Antisemitic Comments on Radio-Canada Lead to Journalist Suspension

Canada's national public broadcaster, Radio-Canada, has suspended one of its journalists after she made a series of antisemitic statements on a live broadcast, sparking a swift apology from the network and condemnation from political figures.

The reporter, Élisa Serret, made the comments during a French-language segment, where she claimed that the United States' foreign policy toward Israel was influenced by Jewish financial control.

“The Israelis, in fact, the Jews, finance a lot of American politics,” Serret said. She continued by asserting that "the big cities are run by Jews" and "Hollywood is run by the Jews," repeating long-standing antisemitic tropes.

Radio-Canada immediately condemned the remarks, calling them "stereotypical, antisemitic, erroneous," and "unacceptable." The broadcaster announced Serret’s suspension, stating that her comments violated its journalistic standards and did not reflect the organization's views.

"We recognize that these comments have offended many viewers. We sincerely apologize to them and to the Jewish community," Radio-Canada said in a statement.

The incident drew sharp criticism from Canadian political leaders. Steven Guilbeault, the Minister of Canadian Identity, Culture, and Official Languages, stated that while the government does not interfere with the public broadcaster’s programming, such hateful rhetoric has no place on Canadian airwaves.

"When antisemitic language is used by journalists, or anyone in a position of trust, it risks normalizing hatred in deeply dangerous ways," Guilbeault said.

Other politicians, including Deputy Opposition Leader Melissa Lantsman and MP Anthony Housefather, also weighed in. Lantsman called for Serret’s termination, arguing that apologies were insufficient, while Housefather called on Radio-Canada to outline measures to prevent such incidents in the future.

Jewish advocacy groups, including B'nai Brith Canada and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), have also called for a thorough review of the broadcaster's editorial policies. Eta Yudin, CIJA's Quebec Vice President, stated that the incident requires "serious internal reflection on the damage such hateful rhetoric inflicts on our democratic values."