By Pepper Parr
February 27th, 2026
BURLINGTON, ON
The University of Toronto has launched an investigation into its dean of dentistry after course materials he shared contained anti-Israeli and antisemitic imagery.
The two illustrations include a figure incorporating the Israeli flag bound tightly with rope that appears to be strangling a head sporting the colours of the Palestinian flag, and a cartoon of a man with a large, hooked nose swimming in a pool of money labelled “immunity.” The images accompanied lecture slides explaining the concepts of “strangulation theory” and “immunological modulation” in tooth health.
Anil Kishen, who was appointed head of the faculty of dentistry last year, has apologized, condemning “antisemitism and discrimination in all their forms” and has taken leave pending the outcome of the probe.
It is news like this that has resulted in the daughter of a Burlington resident who is Jewish deciding that she will move to Israel and continue her education there. Living in Burlington and having to put up with the slurs and the outright discrimination is not something she wants to tolerate any longer.
Security photograph of two young people putting hate literature up at City Hall
We are seeing more of this.
The Holocaust deniers are still amongst us.
There are still people who believe the Jews control the world’s economy.
The Jews are just another group of people with beliefs that they seem to have to pay a price to maintain.
They have a homeland which they paid a terrible price to get.
Yes, they have a Prime Minister who is at best an embarrassment to the democrats in Israel.
It is a complicated situation.
We need not make it worse with this insidious antisemitism
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I’d like to reply to Mary H. You actually don’t get to decide for Jewish people what is antisemitism. If a hook nosed jew swimming in a pool of money isn’t antisemitism then I think you missed the memo. That has nothing to do with Israel and everything to do with Jew hate. In addition, warning ‘the young lady’ to not be ‘anti Palestinian’ is just another example of the hubris of privileged westerners who have no moral authority whatsoever but will post a patronizing comment such as the one you just did. Instead of noticing that the city you purport to love isn’t safe for certain minorities you gaslight them instead.
You, of course are entitled to your opinion. I’m not going to get into a long to and fro with you because there would be no end. However,
I believe it is settled in the courts that cartoons generally are considered free speech and protected as such However, cartoons are subject to Canada’s criminal code provisions regarding hate propaganda, which prohibit willfully promoting hatred against an identifiable group. Just showing a character with a large hooked nose, which people would readily identify as a Jew is not in itself hate speech. If any associated text promotes hate then the cartoon is likely to be considered hate speech.
I have not seen the cartoon but I can imagine it was directed towards Jewish people. However, one should note Arabs have very pronounced hooked noses as well.
The Jewish community in the northern areas of Toronto have been very outspoken against demonstrations in support of Palestinians (not Hamas). If I was to criticize the Jewish community for its position against pro-Palestinian demonstrations, am I being anti-Semitic?
The point I was trying to make in my first comment is that very often criticism of the Jewish community, the Israeli state, the Israeli government is called out as anti-Semitism. That is not.
A number of prominent Jewish celebrities such as Mandy Patinkin and Miriam Margolys have been very vocal critics of the Israeli state’s actions towards Gaza and it’s Palestinian. Are they anti-Semitic?
https://youtube.com/shorts/CK7WOSvfUlI?si=YEmTXd9CTxugHwxP
https://youtube.com/shorts/Dh7tjw1WCFs?si=9SavnqWROosZzU5s
Is criticizing the Quebec government for it’s language laws or it’s religious symbols law is not being anti-francophone?
Burlington isn’t the place it used to be. Woke politics, weak leadership and a public education system that cares more about indoctrination than teaching has resulted in misplaced hatred towards Israel and a tiny Jewish population. When Russia is criticized, it doesn’t turn into hatred of Russians. When communist china is critiqued, we don’t persecute Chinese Canadians. When Israel is involved, all Jews are deemed responsible. Who can blame Jews for wanting to leave Canada? We have failed them.
Hello everybody. I moved to Burlington about 10 months ago. I’m so happy I did. It’s a wonderful City. I have been reading The Gazette for about the last 4 months and of course also the comments placed by readers. The Gazette is a great source of local information. I’ve been nervous to put my toe in the water so to speak and place a comment. But I saw this article today and thought I would. Here goes !
I think it is atrocious anybody in a position of authority or influence should surreptitiously distribute any political, religious or other unsolicited materials to those under there authority or tutelage.
However, I would like to make the point that as it sounds the cartoons are not anti-semitic. It would seem they are political satire and are anti-israeli government. Anti-Semitism is hate that is directed at Jews in general.
Criticizing or holding to account the Israeli government or the State of Israel for oppressive actions towards the Palestinian people whether they be in Gaza, the West Bank or anywhere else in the world is not anti-semitism
Yes, that person should be fired.
I hope the young lady leaving Canada for Israel to avoid anti-Semitism will when living in Israel not be anti-Palestinian just because they are Palestinian!
Excellent article, summing up a whole lot very succinctly and accurately. Good on you for standing up for your good principles of civility. Thank you.
The dean should have been fired
For shame ! The university of Toronto should have zero tolerance for this action