Assistant Professor Of Criminology Mark Kersten Spreads Anti-Israel Propaganda In Toronto Star Column
Mark Kersten, a stridently anti-Israel activist and an assistant professor at one of Canada’s lowest-ranked universities, wrote an opinion column on October 15 for the Toronto Star, “Carney has proposed Canadian peacekeepers in Gaza. Is that a good idea?”
In his commentary, Kersten quoted Prime Minister Mark Carney saying that Canada is “willing to participate in a multilateral mission” to help enforce the ceasefire. As Kersten shared his thinking, he made a number of factually untrue comments along the way. For example, he wrote, “never before has Canada contemplated participating in a force to protect civilians from a terrorist group and an ostensible ally waging an increasingly acknowledged genocide.”
There is no genocide in Gaza. The UN’s Pillay Commission report, which accuses Israel of causing genocide in Gaza, has been soundly rebutted, including because it, “accepts unverified Hamas casualty figures, disregards Hamas’s systematic use of human shields, relies on unverified media reports,” and more.
Additionally, to describe Israel as genocidal after it declared a ceasefire and celebrated the return of just 20 live hostages—secured through the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 convicted of deadly attacks on Israelis—ignores the evidence of Israeli restraint and the value Israel places on preserving life. A nation committing genocide does not halt fire or trade thousands of prisoners, many with blood on their hands, for the chance to save but a few of its own civilians.
Kersten continued, referring to the peacekeeping concept, that “if it goes ahead, would intervention protect peace and Palestinians?”
What about protecting the Israelis? Hamas, ruling power of Gaza since 2007, has transparently genocidal intentions towards Israel, regarding their October 7 atrocities as merely their opening gambit. Yet Kersten focuses on protecting the Palestinians.
He also wrote, “those who support intervention often see military action as a last resort when the lives of civilians are in imminent danger – as they are in Gaza. They know that peace requires protecting civilians, something Israel and Hamas won’t do.”
Equating Israel and Hamas is outrageous. Hamas is a terrorist group. Additionally, Kersten appears unaware of the unprecedented precautions Israel has taken to protect Gazan civilians that led urban war expert John Spencer to say that he saw the IDF conduct “harm mitigation at a level that nobody’s ever tried.”
Israel has also facilitated mass polio vaccinations of children, the repatriation of thousands of Gazans for medical aid, co-founded the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation who delivered over 185 million meals to Gazans, purchased 40,000 tents for them on their own dime, and has allowed in over two million tonnes of humanitarian aid. Hardly the acts of a genocidal entity who could have carpet-bombed Gaza if they had wanted to, but chose to conduct a ground war instead, risking its own soldiers in the process.
If Gazan lives were endangered it is because of Hamas who began the war. Hamas hid their terrorists and their infrastructure in densely populated civilian areas throughout, knowing that it would draw Israeli fire. Seeing Hamas’s Islamic State-style cold-blooded, open-air murders of Gazans post-ceasefire, ought to clearly show Hamas’s true colors.
Kersten also commented that Israel has a record of “attacking peacekeepers” linking to an article that claimed 5 peacekeepers were injured by Israel, and 15 suffered smoke inhalation. Kersten didn’t mention that some of these injured peacekeepers had been told to enter protective spaces.
Gazans have suffered, but Hamas is the guilty party, not Israel.
Towards the end, Kersten wrote, “states can do much more, now, before any forces are deployed: suspending trade relations with Israel, issuing sanctions, and pursuing accountability for perpetrators of atrocities in Gaza.”
Classic calls for boycotts against Israel are not new. They try to isolate the only Jewish State and leave it to fend for itself against its neighbouring, often antagonistic states, showing distinct bias.
Lastly, one might think Kersten’s call for “accountability for perpetrators of atrocities in Gaza” applied to Hamas’ atrocities on October 7. But no, Kersten instead linked to his own article discussing the arrest of Israeli soldiers while abroad.
Kersten’s column is less an examination of peacekeeping than a political screed that distorts facts and morality. By echoing false genocide claims, downplaying Hamas’ barbarism, and portraying Israel’s defensive measures as crimes, he flips the truth on its head.
