A Canadian journalist has been suspended after reportedly making antisemitic comments on live television, saying that American politics, major cities, and Hollywood are “run by Jews.”
The remarks were made by Radio-Canada journalist Élisa Serret during a French-language broadcast on Monday. She claimed that “the Israelis, in fact the Jews, finance a lot of American politics” when asked why the United States has not distanced itself from Israel during the ongoing conflict in Gaza. She added that Jewish people control “a big machine” and that Hollywood and major US cities are “run by Jews,” while discussing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Israel.
Radio-Canada strongly condemned Serret’s comments the following day. In a statement, the network called the remarks “stereotypical, antisemitic, erroneous and prejudicial allegations against Jewish communities.” The broadcaster confirmed that Serret had been placed on indefinite leave.
“These unacceptable comments contravene Radio-Canada’s Journalistic Standards and Practices and in no way reflect the opinion of the public broadcaster,” the network said. “As a result, the news department has decided to relieve the journalist of her duties until further notice.”
The Quebec chapter of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), a Canadian Jewish rights advocacy group, also condemned the comments.
Eta Yudin, vice president of CIJA Quebec, called the remarks “antisemitic lies” and said Radio-Canada took “the only appropriate course of action” by placing Serret on leave. Yudin added that the broadcaster must take steps to prevent such comments, and the systemic issues that allowed them, from appearing on Canadian airwaves again.
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
