Premier Ford calls CUPE’s Ontario vice president ‘disgusting human being’

Ontario Premier Doug Ford had some harsh words for Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario vice-president Fred Hahn on Wednesday, calling him a “bully” and “disgusting human being” after Hahn shared a post on his Facebook account that’s been called antisemitic by disillusioned Jewish union members.

The post, which has since been deleted, depicted a Jewish Olympic diver with a Star of David on his arm jumping off a diving board. As he’s heading towards the water he transforms into a bomb that explodes on innocent civilians below.

The video was posted to Hahn’s Facebook account on Aug. 11 during the Summer Olympic Games.

Hahn has since posted an apology, saying he “deeply” regretted sharing it, but maintaining it wasn’t an indictment of Jewish people.

“My intention in posting it was to call attention to the reality that, while the Russian Federation was barred from participating at the Paris Olympics, the state of Israel was permitted to participate – which appeared clearly to me to be a double standard.

“My intent was never to associate Jewish people with the violence enacted by the state of Israel. It remains my strongly held view that it is a terrible mistake, and anti-Semitic, to conflate abhorrent actions by the state of Israel with Jewish humanity or identity.”

On Tuesday, Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training & Skills Development, David Piccini posted a video on X showing him confronting Hahn and accusing him of antisemitism.

“As a labour leader you’ve got to represent your members,” he tells Hahn, who again tries to defend himself by saying he was talking about “the State of Israel” and not the Jewish people.

On Wednesday, Ford applauded Piccini for confronting Hahn.

“I’m proud of you David and this guy’s been a bully for 20 years,” Ford said.

“I’m getting messages on my phone from CUPE members saying his comments have been disgusting. In my opinion, he’s a disgusting human being anyways.”

Ford said he encouraged CUPE Canada to discipline Hahn and urged members to vote him out at the next possible chance because “in my opinion he’s just a terrible human being.”

The Centre for Israel and Jewish affairs (CIJA) weighed in, rejecting Hahn’s apology and calling for his removal saying Hahn “doubled down on posting an offensive video that clearly implies: Jews are killers.

“Hahn posted it without considering the impact it would have.”

“Hahn has ignored and dismissed the lived experiences of Jewish CUPE members. He has turned his back on many in his union—Jews and non-Jews alike …”

Fred Hahn, President of @CUPEOntario and Vice-President of @cupenat, has doubled down on posting an offensive video that clearly implies: Jews are killers.

Hahn posted it without considering the impact it would have.

Many will recall that this is part of a troubling pattern… pic.twitter.com/mAC5qmOFtJ

— CIJA (@CIJAinfo) August 19, 2024