Conservative deputy leader, Rebel Media boss sued over antisemitism claims

He was the first Muslim and person of colour to be appointed head of the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Then, the online uproar came out swinging against Birju Dattani.

Conservative Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman called him “antisemitic” and said his “anti-Israel record” is “grotesque.”

Rebel News boss Ezra Levant called him an “antisemitic terrorism supporter.”

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said he has a “troubling past” that includes “antisemitic positions.”

There’s just one problem. When a third-party investigator looked into all of this, they concluded the following:

“We cannot find that Mr. Dattani harboured or harbours any beliefs that would be characterized as anti-Semitic or that he has demonstrated any biases (conscious or unconscious) towards Jews or Israelis.”

Oops.

Now Dattani has filed lawsuits against Lantsman, Levant and CIJA. They’ve all committed to fighting it and have defended their comments.

Here’s what’s going on.

Subscribe now

P.S. Sorry this post is later than usual. I tried a new editing and camera set up — it's way better quality, but it’s a much heavier lift! I don’t think this will be doable as a regular daily thing. It’s good practice for the incoming podcast, though!

I hope you like it.