CBC Newsreader Investigated After Posting Video of Anti-Israel Protest Outside Synagogue

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) newsreader Neil Herland is reportedly under internal investigation and has been pulled off air after posting a video of an anti-Israel protest outside a synagogue service last week.

Herland documented his attempt to enter a Yom Kippur service at The Song Shul at the Meridian Arts Centre, which was met by approximately two dozen demonstrators. The protesters held signs, used noisemakers, and chanted slogans such as "Free, Free Palestine."

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Herland stated, "I'm a journalist. And I happen to be Jewish. On Yom Kippur I went to a synagogue service in Toronto and was met by protesters trying to taunt and intimidate me from entering the building."

In the video, one individual shouted "Zionist alert" as Herland approached, and another reportedly accosted him, shouting, "You're going to hell" for attending the service. The event featured Israeli diplomat and former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu advisor Mark Regev as a speaker.

Herland expressed concerns about the safety of Jewish people in Canada, noting that he obtained an Austrian passport due to fears for his safety. "My late father was an Austrian Jew who survived the Holocaust in Romania. And came to Canada as a refugee. This year I got an Austrian passport, in case Canada becomes unsafe for me as a Jew. I fear that moment is approaching, here in Canada and elsewhere," he wrote.

He further described a sense of isolation for Jewish Canadians, stating, "Jewish Canadians are living in a parallel world. Where police stand guard with guns outside synagogues. And Jewish schools, religious sites and businesses are targeted with bullets. And most Canadians have no awareness or understanding."

The video of the protest has garnered over 3.8 million views. According to The Toronto Sun, Herland was pulled from his on-air duties and informed of an investigation based on complaints filed against him.

The organization Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) encouraged its followers to submit complaints, alleging that Herland's reporting was misleading. The CJPME stated that Herland was on his way to the Meridian Arts Centre to see Mark Regev, not a synagogue, and accused Herland of telling a "demonstrable lie to defame pro-Palestine activists."

When contacted by Fox News Digital, CBC spokesperson Chuck Thompson declined to comment on the specific situation, citing employee privacy. However, Thompson acknowledged awareness of the reporting on the matter, stating that it contained "errors and mischaracterizations" but that the CBC could not provide further details due to the confidentiality of the situation.