University of Guelph-Humber Fires Professor Over Oct. 7 Israel Posts as Canada Logs 6,800 Antisemitic Incidents
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 14
University of Guelph-Humber Fires Professor Over Oct. 7 Israel Posts as Canada Logs 6,800 Antisemitic Incidents
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 14
July 2025 marked Paul Finlayson’s dismissal from the University of Guelph-Humber after an investigation found his pro-Israel LinkedIn comments violated Ontario human-rights and harassment rules.
November 2023 posts triggered the case after Finlayson replied to a message he said called for Israel’s eradication, writing that supporters of “from the River to the Sea” were Nazis and backing Israel after Hamas killed 1,400 people and took 250 hostages.
A Nov. 27 suspension barred him from contacting staff and students while rumors spread, and Finlayson says his union declined to represent him and the process wrecked his academic reputation and job prospects.
The university did not answer questions about the firing or about anti-Israel material shared by campus-linked accounts, while Finlayson pointed to other faculty and student activism he says drew no comparable punishment.
Canada’s wider backdrop has grown more hostile for Jews: B’nai Brith recorded 6,800 antisemitic incidents in 2025, up 9.4% from 2024 and the highest level since tracking began.
Why was a professor fired for defending Israel while others charged with hate-motivated mischief were seemingly reinstated?
On Canadian campuses, where is the line between protected speech and a fireable offense in the Israel-Palestine debate?