On Thursday, November 7, 2024, the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies held their annual Spirit of Hope event.
Attendees heard from veteran broadcaster Dr. Phil McGraw, the keynote speaker, who spoke about the rise of pernicious hatred towards the Jewish people, most notably on university and college campuses.
The event focused on honouring allies of the Jewish community in the fight against antisemitism including Allies for a Strong Canada’s Honourary Patron Rick Hillier, Victoria Mancinelli, Raheel Raza, Rocco Rossi, Father Raymond de Souza, Harry LaForme and Caroline D’Amore.
In contrast to most celebrities who have remained either silent or hostile to Israel since October 7, Dr. Phil has used his popular talk show and social media platforms to sharply condemn rempant antisemitism on university campuses and in the corporate world. In addition, he went to Israel to show his solidarity with the Jewish state, visiting the sites where Hama committed its atrocities and meeting with survivors. In recognition of his laudable actions, he was presented with FSWC's 2024 Allyship Award.
Watch below as Dr. Phil discusses the October 7th attack and condemns Hamas and antisemitic movements: