Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks has called on Opposition MPs to apologize after being accused of sympathizing with terrorists, following a controversial photograph with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a known Holocaust denier. Blacklock's Reporter says Saks, who was photographed smiling and holding hands with Abbas last March, expressed outrage at the accusations during a heated session in the House of Commons.“As a Jew and as an Israeli Canadian, this is abhorrent,” Saks told the Commons. “I, like many Canadians, am witnessing the war in the Middle East and watching my loved ones being impacted on both sides of the border.”Saks recounted an incident where a Conservative MP heckled her, asking, “Did you receive a thank-you letter from Hezbollah?” Saks called the comment hurtful and said it was inappropriate for Parliament. “Canadians deserve better than this. They do not deserve bullies like this in the House,” she stated.Despite repeated questions, Saks has never addressed the context of the photo with Abbas. The image has drawn criticism from Conservative MPs and Senators, who have questioned her ties to the Palestinian leader.“We’ve all seen the picture of you holding hands with Mahmoud Abbas, an anti-Semite Holocaust denier who has also denied the horrific evil acts of October 7 and created a fund that pays the families of terrorists who killed Jews, payment he says will never stop,” said Sen. Leo Housakos (Ont.) during a Senate Question Period in March. “Why do you and your government worry more about not offending these mad tyrants than you do about offending our Canadian victims?” Housakos asked.Saks, who represents the Toronto riding of York Centre, home to one of Canada's largest Jewish populations, defended herself, saying, “I take offence to your comments.”Liberal MP Ben Carr (Winnipeg South Centre), chair of the House affairs committee, also expressed concern over recent remarks made during House debates, specifically referencing the Middle East conflict. “There has been reference to members in the House having technology like pagers and walkie-talkies exploding, which is an obvious reference to the conflict in the Middle East,” said Carr. He reiterated that such comments were inappropriate.Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, Ont.), who represents the most Jewish riding in Canada, had previously criticized unnamed Liberal politicians for making the country "more dangerous" for Jews. Speaking in May, Lantsman said, “There are people who have a voice that actually sit at the table who have made it more dangerous to be a Jew in this country.”Lantsman urged Canadians not to be misled by political leaders who, she claimed, “speak out of both sides of their mouth.”Saks, a former charity director with a master's degree in diplomacy from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, continues to face scrutiny over her photo with Abbas, but insists the accusations against her are baseless and inflammatory.
