Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion has issued an official condemnation of anti-Semitic attacks launched against former rival Bob Rae and his wife during the convention that elected Mr. Dion chief.
"The hateful comments made against Liberal leadership candidate Bob Rae and his wife Arlene Perly Rae at the Liberal leadership convention in Montreal are reprehensible and will not be tolerated within the Liberal Party of Canada," Mr. Dion said in a statement.
Mr. Rae's wife is Jewish and the couple were targeted by smear attacks before Mr. Rae was eliminated on the third ballot on Dec. 2. According to a Rae team source, Ms. Perly Rae was approached by someone at the convention who didn't recognize her and asked if she was aware that the leadership candidate's wife was Jewish. She replied she was aware because she was Mr. Rae's wife.
Also, a flyer targeting Mr. Rae was circulated among some delegates during the convention. It attacked him for having delivered a speech to the Jewish National Fund, a group it accused of "war crimes" and "ethnic cleansing."
The bulletin, which featured text superimposed over Mr. Rae's face, said the candidate's "wife is a vice- president of the [Canadian Jewish Congress] a lobby group which supports Israeli apartheid and Israel's illegal Apartheid wall." It concluded: "Bob Rae supports Israeli Apartheid. Don't elect a leader who supports Apartheid."
The Canadian Jewish Congress denounced the flyer and accused an official with the Canadian Arab Federation of helping circulate it. The Arab group denied producing or distributing it and called the charge an attempt to "disparage and defame" the federation.
Still, in a statement, the Canadian Arab Federation reproduced parts of the same criticisms voiced in the flyer and said "Canadians have a right to know the factual information" raised by critics of Israel.
Mr. Dion said the hatred in the attacks toward Mr. Rae and his wife has no place in the Liberal Party.
"There is no room for abhorrent comments such as these within our party. The individuals who made these despicable and prejudiced comments are condemned by myself and Liberals throughout Canada," Mr. Dion said.
The statement -- issued Friday evening -- was Mr. Dion's attempt to put a damper on the subject and heal divisions, just as political rivals were starting to take notice.
Earlier Friday, in Parliament, Conservative MP Chris Warkentin raised the attacks on the Raes.
"During their leadership race, Liberal delegates were encouraged to not vote based on who was best for the job, but based on racist and bigoted stereotypes," Mr. Warkentin said in the House of Commons.
"On the government side of the House, we believe in a Canada that accepts all and encourages all to be involved in politics. It is too bad that some members of the Liberal Party do not agree."
Mr. Dion's statement came out the same day that other federal Liberal politicians were separately condemning the anti-Rae actions.
Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel, co-chaired by Liberal MP Anita Neville and Senator David Smith, issued a statement calling the attacks "abhorrent" and slanderous.
With a report from Campbell Clark
Steven Chase