A rchive Date
[ 14-09-2002 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Canada ]
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[http://www.canoe.ca/TorontoNews/ts.ts-09-11-0041.html
Mideast hatred flares in Toronto
Palestinians, Jews trade insults outside as Netanyahu speaks inside
By JASON BOTCHFORD AND LAURA BOBAK, TORONTO SUN
Wednesday, September 11, 2002
In a fiery speech urging war against terrorists, former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a North York crowd last night that Sept. 11 was a "wakeup call from hell."
Greeted with thunderous applause, Netanyahu began his politically charged speech by joking about the relatively tame protest occurring outside the Toronto Centre for the Performing Arts.
"Only 250 (pro-Palestinians)? What happened? Is that all we can summon?" Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu then compared protesters in Montreal - who forced him to cancel a Monday night engagement at Concordia University - with Middle East terrorists, saying they had "the same glint" in their eyes.
He said he saw "militant zealotry and mad militancy" and heard "echoes of terrorism" in Canada that had been exported from the Middle East.
Outside the North York venue, dozens of riot cops kept watch on about 700 evenly divided Jews and Palestinians, who yelled insults and taunted each other for three hours. Police had expected a much larger crowd.
One man was taken to hospital after being hit by a rock, acting Toronto Police Chief Michael Boyd said. But he described the crowd as "peaceful," adding no arrests were made.
In his speech to 1,800 supporters, Netanyahu attacked Palestinians, anti-Zionists and all terrorists, saying peace will only be achieved when all political regimes that launch and sponsor terrorism are wiped out.
"The hell that was visited on New York and Washington (on Sept. 11) was nothing compared to the hell that could be visited on all of us if mad zealots who know no limits on the use of force ... aren't vanquished entirely," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu spoke in Ottawa yesterday morning - where he was greeted with a peaceful protest - and will also speak in Winnipeg. He is touring to promote an anti-terror campaign and raise funds for Israel.
 World Fact Book (CIA)]
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