Why this acclaimed Indigenous leader opposes Canada’s recognition of Palestinian statehood – The Canadian Jewish News
September 29, 2025
Justice Harry LaForme has become an outspoken advocate for Jewish causes since Oct. 7.
Retired Ontario Justice Harry LaForme isn’t entirely comfortable with the label of “ally,” which many Jewish leaders have been using to describe him since Oct. 7. After all, LaForme—who was the first Indigenous Canadian to be appointed to the highest court in any province—says he always felt a kinship with the Jewish people, ever since his family told him his First Nations people were one of the lost tribes of Israel.
But over the last two years, the trailblazing lawyer and judge, 78, has become a frequently honoured guest in official Jewish spaces, earning thanks and praise for his outspoken condemnation of rising antisemitism here in Canada, and for his support for Israel—which he calls the indigenous homeland of the Jewish people.
