Canada’s newly appointed human rights commissioner, Birju Dattani, resigned from his position on Monday before officially beginning his duties, following objections from Jewish advocacy groups about his previous remarks concerning Israel.
Dattani, who was named for the role in June and was scheduled to start last Thursday, opted for a leave of absence on the same day pending the outcome of an independent review initiated by Justice Minister Arif Virani.
In a statement posted online, Dattani announced his immediate resignation as Chief Commissioner of Canadia’s Human Rights Commission, affirming his continued support for the organization’s mission and its role in enhancing democracy.
The investigation revealed that Dattani failed to disclose his alternate name, Mujahid Dattani, used in his online interactions and discussions on Middle Eastern issues, on his background check documentation.
This name was linked to a controversial post that drew parallels between Israel and Nazi Germany, which Dattani explained to the CBC was meant to provoke discussion.
Although the investigation concluded there was no evidence of antisemitism on Dattani’s part, it criticised his lack of transparency during the application process and noted that he had downplayed the critical nature of his academic work regarding Israel’s policies towards Palestinians in his submissions and interviews.
Canada decided to withdraw the children of its diplomats from Israel due to escalating fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East.
The decision follows increased tensions between Israel and Iran, as well as Hezbollah, which has raised concerns about a potential wider-scale conflict in an already volatile region amidst ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza that have resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and a humanitarian crisis.
