Chris Selley: Avi Lewis embraces collective guilt for Jews, but never for Muslims

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNP Comment Chris Selley: Avi Lewis embraces collective guilt for Jews, but never for Muslims Remember when we were admonished after 9/11 to avoid 'blaming all Muslims'? Author of the article: By Chris Selley Published Sep 23, 2026 2 minute read Join the conversation New Democratic Party leader Avi Lewis, with Public Service Alliance of Canada executives and workers, takes part in a rally on the steps of the Bank of Canada in Ottawa Sept. 23, 2026. PHOTO BY BLAIR GABLE /National Post Article content “For Jewish people, the personal has always been political and the political always personal. This year I’m reflecting on the fact that we failed to do our part to stop an ongoing genocide committed in our name,” federal NDP leader Avi Lewis wrote, calamitously, on the occasion of Yom Kippur. Article content Pithy counterpoint, courtesy of Liberal MP Anthony Housefather: “Holding Canadian Jews and Jews across the world collectively responsible for events over which they have no control is despicable,” he wrote. That’s about the size of it. Article content RECOMMENDED VIDEOS Article content Article content Indeed, I’m old enough to remember the aftermath of 9/11, when New Democrats — and many others, particularly on the left — admonished us not to do to Muslims precisely what Lewis did to his fellow Jews. (The admonishment was often a bit much, but I fully agreed with the message and still do, no matter what group we’re talking about.) Article content Channel Israel Columnist Jesse Kline keeps you up to date with what’s happening in Israel and the effects of antisemitism on life here in Canada. Friday mornings. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content One very common commentary trope back then was, “Well why can’t Muslims at least apologize for what was done in their name?” It was ugly and un-Canadian, and it rightly got called out. And now, a quarter-century later, Lewis is doing the same thing. Article content Anyway: By way of follow-up, Lewis bizarrely insisted that he had not held Jews collectively responsible for the wreck of Gaza … which he unambiguously had, including himself among the guilty.  He accused those criticizing him of being “partisan.” Lewis’s fellow travellers insisted, among other things, that…