Why Avi Benlolo thinks Canada needs a new organization to fight antisemitism

The activist starts a new chapter after leaving the FSWC.
Avi Benlolo at an announcement for the Abraham Global Peace Initiative. (Screenshot courtesy agpi.ca)

The Abraham Global Peace Initiative is a new human rights think tank founded by Avi Benlolo.And If Benlolo’s name sounds familiar, it may be because he’s a prolific writer and commentator about Israel and Jewish issues, including antisemitism and the Holocaust. Benlolo spent two decades as head of the Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies, until his sudden departure in the summer of 2020.

His latest venture is the AGPI, and his supporters include prominent Canadian leaders, including Ed Sonshine, Paul Godfrey, Holocaust survivor Max Eisen and politicians such as Bill Blair, Jerry Grafstein and Stockwell Day.

This week, Benlolo plans to bring his venture to the United Nations, where he’s launching his think tank on the international scene and handing out an award in human rights to Canada’s Ambassador to the UN, Bob Rae.

While Benlolo says that, in the fight against antisemitism, existing Canadian Jewish groups—including his former employer—have a role to play, he feels their approaches aren’t working. He believes it’s time to try a new method to tackle the scary state of the world.

What we talked about:

  • Learn about the Abraham Global Peace Initiative at agpi.ca
  • Read about the second Canadian-Israeli Afghanistan rescue story at thecjn.ca

Credits

The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Author

Support Our Mission: Make a Difference!

The Canadian Jewish News is now a Registered Journalism Organization (RJO) as defined by the Canada Revenue Agency. To help support the valuable work we’re doing, we’re asking for individual monthly donations of at least $10. In exchange, you’ll receive tax receipts, a thank-you gift of our quarterly magazine delivered to your door, and our gratitude for helping continue our mission. If you have any questions about the donating process, please write to [email protected].

Support the Media that Speaks to You

Jewish Canadians deserve more than social media rumours, adversarial action alerts, and reporting with biases that are often undisclosed. The Canadian Jewish News proudly offers independent national coverage on issues that impact our audience each day, as a conduit for conversations that bridge generations. 

It’s an outlet you can count on—but we’re also counting on you.

Please support Jewish journalism that’s creative, innovative, and dedicated to breaking new ground to serve your community, while building on media traditions of the past 65 years. As a Registered Journalism Organization, contributions of any size are eligible for a charitable tax receipt.