This year’s edition of Walk with Israel was akin to the iconic opening line from A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

First, the good stuff: a record-breaking crowd of 50,000+ people took to the streets of north Toronto to show their support for Jews and the state of Israel. It was a peaceful walk, the resounding chant being “Bring them home” (the “them” being the hostages still being detained by Hamas terrorists post last October’s horrific massacre in Israel.)

And for the organizer, the United Jewish Appeal, last Sunday’s Walk with Israel was easily its most successful fundraising event ever.

Walk with Israel event draws tens of thousands of rallygoers in Toronto

Rebel News CEO Ezra Levant reported from Sunday's Walk for Israel event in Toronto as tens of thousands of people came out in support of Israel.

Despite dozens of anti-Israel counter-protesters in… pic.twitter.com/mpgCLQhkMJ

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) June 11, 2024

As for the bad? Alas, like so many skunks to the garden party, the pro-Hamas contingent also showed up to try and ruin this family friendly event. Repeating du rigueur calls for genocide (“From the river to the sea”; “Intifada”; “Go back to Europe”) and wearing trouble on their shirts by trying to provoke physical confrontations, they did their very best to scuttle the event.

But par for the course when it comes to all things Hamas-related, they did what Hamas does so spectacularly: they failed miserably. In fact – shockers – members of the Toronto Police Service actually arrested about a half dozen members of this new age Hitler Youth Movement on this day. About bloody time…

“F**k Rebel News! You guys are racist!”

Protesters against the Toronto Walk for Israel spot me reporting in the field.

We won’t intimidated and will continue bringing you the other side of the story!https://t.co/noBoQvGEHk pic.twitter.com/ASMVhWWvaZ

— Sarah Stock✝️ (@sarahcstock) June 9, 2024

But what was equally shameful was the absence of political head honchos. Which is to say, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Ontario Premier Doug Ford were all AWOL. They were seemingly unmotivated to take a stance against skyrocketing antisemitism.

But why?

Is taking part in a pro-Israel march – even when Israel is at war to defend itself and rescue its hostages – somehow politically incorrect?

If that is the case, then such an unspoken strategy is off the charts shameful. Indeed, it is downright embarrassing that these so-called “leaders” would decline to be on the right side of history.

And in the final analysis, that’s precisely what the Walk with Israel boils down to – now more than ever: standing up for what’s right; supporting civilization over barbarism; advocating for democracy as opposed to savagery. Too bad Trudeau, Chow, and Ford all apparently had more pressing matters to attend to last Sunday morning…