About 300 Jews and Israelis rallied to support a 13-year-old Israeli boy, who is suffering from bullying and anti-Semitic harassment by Muslim students at a public school in the suburbs of Toronto. The school administration refused to take action against the disturbing children, despite repeated requests from the parents.
The events began in November, when three Muslim students told the Israeli boy that they “want to do to him what Hamas did to Israel.” Since then the boy has suffered from continuous bullying, despite his parents’ efforts to get the school to act.
The boy’s family members asked for the support of the Jewish community, and indeed, hundreds responded positively by many who came to accompany the boy from his home to the “Fivewood” school in North York.
The boy’s mother, Adi Cohen, said that the first incident occurred in November 2023, when her son Eitan was surrounded by three children in the school yard. They pushed him and said they wanted to “do to him what Hamas did to Israel.”
Cohen added that the principal saw the incident and broke up the fight, but told the boy that she did not hear what the Muslim students said to him. Despite this, the harassment continued and the students continued to threaten and insult Eitan.
On the soccer field in December, the harassing kids kicked Eitan and cursed him with anti-Semitic words. Over the past few months, the harassment has also included facial expressions, obscene movements and rude names. Last Thursday, during recess, the two Muslim children spat on Eitan and threw stones and sticks at him.
The principal of the school, Katia Robles, sent a letter to the parents in which she addressed the accusations. “On Thursday, we were informed that a small group of students threw stones at various times during the day. No physical injuries were reported to us. We are fully investigating the events to better understand what happened and ensure that all relevant information is gathered. Student safety is our top priority.” , the letter said.
The Cohen family hired lawyers in March with the intention of filing a lawsuit against the Toronto District School Board, the principal, vice principal and superintendent. Members of the Jewish community in the area said that the harassment of the boy has been going on for months and receives support from teachers who draw “the horrors of Palestine” in art classes. After the children were attacked on their way to school, community members decided to accompany them for protection.
Jewish residents of the neighborhood said that the harassment of the Israeli boy has been going on for months and is supported by teachers, who in art class draw the “atrocities of Palestine”. “After the Muslims threw stones at the children on their way to school, the Jews of the neighborhood decided to accompany the children to keep them safe. There is a limit and we must wake up,” said the local Jewish community.
The incident is not an isolated case in Canada. In the city of Fredericton, a 14-year-old Israeli girl was attacked About two weeks ago by a Muslim student, who brutally beat her as “revenge for what Israel is doing to Palestinian children in Gaza”. The mother said that she took her daughter to the clinic due to the bruises and swelling she suffered.
The mobilization of the Jewish community highlights the urgent need to deal with anti-Semitism and bullying in Canadian schools.