Anti-Zionist Jews Join Sherbrooke Rally Marking More Than 1,000 Days of Genocide in Gaza

Demonstrators mark more than 1,000 days of the Gaza crisis as Rabbi Dovid Feldman stresses that opposition to Zionism is not opposition to Judaism.

A well-attended demonstration was held in Sherbrooke, Quebec, on Sunday, July 5, 2026, marking more than 1,000 days of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The event was organized by Solidarité Sherbrooke-Palestine under the theme of continued solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The rally began at 2:00 p.m. at the entrance of Parc Jacques-Cartier in Sherbrooke. Participants gathered to condemn the ongoing bloodshed, destruction, starvation, displacement, and suffering in Gaza, and to call for justice and freedom for the Palestinian people.

Among those present was a contingent of religious anti-Zionist Jews from Montreal, who joined the rally to express their solidarity with Palestine and to clarify that opposition to Zionism and to the actions of the State of Israel is not antisemitism.

Among the speakers was Rabbi Dovid Feldman, who addressed recent false accusations that seek to portray pro-Palestinian activism as antisemitic.

“Anti-Zionism is in no way antisemitism,” Rabbi Feldman stated. “Palestine was never the enemy of the Jewish people, and neither is the pro-Palestinian solidarity movement today. Jews lived in Palestine before the rise of Zionism, in peace and coexistence. The pro-Palestinian movement today condemns crimes and criminals; it does not blame a race or a religion.”

Rabbi Feldman emphasized the clear distinction between Judaism and Zionism.

“Judaism is a religion, while Zionism is a political movement. The two should never be conflated,” he said. “The misuse of Jewish identity and the Jewish religion is a propaganda attempt to make it appear as if condemning Zionism or the State of Israel is antisemitic. But in reality, the existence of the State of Israel stands in total contrast to basic Jewish belief, and the crimes committed against the Palestinian people are grave violations of Judaism.”

Following a number of speeches, the crowd marched through major streets of Sherbrooke. The march paused for a time near the Starbucks on Rue King Ouest, where additional speeches continued, before proceeding to the Centre cultural et Communautaire Françoise-Dunn.

At the center, participants gathered for a solidarity dinner, accompanied by Palestinian music and further remarks from speakers and community representatives.

As the guest speaker at the evening gathering, Rabbi Feldman spoke further about the misuse of accusations of antisemitism to silence criticism of Israel.

“Because Zionism as a philosophy, and the actions of Israel as crimes, are so contrary to Judaism, masses of Jews — from Quebec to Jerusalem — oppose the State of Israel and all its criminal actions,” Rabbi Feldman said. “Therefore, opposition to Zionism cannot be called antisemitic.”

He continued: “Conflating anti-Zionism with antisemitism is not only an injustice to the people of Canada, who deserve freedom of speech. It is not only an injustice to the oppressed people of Palestine, who deserve the righteous voice of people around the world to speak up for them. It is also an injustice to the Jewish people.”

“When anti-Zionism is falsely conflated with antisemitism, or when Judaism is falsely conflated with Zionism, it creates the impression that all Jews support the crimes committed by Israel. This can lead people to wrongly think that Jews as a whole should be held accountable for those crimes. But in reality, the State of Israel in no way represents world Jewry, and certainly does not represent the Jewish religion.”

The demonstration and evening gathering reflected a strong message of solidarity with Gaza and Palestine, while also rejecting attempts to silence advocacy for Palestinian rights. The participation of religious anti-Zionist Jews underscored the message that criticism of Israel and opposition to Zionism are not hatred of Jews, but opposition to oppression, occupation, and crimes committed in the name of a political state.