously than the beginning.

00:28:35.620 But I want to talk to you about another issue.

00:28:37.900 And it seems to be the double standard when it comes to hate crimes or alleged hate crimes.

00:28:43.620 A few years ago, it might have been just before you moved to Toronto, Rabbi.

00:28:47.320 We had a Muslim schoolgirl who claimed that her hijab had been shredded by a man with scissors, an Asian man.

00:28:57.540 And that story would later become known as the hijab hoax.

00:29:01.620 It never happened.

00:29:03.360 And yet, look at the reaction.

00:29:06.100 You had a press conference set up by the Toronto District School Board.

00:29:10.620 You had a who's who in certain circles coming to attend that.

00:29:16.260 You had the prime minister himself flying into Toronto to denounce Islamophobia.

00:29:21.380 And it was all false.

00:29:22.780 And when it was revealed it was false, the narrative was, well, yeah, it wasn't true, but it could have been true.

00:29:29.420 So that's why we should still take this seriously.

00:29:32.600 It was quite perverse.

00:29:33.520 But here's an example of something caught on video.

00:29:37.040 It's not a falsehood.

00:29:38.860 It is someone clearly trying to break in.

00:29:41.180 And it seems to be a nothing burger.

00:29:43.220 Why is that, sir?

00:29:49.180 Canadian culture, as far as I've observed, as somewhat of an outsider on the inside, there's this hesitancy to offend people.

00:30:03.620 Canadians don't like offending people.

00:30:05.300 And I can see that those that are, you know, those that have the power also don't want to offend people.

00:30:10.460 And that's exacerbated by the fact that the people they're afraid of offending, they know will make a big stink out of even the most minor thing.

00:30:19.620 Right. So, you know, if a bunch of anti-Semitic pro-Palestinian protesters rock up to a Jewish business like they did last month in Thornhill,

00:30:31.380 those same people will criticize the police who came and responded as being Islamophobic for getting in their way.

00:30:38.600 Right. And so so this this this sort of pleasing the the the the loud the loud crowd is what's kind of happening.

00:30:48.300 And you see it. I'm saying the thing is, is you're not going to you will not ever see in this city or pretty much anywhere else.

00:30:56.340 Jews rioting, you know, Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter style because they're being, you know, because they're being under underhanded by their by the by their by their governments.

00:31:08.000 That doesn't happen. And everyone knows that we're not that kind of people. 0.55

00:31:11.480 We're not a victim. We're not a victim mentality people. We're people that that adapts.

00:31:17.240 Sometimes we have to adapt with force. And that's why you have the modern state of Israel that has a strong army.

00:31:21.920 And that, as you said today in the news, Israel is being now attacked in response to their preemptive attack, knowing that someone's going to attack them.

00:31:28.980 And yet they're, you know, they're going to be they're the ones that that are being that are being shamed for it.

00:31:34.240 So everyone knows that it's not it's not that it's not just it's not the Jewish mentality to play victim. 0.86

00:31:39.160 And therefore, we're we're you could say that we're a bit push pushovery.

00:31:43.100 So if it's between offending someone that's the pro-Palestinian protester, that's going to make a big scene that that the that the police are are are are Islamophobic or the Jews that are going to you are going to, as we say, catch about it.

00:31:57.100 And maybe they'll put up maybe they'll put pressure in other ways, but they're not going to scream and yell and break windows and things.

00:32:02.340 So that's where they go for. And you see that, obviously, in this in the city.

00:32:05.560 You see it with like like you said, in that incident that happened before I moved or you had it in the in the incident in Thornhill a few weeks ago last month.

00:32:12.500 You have it. You have the you know, all these all these incidents that involve hate against the Jewish community.

00:32:17.800 You see that that there that that the the police are trying to please those that are going to make more noise.

00:32:27.800 No, I like what you said earlier, Rabbi, the loud crowd.

00:32:32.080 I mean, I'm I'm thinking back to I think it was May of last year, 2021, and we covered it was pro-Palestinian demonstrators who converged on City Hall.

00:32:42.660 They were climbing the arches of Nathan Phillips Square, incredibly dangerous, and they were allowed free reign.

00:32:49.920 And some of them actually went and beat up Jewish counter protesters.

00:32:54.640 And in the meantime, freedom protesters, people against the lockdowns and the covid-19 mandates, they were violently physically arrested at nearby Yonge Dundas Square, which became a no man's land for some reason.

00:33:11.040 And again, it speaks to, I think, the outrageous double standard that we're seeing.

00:33:17.740 And it's downright shameful.

00:33:21.360 Last question goes to you, Rabbi.

00:33:23.680 Where do we go from here?

00:33:25.280 Obviously, you're, I guess, keeping a keen eye on the video surveillance, but is maybe law enforcement doing drive by surveillance, what have you, to see if they can catch this culprit?

00:33:36.640 Well, there's a lot.

00:33:37.380 There's a lot to say to answer this question.

00:33:38.920 First, I want to make, there's, there's, there, you have to give, we have to give a lot of credit where credit is due.

00:33:43.680 Number one, the federal government of Canada, with the help of our now former MP, Michael Levitt, gave us a security grant, a large, sizable security grant, which allowed us to have multiple cameras that caught this guy in the, in the act from, or this lady in the act from multiple angles, as well as kept the door shut.

00:34:03.160 Right?

00:34:03.740 Those doors were impenetrable for her.

00:34:05.500 She couldn't get through them, although if you look at the way she was trying to do it, it was not really the smartest way, but either way.

00:34:10.080 So, we, you know, we have to, we have to give credit where credit is due to our local MPP, Michael Kersner, who was, even though on vacation, he was on the phone with me, keeping tabs and introduced me to some, some people that can help and is also committed to taking this further.

00:34:25.960 We have to, you know, we have to, we have to, we have to resort to being in touch with private Jewish organizations that were willing to both advocate on our behalf, as well as, you know, provide volunteers to do, to do patrols around here. 0.88

00:34:52.060 And it's, it's unfortunate it has to come to that, that we have to have our own organizations doing things to protect us, to protect us.

00:35:01.480 You know, I've been in close contact with the police department.

00:35:04.120 They told me that they will be increasing, they have been and will be increasing patrols in the area.

00:35:11.840 And, you know, we had, we had some frank conversations, myself, the detective, the lead detective, about, you know, what we can do in order to, to mend this and to strengthen this relationship.

00:35:22.480 Because, frankly, David, we love the police.

00:35:25.860 I, like I said, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm born and bred Midwest.

00:35:29.660 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is, is blue collar.

00:35:32.320 And we were, we were brought up with this principle that the police are good.

00:35:39.260 We like the police, but we want a strong police.

00:35:42.440 We want a police that is reliable, that can protect us.

00:35:45.540 And we, I want to see the same thing here.

00:35:48.580 I want, I, I, I believe we should have an active, fully staffed, fully budgeted police force that is reliable, that has no holes in the system, no glitches in the system.

00:36:00.940 And look, it took this, this situation for us to learn something.

00:36:06.300 And, and, and a lot of times, you know, we learn, we learn from our experiences and I've, you know, I, this, this, this really, you know, riled me up enough that I really feel a responsibility to, to continue advocating, continue with the conversation with those that have an influence in the situation.

00:36:23.800 I, I, I personally want to, you know, want to push the, the city government to look into how three music festivals with hundreds of thousands of people were permitted, were given permits to happen on the same weekend, thereby stretching an already underfunded and understaffed police force.

00:36:42.480 Why did this have to happen and what we can do in order to prevent it from happening again for anybody?

00:36:47.800 This should be a safe city for all its residents, not just the Jewish community.

00:36:53.680 And also we take, we take these things very sensitively in the Jewish community and with regards to protection of Jewish community assets and people in the Jewish community, we're also in, you know, continuing the conversation about security for our community.

00:37:07.400 And in general, we're just, we're continuing the conversation.

00:37:10.940 We just want to do whatever we can.

00:37:12.980 I want to do whatever I can in order to make the city a better, a better and safer place for all of its residents.

00:37:17.800 Well, Rabbi Neff, in closing two points, one, I think maybe the police should take away, should reassign those police officers in High Park, giving speeding tickets to bicyclists.

00:37:30.100 A, I don't think that's a top priority thing.

00:37:33.080 And B, I'm so happy to hear that ex-liberal MP Michael Levitt is doing something positive for the Jewish community.

00:37:39.080 The last time I saw him, I asked him a question, should the Canadian embassy be in Jerusalem?

00:37:45.560 He looked at me like Bambi looking into the high beams of a Hummer on the 401 and took a bow with silence.

00:37:53.080 And so, you know, you know, we, we, we, we love Michael.

00:37:56.560 Okay.

00:37:57.300 Very clear.

00:37:58.200 There's only one, there's only one party in this, in this country whose platform includes recognizing Jerusalem as the eternal capital of the Jewish people.

00:38:06.900 And I don't think it was the same party that Michael served with, but Michael is an incredible individual.

00:38:11.680 Okay, then I'll, I'll, I'll take your word for it.

00:38:13.960 Rabbi, thank you so much for your time.

00:38:16.140 And you have yourself a great evening, my friend.

00:38:19.060 You as well.

00:38:19.640 Well, folks, a lot of response came in regarding my interview yesterday with Chris Soda.

00:38:36.480 He's the Windsor resident who is hoping to run for council in Ward 2 at the city of Windsor.

00:38:42.840 And he was originally told that unless he was fully vaccinated, he would not be allowed to run as a candidate.

00:38:53.160 Absolutely unbelievable.

00:38:55.720 In any event, Sean 1973 writes,

00:38:58.960 The reason for the jab is most likely to keep the rebels and conservatives out of the political realm.

00:39:07.720 They want yes people in office. 0.89

00:39:10.120 Those who got the jab are most likely to be bought.

00:39:13.940 You know, I agree with you 100%, sir.

00:39:16.440 But here's the slippery slope argument.

00:39:18.280 If you're telling political candidates they're not allowed to run unless fully vaccinated, well, what's next?

00:39:26.740 Telling citizens they can't vote if they're not fully vaccinated?

00:39:31.820 Yeah, I'm sure certain political types would like that kind of stipulation enacted on us as well.

00:39:40.320 Too much for air, writes.

00:39:43.020 Windsor just became the looniest city in Canada.

00:39:46.880 Well, in fairness, when Chris raised a stink about this, the policy was reviewed and he will be allowed to run in Ward 2 in Windsor this fall, even in his typhoid Mary state. 0.93

00:40:02.480 But here's the thing.

00:40:03.620 Should he win, he will have to attend city council meetings via Zoom or Skype.

00:40:11.180 He's not going to be allowed to come into City Hall.

00:40:14.800 It is unbelievable.

00:40:16.000 Why enforce such a stigma on this man?

00:40:20.260 Should he become the victor?

00:40:21.680 Why demonize and vilify the unvaccinated?

00:40:25.180 It just gets worse and worse.

00:40:27.700 Well, folks, thank you so much for tuning in to tonight's edition of the Ezra Levent show.

00:40:33.500 The big boss man, he'll be back on Monday.

00:40:36.280 Have a fantastic weekend.

00:40:38.140 And never forget, stay sane.

00:40:40.380 This is Juan Mendoza reporting for Rebel News.

00:40:46.140 Well, good morning.

00:40:47.020 Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference on August 5th in West Palm Beach announcing the appointment of Judge Renata Francis to be in the Florida Supreme Court.

00:40:58.680 Beginning of September for our next Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, Judge Renata Francis.

00:41:06.600 She will be filling up the vacancy left by Al Lawson.

00:41:14.680 Former Florida Supreme Court Justice Al Lawson announced his retirement earlier this year.

00:41:19.580 So Justice Francis will be taking over his spot and will start in September 1st of this year.

00:41:26.220 You can do great things.

00:41:28.920 You can realize great dreams if you put your mind to it, if you work hard, and if you believe in the principles that make our country what it is and what we're trying to continue it to be here in our state.

00:41:41.780 And so I think she'll be emblematic of that.

00:41:44.820 This comes a day after Governor Ron DeSantis announced the suspension of State Attorney Andrew Warren for refusing to uphold Florida law.

00:41:55.260 When you depart from the rule of law, like we've seen with a lot of these prosecutors, like look at San Francisco.

00:42:02.440 You know, the wealthy people still voted to keep that prosecutor in.

00:42:06.740 Why?

00:42:07.740 Because all the chaos that was unleashed by the insane policies, those were falling on the shoulders of working class communities. 0.64

00:42:16.340 They were falling on the shoulders of communities that couldn't necessarily retreat behind gates and private protection.

00:42:25.760 And so when you have the rule of law, the people that that benefits the most are those that may not have power on their own, that may not have big institutions lined up behind them.

00:42:55.760 Let's say you.

00:42:56.740 You're forced to establish a local government that just wanted to charge the constitution, and you can't imagine

Rebel News Podcast - August 06, 2022

EZRA LEVANT ｜ Is ArriveCAN here to stay？ Canada Border Services signs off on cryptic new press release

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