Former Ambassador Deborah Lyons Appointed Canada’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism and Preserve Holocaust Remembrance

Former Ambassador Deborah Lyons has been appointed as Canada’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism and Preserve Holocaust Remembrance, according to the Trudeau government. Lyons, who previously served as Canada’s ambassador to Israel and Afghanistan, takes over the role from former attorney general Irwin Cotler. Her responsibilities include advocating for Jewish people who are targeted and attacked within Canada and abroad. Similar roles exist for Muslims and LGBTQ+ people. Lyons was named to the position during a conference on antisemitism in Ottawa, where she highlighted the growing malignancy of hate speech and divisiveness in Canada. She expressed her commitment to combating hate speech targeting Jewish individuals, particularly on university campuses and social media. Despite not being Jewish herself, Lyons emphasized the importance of all Canadians working together to eliminate dehumanizing rhetoric and learn from the Holocaust. She also supports a widely accepted definition of antisemitism, which includes criticizing Israel’s existence as a racist endeavor and subjecting it to double standards. However, human-rights groups have raised concerns about the potential hindrance to inquiring into whether Israel is committing apartheid against Palestinians. As the Special Envoy, Lyons will not comment on the geopolitical aspects but will advise the government privately.