RDI journalist suspended for comments considered to be anti-Semitic

The CBC-Radio Canada building is seen Thursday, January 28, 2021 in Montreal. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz)

Comments deemed “anti-Semitic, erroneous, and prejudicial to Jewish communities” by journalist Élisa P. Serret during an analysis on ICI RDI on Monday have been condemned by several parties, including Radio-Canada and the Canadian Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, Steven Guilbeault.

In a statement released Tuesday, the public broadcaster confirmed that Serret had been relieved of her duties at Radio-Canada “until further notice.”

“These unacceptable comments contravene Radio-Canada’s journalistic standards and practices and in no way reflect the opinion of the public broadcaster,” the statement reads.

Guilbeault also denounced the journalist’s remarks in a statement on X.

“The words used on last night’s broadcast were pernicious anti-Semitic tropes and have absolutely no place on Canadian airwaves,” he said. “When anti-Semitic language is used by journalists, or anyone in a position of trust, it risks normalizing hatred in deeply dangerous ways.”

The minister also stressed that ”anti-Semitism has no place in Canada“ and that since Radio-Canada belongs to all Canadians, the public broadcaster should demand ”higher standards of journalism" from its teams.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) also denounced Serret’s analysis on Monday evening by sharing an excerpt on X in which the journalist is heard saying, among other things, that “big cities are run by Jews,” “Hollywood is run by Jews,” and Jews “fund a lot of American politics.”

The organization, which defends Zionist and Jewish interests, described the comments as one of the “worst anti-Semitic lies.”

CIJA says it hopes that Radio-Canada’s decision will not come “serious internal reflection on the damage such hateful rhetoric inflicts on our democratic values.”

“Antisemitism is corroding the fabric of our society,” it said. “Its persistence is made possible by the very environment that enables it. We expect Canada’s national public broadcaster to recognize this reality and to take concrete steps to ensure that neither such comments -- nor the systemic issues that enabled them to be aired -- are ever allowed again on Canadian airwaves.”