A longtime CBC journalist and nationwide newsreader has reportedly been faraway from the air and is dealing with disciplinary motion after posting video on social media exhibiting pro-Palestinian protesters outdoors an occasion for Yom Kippur in north Toronto.
Neil Herland posted the video and his feedback on Monday after attending a service on the Meridian Arts Centre at Yonge and Sheppard. The Tune Shul holds annual occasions there to mark Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Yr, and Yom Kippur, often called the Day of Atonement. The synagogue doesn’t have its personal constructing however rents totally different places to carry companies.
“I’m a journalist. And I occur to be Jewish,” Herland wrote within the publish. “On Yom Kippur I went to a synagogue service in Toronto and was met by protesters making an attempt to taunt and intimidate me from coming into the constructing.”
I am a journalist. And I occur to be Jewish. On Yom Kippur I went to a synagogue service in Toronto and was met by protesters making an attempt to taunt and intimidate me from coming into the constructing. 1/5 pic.twitter.com/2eH3MaC9QB
— Neil Herland (@NEWSneil) September 22, 2026
The video exhibits about 20 folks, some blowing horns and waving giant Palestinian flags and indicators. As Herland strikes via them, somebody shouts in his face a number of instances with a megaphone: “You’re going to hell!”
At one other level he turns to look behind him — far away are two people with a placard that claims “The place’s your humanity?” One in all them shouts “Zionist alert” via a megaphone earlier than waving on the digital camera.
In line with Toronto Solar’s Warren Kinsella , CBC administration “quietly pulled Herland off the air” after the publish grew to become recognized, and “hit him with disciplinary motion” over its content material. He added that the primary disciplinary listening to was held with Herland and his lawyer on Thursday.
Herland’s LinkedIn web page notes that he has 30 years of on-air expertise and says: “I’m heard nightly in Canada on each CBC Radio One station and throughout North America on Sirius XM Satellite tv for pc Radio,” including: “Canadian and EU passport holder.”
In his publish on X, Herland says his late father was an Austrian Jew who survived the Holocaust in Romania earlier than coming to Canada as a refugee. “This 12 months I obtained an Austrian passport, in case Canada turns into unsafe for me as a Jew,” he added. “I concern that second is approaching, right here in Canada and elsewhere.”
A CBC spokesperson advised Nationwide Publish by electronic mail: “We respect the privateness rights of our workers and received’t touch upon inside issues. Nevertheless, we’re conscious of reporting on this matter that accommodates errors and mischaracterizations.”
The spokesperson didn’t say what these errors and mischaracterizations have been, citing “the privateness of the state of affairs.”
Whereas the CBC has not commented on the rationale for its motion, a spokesperson for the group Canadians for Justice and Peace within the Center East (CJPME) advised Nationwide Publish: “We submitted complaints to CBC’s Ombud and the Values and Ethics Commissioner. As well as, we created a marketing campaign for others to complain to the Commissioner.”
The group additionally shared its letter to the CBC, which says Herland’s publish “was essentially deceptive to an extent that it seems to be deliberate, leading to disinformation that defames pro-Palestinian activists.”
It goes on to cite CBC’s Journalistic Requirements and Practices , which says that reporting on riots and demonstrations “ought to keep away from inflaming or aiding in any method the assorted sides in a confrontation.” It provides: “Mr. Herland clearly violates these practices.”
Aliza Spiro , artistic director of The Tune Shul and songwriter and singer, wrote a weblog publish this week titled: “Yup. That Was My Shul: The way it feels after a Yom Kippur pro-Palestinian protest.”
She wrote: “Cantor Spiro, the Religious Chief (in addition to my husband, music-partner, and co-founder), walked outdoors, proudly sporting his white kittel, talit, and kippah, and smiled on the protesters, solely to listen to one scream into his megaphone, ‘The Jew smiles whereas he murders infants in Gaza!’”
She added: “When the police officer advised Cantor Spiro to not antagonize them, the Cantor mentioned to the officer, ‘Actually?! They’re those screaming insults at my members. They’re those disrupting our prayers on this holy day. They’re those spreading hate speech. You’d be properly inside your rights to arrest them.’”
Toronto police saved protesters about 5 metres away from the door however didn’t make any arrests.
Herland’s publish and CBC’s response have garnered worldwide consideration. Britain’s Jewish Information ran a narrative concerning the state of affairs, whereas Florida Congressman Randy High quality, a Republican, responded to the unique publish, saying of the protesters: “Do that in Florida, and also you go to jail for 5 years.”
Add my title to the listing of individuals confused concerning the remedy of @NEWSneil following a publish he made which included a video of what occurred to him on his technique to a non secular service. I could not have all of the details, however I do know this: Usually when a journalist witnesses a information story…
— Carole MacNeil (@carolemacneil) September 25, 2026
In the meantime, the X account of the U.S. Israel Schooling Affiliation posted: “Now we have seen the place unchecked hatred can lead. Historical past has taught us that silence within the face of antisemitism comes at a horrible value.”
Carole MacNeil, a former CBC journalist who left the broadcaster in 2021, posted to social media on Friday: “Add my title to the listing of individuals confused concerning the remedy of @NEWSNeil,” his X account.
She added: “Usually when a journalist witnesses a information story dwell they’re inspired to report it. If there was a difficulty with how Neil subsequently posted or framed the fabric, absolutely a easy, ‘Subsequent time, run it previous an editor,’ might suffice. Nevertheless, Israel-Palestinian tales do — and at all times have — made many individuals at CBC Information extraordinarily cautious.”
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