Why Avi Benlolo thinks the world needs a new Canadian organization to fight antisemitism

The Abraham Global Peace Initiative is a new human rights think tank founded by Avi Benlolo. And If Benlolo’s name sounds familiar, it may be because he’s a prolific writer and commentator about Israel and Jewish issues, including antisemitism and the Holocaust. Benlolo spent two decades as head of the Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies, in Toronto, until his sudden departure in the summer of 2020. His latest venture is the AGPI, and his supporters include prominent Canadian leaders, including Ed Sonshine, Paul Godfrey, Holocaust survivor Max Eisen and politicians such as Bill Blair, Jerry Grafstein and Stockwell Day. This week, Benlolo plans to bring his venture to the United Nations, where he’s launching his think tank on the international scene and handing out an award in human rights to Canada’s Ambassador to the UN, Bob Rae. While Benlolo says that, in the fight against antisemitism, existing Canadian Jewish groups—including his former employer—have a role to pl