Canada’s largest union called on its vice president to resign on Tuesday after he published a video on social media of a Jewish Olympic diver turning into an exploding bomb, according to union members, politicians, and Jewish organizations.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees’ (CUPE) National Executive Board passed a resolution on Tuesday calling for General Vice President and Ontario CUPE President Fred Hahn to resign and was waiting for his response, CUPE said in a Wednesday letter to members.
“The National Executive Board has lost confidence in the ability of Fred Hahn to represent the national union in his role as General Vice President, and consequently calls for his resignation from that position,” the motion said according to the letter.
CUPE said that the move followed Hahn’s Aug. 11 Facebook post depicting a Paris Olympics athlete with a Star of David tattoo turning into a bomb and exploding as he dove into a pool.
Hahn deleted the video and said in a Sunday social media post that he regretted the painful reaction it caused for some viewers, explaining that he had intended to call to attention a double standard in which the Russian Federation was barred from competing but the State of Israel had been permitted.
“My intent was never to associate Jewish people with the violence enacted by the state of Israel. It remains my strongly held view that it is a terrible mistake, and antisemitic, to conflate abhorrent actions by the state of Israel with Jewish humanity or identity,” said Hahn.
“The horrors that continue to unfold in Gaza and the ongoing colonization of the West Bank are deeply troubling and continue to cause so much anguish and pain for so many. Our collective focus should be on the unfolding genocide, on the continued contravention of international law by the state of Israeli -- not on me or my social media posts.”
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) said in response to the statement on Tuesday that Hahn hadn’t truly apologized as he had said that he regretted the reaction of viewers. CIJA said that he had shared the video without consideration of impact to imply “Jews are killers.” On Wednesday it praised CUPE for its response and called on Hahn “to resign immediately for his blatant antisemitism.”
Ontario Labor Minister David Piccini confronted Hahn in a video he published on Tuesday, telling him that he was not representing working and had to “stop hating on Jews.” Hahn accused Piccini of engaging in a publicity stunt, and said that he opposed Israel’s actions, not Jews.
At a Wednesday press conference at a St. Catherine’s shipyard, Ontario Premier Doug Ford Praised Piccini and called on CUPE to discipline the “disgusting” Hahn. Ford later that day took to X applauded CUPE for asking Hahn to resign. Ford said during the press conference that many CUPE members had contacted the premier to complain about Hahn.
A Vineland, Ontario CUPE branch for developmental support Workers, recreation, maintenance and cleaning staff on Wednesday said on X that Hahn’s statements were “harmful, hurtful and divisive” and his stance on the Israel-Hamas War did “not reflect the opinions of our local nor the spirit of our union.”
Typical behaviour from Hahn
CIJA said on Tuesday that the Aug. 11 post was part of a pattern of behavior for Hahn. The union leader on Oct. 8 liked a McMaster University workers CUPE branch social media post quoting Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine spokesperson Ghassan Kanafani and praising the Oct. 7 Massacre by stating “Palestine is rising, long live the resistance.” Hahn regularly makes statements decrying the state of Israel’s actions.
“Hahn has ignored and dismissed the lived experiences of Jewish CUPE members,” CIJA said Tuesday. “He has turned his back on many in his union – Jews and non-Jews alike, including some Local Presidents — who have asked him to stop spreading hatred and return to the business of union leadership.”