Canadian Cyclist Disinvited As Speaker At Women’s Event Because Of Past IDF Service

Pro-Palestinian activists continue their aggressive campaign to silence those with any connection to Israel or Judaism.

Their latest target is a Canadian cyclist, Leah Goldstein, who'd been invited to be a keynote speaker at an International Women's Day event in Ontario in March. Goldstein though, was suddenly disinvited in January, according to The Times of Israel. Why? 

Because she'd served in the Israeli army three decades ago.

Event organizers told Goldstein that "a small but growing and extremely vocal group" had been continuously complaining about her inclusion as speaker. The organization then issued a humiliating statement meant to excuse their cowardice and hypocrisy.

"Our focus at INSPIRE has been and will always be to create safe spaces to honor, share, and celebrate the remarkable stories of women and non-binary individuals," the group said in a statement. "In recognition of the current situation and the sensitivity of the conflict in the Middle East, the Board of INSPIRE will be changing our keynote speaker."

Amazing how quickly organizations focused on so-called "inclusion" become exclusionary as soon as the right people complain, isn't it?

Israel is at war with Hamas following the October 7th terrorist attack. (Footage by Amir Levy/Getty Images)

Israel Associations Unacceptable For Pro-Palestinian Activists

Goldstein is an incredibly accomplished cyclist, winning a solo women's event that involved biking across the entire United States. But the fact that she has Israeli heritage and served in the IDF made her presence unacceptable to pro-Palestine activists, and sure enough, the women's (and non-binary) group caved to the "very vocal" pressure.

Yet again, this incident shows that inclusivity only goes so far with progressive organizations. What it means in practice is that those with the correct political ideology and background are supported, while those who are associated with the disfavored current viewpoint are excluded or punished. 

Goldstein told the Times of Israel that none of her speeches even touch on politics. 

"I am zero political when I speak," she said. "Honestly, there is nothing political about my presentation. I just talk about the crap that I went through and the crap that most women go through, and they still do, and how I handled it."

But her heritage and connection to the IDF were enough to activate the "very vocal" chorus of anti-Israel sentiment. 

It's an embarrassment to the organization that caved to the pressure, and a depressing reminder that the ideological hierarchy will always point one way.