Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek stood by not attending the menorah lighting at the Calgary Municipal Building, saying she did not want to go because of the perception of supporting Israel. “The poster unfortunately got perceived that way, and it was felt that this was going to be a rally,” said Gondek in a Friday interview on CBC Radio. “And so there were people in the city who were incredibly upset that I would choose a side in a war.” Gondek backed out of the menorah lighting on Wednesday because she learned it would support Israel. READ MORE: UPDATED: Calgary Jewish community outraged after Gondek's pledge to skip menorah ceremonyShe called for a ceasefire in Gaza and backed pro-Palestine protests. Her decision sparked outrage across Canada and led to Calgary trending on Twitter. Gondek went on to say she has supported Jews for a long time and her decision was not intended to turn her back on them. This was a decision she had to make because she represents many different cultures and the messaging was problematic. CBC Radio host Loren McGinnis acknowledged Gondek was putting the situation into context. “So do you regret not attending then?” said McGinnis. “Did you bow to pressure?” While she was facing backlash from pro-Palestine protestors, she said she did not bow to pressure. Since she is a public figure and had her name linked to a poster about a political conflict, she admitted it created a volatile situation. In her time as mayor, she called it “one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make.” She said she was sad she could not attend. As the event approached, McGinnis asked her if she regretted not attending it and affecting Jews how it did. She responded by saying she chose to speak to people hurt by her absence. These people had a lengthy conversation with her about the context of her decision. She understood the context of their words, which she wanted to highlight the importance of. On social media, she said people “have exactly 10 seconds to consume a message and assumptions are made.” People cannot have dialogues and understand the nuances with wording. If Gondek’s name is linked to a perceived message that will create problems, she said she has to remove herself. “I can tell you that this is not anything that any mayor within this country was expecting to face in this position that we’ve taken on,” she said. Around 500 people came to mark the first night of Hanukkah by watching the menorah lighting at the Calgary Municipal Building on Thursday. READ MORE: About 500 people attend menorah lighting at Calgary Municipal Building"This event is not a demonstration," said Chabad Lubavitch of Alberta Senior Rabbi and Executive Director Menachem Matusof. “This is not violent,” said Matusof.
