The Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation (CAEF) issued a formal letter to the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP), saying it would be a “travesty” not to withdraw support for a Hamilton candidate. 

On Wednesday, in a letter addressed to Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles, the CAEF said it normally doesn’t wade into partisan politics. 

“Today, we make an exception, in the case of one of your candidates, Sarah Jama.”

Jama is running in Hamilton’s byelection scheduled for March 16 in a bid to become the Hamilton Centre’s next MPP.

“Your party’s candidate is more than just a harsh critic of the State of Israel,” the letter reads. 

“She calls for its destruction and supports the ‘Boycott Divestment and Sanctions’ movement designed to make the people of Israel —  45% of the worldwide Jewish population — poor, weak, and vulnerable to terrorist enemies seeking nothing less than their annihilation.” 

On Monday, Jama received support from Ontario NDP leader Stiles, who said neither the party nor Jama support anti-semitism. Stiles said Jama “has been a very strong advocate for human rights and against anti-Semitism and any form of racism.”

However, the CAEF called out the NDP for having a number of party members and candidates over the past two years who’ve either been forced to resign or withdraw their candidacy due to anti-Israel comments.

In 2021, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh expelled two candidates, Sidney Coles and Dan Osborne, with less than a week to go before the federal election due to anti-semitic comments online. 

And, in 2022, the Ontario NDP canceled the candidacy of Steve Parish after learning he once expressed admiration for a Nazi naval officer. Furthermore, last November, Ontario NDP MPP Joel Harden had to apologize for saying Israel is the “single greatest origin of violence in the Middle East” and for also saying Canadian Jews are responsible for the actions of Israel.

“It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to discern a pattern,” the CAEF letter reads.

Jama was also called out for tweeting in 2021, “Why are cis straight men such trash?” 

“Cis men” is a term invented by far-left ideologues, which refers to men who are not transgender. 

“We hope you will consider doing the right thing and withdrawing your party’s support for Sarah Jama’s candidacy. Enabling this individual to take a seat in the Ontario Legislature would be a travesty,” the CAEF wrote.

During the pandemic, Jama was part of a successful movement that made people with lighter skin tones wait longer before they were eligible for a COVID vaccine. Jama promoted this racial discrimination in the name of equity.