Mayor Gondek Must Resign
The night before Mayor Jyoti Gondek was due to attend the annual tradition of lighting the menorah at City Hall, she backed out, citing "politicization".
The menorah lighting has taken place in the city for 35 years to mark the beginning of Hanukkah.
But this year, Gondek took to social media to say that it would be “impossible” for her to attend the event.
She claimed that what was intended as a celebration of the “spirit of Calgary’s Jewish community” had been repositioned as an event to support Israel.
She said she was left “feeling let down by leadership”.
She was left let down by leadership?
We beg to differ.
It is Calgarians who have been let down by her lack thereof.
Mayor Gondek cannot seriously have expected that Jews gathered together to celebrate Hanukkah - itself a festival commemorating the liberation of Jerusalem from foreign forces - would refrain from expressing support for Israel after recent attacks on its citizens, could she?
The poster for the event, which she shared on social media, makes brief mention of “supporting Israel”, an Israel bonds raffle, and the phrase Am Yisrael Chai - first used after the liberation of Jews from Nazi death camps.
It’s also worth noting that last year’s poster also features an Israel bonds raffle - so this hasn’t changed.
But Gondek doubled down:
“When a celebration of community is turned into something with political intentions, it goes against the mission to uphold diversity and inclusion."
The hypocrisy is not lost on Calgarians.
Mayor Gondek takes the opportunity to celebrate, stand with, and opine about virtually every other minority group in the city.
Many religious and cultural celebrations do intersect with politics - in a polarized world it is increasingly difficult to separate them.
And yet the Mayor hasn't withdrawn from any other events.
Why this one?
The Mayor's role requires them to represent all Calgary constituents without bias.
This selective attendance at events raises questions about her commitment to serving the entire community impartially.
With anti-Semitism on the rise, the Mayor had an opportunity to stand in solidarity with Calgary’s Jewish community.
She chose not to.
Don Braid, not exactly a conservative stalwart, summed up the mess bluntly in the Calgary Herald last night:
"Jyoti Gondek is not fit to be mayor of Calgary."
“Gondek’s snub has inflicted shock and anguish on Calgary’s Jewish community. It came out of nowhere after she had agreed to attend and a lot of work had gone into the event.
“The excuse, predictably, features her tendency to lay the blame on others.”
Even federal Liberal MP, Anthony Housefather, was shocked:
"You are sending a horrible message by not attending.”
The Mayor of Calgary must be a Mayor for all of Calgary.
This shocking display of arrogance, hypocrisy, and empty virtue signalling is unbecoming of a representative of our City.
We agree with Don Braid.
Jyoti Gondek is not fit to be Mayor of Calgary.
If you agree, please sign the petition calling on Mayor Gondek to resign.
Once you’ve signed, please forward it to your friends, family, and wider network so that all Calgarians can have their say.
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