Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Ya’ara Saks rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sept. 27.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
A federal cabinet minister was told she wasn’t welcome to visit a reproductive-health advocacy group because of her views on Israel, a decision she told them sends a worrying message to Jewish women across the country.
Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks had hoped to visit the Planned Parenthood Ottawa office for a meeting last Friday ahead of Safe Abortion Day, an international day of advocacy for abortion rights.
Planned Parenthood Ottawa, an agency focused on sexual and reproductive-health choice, initially told her office they would welcome the chance to host her. Then the organization changed its mind.
In a letter to Planned Parenthood obtained by The Globe and Mail, Ms. Saks writes that she was disinvited owing to her “views on the state of Israel amidst the humanitarian crisis against Palestinian peoples.”
Ms. Saks holds Canadian and Israeli citizenship, and described herself in the letter as a proud Jewish woman and fierce Zionist who is no stranger to these kinds of situations.
“Yet, reflecting on the times we are in, I write this letter thinking about the young Jewish women in my life and what the consequences are if they are not welcome in the very spaces that are supposed to be accessible to everyone, equally,” she wrote, adding she is not trying to be critical of Planned Parenthood as an organization or its work.
“All women have a right to make the health care choices that are right for them, and that includes Jewish women,” she wrote.
“I think you would agree that in a time of rising levels of antisemitism and all forms of hatred, we need to come together and create spaces that are inclusive, equitable, and judgement-free.”
Jaisie Walker, executive director of Planned Parenthood Ottawa, did not answer a question from The Globe about which of Ms. Saks’s views were problematic.
“Planned Parenthood Ottawa exists to empower and advocate alongside those seeking sexual and reproductive-health support,” said Mx. Walker, who uses they/them pronouns.
“We are an anti-oppression, community-oriented service organization and hold these values at the centre of all the work we do.”
In her letter to Planned Parenthood, Ms. Saks said she has been an advocate for peace between Israelis and Palestinians for three decades.
Her view on the current conflict is that of the government’s, she told the advocacy group: the need for a ceasefire, the return of all hostages, for Hamas to lay down its arms and for the violence and suffering to end.
Ms. Saks’s background has previously made her a lightning rod for criticism of how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly have responded to the Israel-Hamas war since it began almost a year ago.
She has been accused of not being supportive enough of Israel, with her detractors using her decision to meet with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas during a trip to the region with Ms. Joly in March to try and paint her as disloyal to Canada as well. In August, at an event in her York Centre riding, she was confronted by Palestinian supporters who accused her of only caring about Israeli victims; video of the encounter shows security stepping in to protect her.
“The strong support for the right to Israel to exist, and the need for the safety of Palestinian civilians are not mutually exclusive,” Ms. Saks wrote in her letter.
“I see this occasion as a teachable moment for all and I hope we can get to a place where together we can focus on what ultimately matters most: creating safe spaces in our health care system that serve all Canadians in safety, dignity and equity.”
In response to Ms. Saks’s concerns about the message to Jewish women, Mx. Walker said that Planned Parenthood Ottawa works with and serves people from all backgrounds.
And, Mx. Walker said, the group has now offered a new meeting with Ms. Saks “to discuss ways to advance safe abortion and contraceptive access for all our community members.”
Ms. Saks’s office declined to comment on the exchange, but said they will meet with Action Canada, an umbrella organization that encompasses Planned Parenthood Ottawa to further discuss the matter. Her office did not comment on the meeting on reproductive rights.