Edmonton Councillor Michael Janz under fire for social media post

by AJNews staff

(AJNews) – The Jewish Federation of Edmonton is calling on Mayor Andrew Knack to stand by the local Jewish community in rejecting hateful, divisive and hyperbolic comments shared by Edmonton City Councillor Michael Janz on social media.

Earlier this month, Councillor Janz re-posted comments from a pro-Palestine account claiming that “If you have a newborn baby, right now, anywhere in the world, your brand new baby is statistically more likely to be killed by Israel than dying in any other way.”

Jewish Federation condemned Janz for sharing the comment and issued a statement that they were “deeply concerned by his repeated use of public platforms to amplify disinformation and rhetoric about international events that have real-world consequences for the safety and well-being of Edmontonians.”

“Counc. Janz has once again used his public platform to amplify disinformation that demonizes Israel,” reads an X post by Jewish Edmonton. “Content shared today echoes conspiracy theories and blood libels that have historically fueled antisemitism, discrimination and violence against Jews.”

Although Counc. Janz removed the post, he did not apologize for posting it. He responded to Federation’s outrage with a statement indicating that he was horrified by Israel’s actions and the huge death toll in the war in Gaza. “These are not statistics. These are humans,” Janz wrote in his statement. “For many Edmontonians, these are family members and relatives.

“All of us should be outraged and calling for justice here. And I wish people were more concerned about the horrors of war than they were about the dialogue on social media.”

Janz said that criticizing Israel is not antisemitic.

Jewish Federation of Edmonton stated that they “support freedom of expression and robust public debate. Criticism of governments including the government of Israel is legitimate and necessary in a democracy. However, there is clear distinction between policy criticism and the repeated amplification of rhetoric that relies on conspiracy theories, dehumanization and demonizations.”

In a statement, Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack said that “Councillors are all free to address any issue they choose but must do so with the knowledge that their words have an impact on the people we serve. I believe that it is crucial that everyone, especially elected officials, share information that is accurate and factually verified.”

Stacey Leavitt-Wright, CEO of Jewish Federation of Edmonton agreed.  “Jewish Edmontonians should not have to wonder whether their elected officials understand the impact that conspiracy theories and demonizing rhetoric can have on their safety,” she said. “Our community has repeatedly raised concerns about this issue. We are asking for accountability, leadership, and a clear commitment that all Edmontonians deserve to be represented with respect.”

Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Mike Williams took to social media to voice his offence to Janz’s posts. “This kind of fear-mongering, implying that globally our children are somehow — even in the most contorted and remote sense — threatened to be murdered by the state of Israel is deeply inappropriate public discourse,” Williams wrote. “I expect better of somebody elected to public office in the city of Edmonton, a city who rightfully prides itself in being welcoming and accepting no matter one’s religious, national or ethnic background.”

Edmonton Councillor Mike Elliott made a statement on his Instagram account. “International conflicts are real and painful, but they fall outside our jurisdiction and our expertise, and elected officials weighing in publicly on them doesn’t change anything overseas — it only risks dividing the very communities we’re here to represent.”