Remember, peace comes through strength.

One year after the October 7 massacre, Canadians must not forget what it means to be strong.

(Photo of a destroyed home in kibbutz Kfar Aza, where Hamas committed atrocities against Israelis on October 7, 2023. Photo was taken by Michelle Rempel Garner in November, 2023 on a visit to the region.)

On one of my first dates with my husband, some teenagers were tossing around a football near where we were sitting. I asked Jeff, a decorated US Army combat veteran, "Do you think those kids—or anyone—can understand the concept of duty to country or the value of peace without knowing the brutality of war? Or, do you think your service is worth the cost because it will have prevented future conflict?"

Over the past twelve months, that question has haunted me.

As a legislator in Canada, I know that for our peaceful, democratic pluralism to function, the answer to those questions within our broader society must be a solid yes. But since the atrocities of October 7, 2023, there are many within our borders who have demonstrated that they are, at best, naïve to the clarity and courage required to lead Canada's tests of resolve on these matters. At worst they have been recklessly feckless.

One year ago today, Hamas - a Tehran-regime-backed, listed terrorist organization - committed the greatest massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust. 

The response in some quarters of Canada to this massacre; to the rape, to the death of innocents, to the savagery of the attack, to the kidnapping of hundreds (many of whom remain in Hamas captivity), and to the abject suffering of Palestinian civilians used as shields by Tehran-regime backed terrorists - has failed many of the moral tests needed to sustain a peaceful, democratic pluralism.

First, some celebrated (and still celebrate) the terror attack, and provide a narrative for justification for it. There is no justification for what Hamas did, or what the Tehran-regime and its proxies in the region continue to do - launch massive attacks against Israeli civilians. 

Then, there are continued incidences of Canadian media pushing coverage that perpetuates false narratives about the conflict - that Israel doesn't have the right to defend itself against groups who want to wipe the Jewish people off the face of the earth, and who call for "death to America ." These outlets have tended to gloss over the fact that all of these terror agencies have killed countless Western civilians too.

Then there are those who have called for an end to Western support for Israel, even as it defends Western democratic values - and the Jewish people - against this threat.

There have been presidents of Canadian universities who have looked the other way while pro-terror "youth training camps" foment on the grounds of their institutions. These same presidents stood idly by and allowed their publicly-funded property to be destroyed by people spouting anti-Semitic slurs, and allowed the learning and work environment of their students and staff to become violent and unsafe. 

Canadian mayors attempted to cancel Hanukka celebrations.

And, over the past year, Canada's federal Liberal government has failed multiple times to defend our democratic values on the world stage, too.

For years, despite numerous calls from the opposition, the federal Liberals refused to list Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corp as a terrorist entity. They've asked for Israel not to defend itself after Iran attacked it. They continue to fund UNWRA, knowing that it funded staff who helped carry out terror attacks. They send out backbenchers to say different things to different groups, hoping to curry electoral favour instead of clearly and decisively standing up for the democratic values that allow those same groups to live in peace together within our borders.

Perhaps worst of all, the federal Liberals continually fail to define the enemy all those suffering in the Middle East are facing: the Tehrane-regime and their proxy terror groups that seek the destruction not just of the Jewish people, but democratic values and the sanctity of the lives of the people subjugated under their rule.

All of these failings have emboldened anti-Semites in Canada, which has made Canadian Jews fear for their lives. And, frankly, as writer Jonathan Kay pointed out this week, anti-Semitic protests that have run rampant along the streets of Canadian cities have allowed Islamophobia to foment in Canada, too. 

All of this is why, for my part, throughout this past year, at every opportunity, I have voiced support for action that opposes the radical, death-cult, terrorist regimes that broke the ceasefire a year ago, and that seek the destruction of the pluralistic community that I represent. I will continue to do so, because I believe that there are many, many more Canadians - of all faiths, ethnicities, and backgrounds - who feel the same way that I do. What we have in Canada is precious and worth fighting for. 

But a year into this crisis, fighting for it is what we have to do. The promise of Canada does not magically self-perpetuate; it must be fought for every day. Fighting for these values means standing up against forces that want to destroy what we have here. It means rejecting feckless leaders who placate lawless mobs. It means standing with the Israeli people, demanding the release of the hostages, and actively defending the right of Israel to protect itself from genocidal and sadistic terrorist groups who are hell-bent on the death of our way of life.

On October 7, 2023, I was mid-flight as the horrors Hamas perpetuated unfolded. When I landed, my husband and I spent some time in silence, both trying to comprehend the atrocities and those who were celebrating them.

At that point, sick with what we saw, he asked, "do you remember that question you asked me so many years ago? About whether or not peace is sustainable? Peace comes through strength. You, and everyone who loves what we have within our nations, will have to be stronger now."

So, be spiteful of fecklessness. Be strong. Remember that Canada's promise and democratic values around the world are worth fighting for.

Am Yisrael Chai.