Vancouver Palestinian community reacts to Gaza war anniversary
Monday was a solemn and emotional day for Israelis and Palestinians. The Oct. 7, 2023, attack saw more than 1,200 Israelis killed and has since left more than 41,000 dead in Gaza.
Sobhi Al-Zobaidi owns Tamam, a Palestinian restaurant in Vancouver.
The restaurant is filled with messages of solidarity for the Palestinian community, including art and kites with written words of hope for the children in Gaza.
"One of the things that kept us going and gave us hope and energy is the way the larger community has responded", says Al-Zobaidi.
He says in past years it was rare for Palestinians in Vancouver to meet with one another or connect, but the ongoing Israel-Hamas war has changed that.
"There is a sense of empowerment and a sense of the need, urgency to organize, and to get in touch with each other,” he says.
Al-Zobaidi spent his childhood in a refugee camp near Ramallah. He says his eatery has faced harassing phone calls and negative online reviews.
"Calling us terrorists, calling us Hamas supporters, etc. It lasted for like a few months,” he says.
Al-Zobaidi has been organizing ongoing online fundraisers raising money for food and water in Gaza. So far, he has raised $95,000.
"Usually, we close on Sundays but we start once a month and serve a traditional dish,” he says.
He said customers have read poems at the fundraisers and have the opportunity to converse about the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.
Al-Zobaidi said he is in contact with people in Gaza who help him identify organizations that are giving aid to people in the war-torn enclave, and he only sends money once he confirms they’re providing medical supplies or food.
Rise in antisemitism
Meanwhile, the local Jewish community has been facing antisemitic threats, including an attempted fire at a Vancouver synagogue earlier this year.
Nico Slobinsky, vice-president of the Pacific division of the Centre for Israel and Jewish affairs, explains the difficult year it has been for the community.
"We have seen incidents take place in schools and on university campuses. We are very concerned with the rise of antisemitism,” he said.
Police have set up additional cameras at places of worship and a mobile command centre has been deployed at the Vancouver Jewish Community Centre.
"We shouldn’t have to need that kind of detection to be able to attend our places of worship, our schools, our community centres,” Slobinsky said.
In the year since Oct. 7, thousands of protests have taken place across the country with pro-Israeli demonstrators demanding Hamas release the hostages while pro-Palestinian voices have called for a ceasefire and peace between the two sides.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
As Hurricane Milton makes landfall, more than 1.6 million customers are left without power in Florida
The Category 2 storm has left 1.6 million homes and businesses without power in Florida as Milton pummels through the state.
Company must refund $1-million deposit after failing to complete West Vancouver home on time, court rules
A West Vancouver company has been ordered to repay a homebuyer's $1-million deposit after it failed to complete construction on the property in time.
Did John Rustad witness an overdose death on his way to the B.C. leaders' debate?
During the campaign, BC Conservative Leader John Rustad has repeatedly said people are "dying on the streets" in the province – and on Tuesday he claimed to have witnessed that very thing in downtown Vancouver while he was on his way to the leaders' debate.
Washington state woman calls 911 after being hounded by up to 100 raccoons
Sheriff's deputies in Washington's Kitsap County frequently get calls about animals -- loose livestock, problem dogs. But the 911 call they received recently from a woman being hounded by dozens of raccoons swarming her home near Poulsbo stood out.
video Why are there cars in the Detroit River?
Dozens of cars were pulled out of the Detroit River in west Windsor on Tuesday, causing many questions for Windsorites.
Biden, Harris condemn storm misinformation ahead of Hurricane Milton landfall
President Joe Biden warned on Wednesday that Hurricane Milton carried incredible destructiveness and urged people to take safe shelter while condemning misinformation about the storm as un-American.
Hundreds of thousands of popular vehicles recalled in Canada over steering issue
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are being recalled in Canada due to a steering-related issue that could increase a driver's risk of crash.
'We want things to go forward': Bloc leader hints his party 'might' help end House impasse
The leader of the Bloc Quebecois says his party 'might play a role' in helping the Liberals get House of Commons business rolling again — after days of Conservative-led debate on a privilege matter — but that his assistance would come at a cost.
Pilot dies aboard Turkish Airlines flight, forcing emergency landing in New York
A Turkish Airlines jetliner headed from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency landing in New York on Wednesday after the captain died on board, an airline official said.