While the multifront war in Iran continues to see fire and fury rain down on the regime from Israel and the United States, across the world in Toronto, the IRGC—the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the primary branch of the regime’s armed forces—held their annual international event: Al Quds Day.

The event is intended to express solidarity with Palestinians and oppose the Israeli “occupation of Jerusalem”—purposefully ignoring that Jews have lived in Jerusalem for millennia. Toronto’s Al Quds Day in past has been highly controversial, with documented instances of both antisemitism and calls for violence.

But for those in the streets, the event is jubilation, and for protesters a macabre spectacle. Those who oppose the regime and have felt the brutal and harsh reality of it, the fact that this event happens on international streets is galling, offensive, and painful.

It is especially painful for Jews who have felt the brutal reality of the Islamic regime, and especially painful this year with the event following a terror attack at a Michigan synagogue and daycare. That attack saw a car ramming that ended in the suspect taking his own life after driving into the school and hitting a security guard.

In fact, it was a full week of antisemitic brutality: in Amsterdam, an explosive was detonated outside of a Jewish school; in Rotterdam, an explosion/arson attack occurred at a synagogue; in Liege, a blast damaged a synagogue in what has been called an antisemitic attack; in Norway, there were arrests near the Oslo synagogue after suspects were found with illegal firearms and explosives. And of course, this all follows the three synagogues shot at in Toronto just weeks ago. It is all so tiring, maddening, saddening, and angering.

Which is why it is all so infuriating that Premier Doug Ford opted for performative neutrality and optics with Al Quds Day 2026. The Premier made a big deal when he released a video on Friday afternoon declaring that he’d directed his government to immediately file an injunction to stop the event.

It was a rare moment of optimism on my part, but I actually believed he had a plan. I praised the actions on X, simply stating: “10/10 no notes.” Yes, I questioned why he’d wait until the 11th hour—well into the afternoon on a Friday—to bring the issue forward, but I dismissed it as a matter of necessity following moral courage. This is the same man who said he’d ban Al Quds Day literally years ago, only to do nothing. But I suspected that following the Michigan synagogue attack, he realized the powder keg that this event could be.

Saturday kicked in as suspected with Al Quds Day getting into effect, and all eyes were on the courtroom to find out what the government brought to the table. Unfortunately, not much. The injunction was dismissed and Al Quds Day could go on—not that at that point it had mattered, as it had already been occurring for literally hours. Superior Court Justice Robert Centa ruled that the province failed to meet the legal threshold, noted that the police hadn’t even requested the order, and that was that.

What’s the point of having a Premier and a majority government if you’re not going to use it?

If the Premier really wanted to stop Al Quds Day, he’s got the tools to do so: a majority government to pass legislation banning it, and the political sledgehammer if ruled unconstitutional—the Notwithstanding Clause. He has deployed that clause for far less than stopping a march for genocide, using it in the past to cap third-party election spending and end school board strikes.

If the Premier actually believes that Al Quds Day is a “breeding ground for hate,” then he should take structural action. The bleak reality is that Premier Ford knew exactly what he was doing when he waited until the 11th hour to act. He opted for the weakest tool in his kit, deployed it at the wrong time, and is now blaming the judge—acting as his own Monday morning quarterback. It’d be poetic if it weren’t so tragic.

We’re watching a war unfold on our screens across the world, and at home, we’re watching a government squander the power that desperate citizens could only even dream of attaining. It is a masterclass in mendacity. While this year’s Al Quds Day protests occurred without violence, the message was the same: the destruction of the State of Israel and its people.

Ontario residents shouldn’t be subjected to such messaging on our streets—during wartime, or anytime. Leadership isn’t about social media clips and trending hashtags; leadership is about taking action when necessary, even if it means attracting an opposition.

Premier Ford, it’s time to follow through on your declaration to legislate Al Quds Day illegal in Ontario. It’s time to stop straddling the middle and take a side. Ontarians don’t want a Monday morning quarterback. Ontarians want a winner.

---