TORONTO – B’nai Brith Canada, which has denounced this week’s conference at York University as part of the ongoing anti-Israel parade on campus, raises new concerns.

The registration by a reporter from the Jewish Tribune to attend the conference was not accepted.

A university spokesperson explained that the conference was not open to the media.

“It’s a common practice for academic conferences of this nature – in order to provide speakers and audience members with an environment conducive to candid dialogue and debate,” said Alex Bilyk, director of media relations, York University, in an email to Atara Beck, the Jewish Tribune reporter.

“This ‘behind closed doors’ approach has no place on a Canadian campus and raises serious issues about freedom of the press,” a B’nai Brith Canada statement said, adding that this is especially so when the conference is being heralded as an exercise of academic debate and free speech. The public interest in this controversial conference demands a forum open to the media.

“This is a fundamental question about a fundamental right that must be explained,” said Frank Dimant, executive vice-president of B’nai Brith Canada.
(See protest photo, page 8.)