Toronto gift shop sparks outrage after responding to Hanukkah inquiry with 'genocide' comment

For the past 13 months, we’ve witnessed so much antisemitism in Canada and elsewhere, inexplicably driven by the events of Oct. 7, 2023, the terrorist attack in Israel in which more Jews were slaughtered in a single day than any other post-Holocaust.

Disturbingly, on a weekly basis, the streets of Toronto and other major cities are occupied by pro Hamas supporters clamoring for the genocide of the Jewish people.

And there are other examples of passive aggression against Jews. Case in point, Rebel News exposed last week that certain employees at FedEx are refusing to deliver shipments sent by Jewish organizations.

All of which brings us to the curious case of Outer Layer Cards & Gifts based in downtown Toronto.

Recently, Outer Layer received considerable attention online – for all the wrong reasons.

The controversy erupted when a would-be shopper reached out to Outer Layer with the following query: “Hi!! Do you have any channukah [sic] décor this year?? LMK! Thanks!”

An Outer Layer representative replied with the following statement: “Depends on what you’re looking for! Unfortunately we don’t have much of a selection this year as a lot of our suppliers turned out to be Zionists in support of the genocide, and we can’t ride with that.”

For starters, what does that statement actually mean? Did Outer Layer send out a questionnaire to its suppliers asking if they were “Zionists in support of the genocide”?

And if so, did the store receive a preponderance of replies stating, “Yes, that’s right – we’re Zionists who support the genocide.”

And not to be a nitpicker here, but which “genocide” is being referenced here?

Or perhaps Outer Layer employs psychics a la the Pre-Crimes Unit of Minority Report and these mind readers can determine via ESP which suppliers are “Zionists in support of the genocide?”

How weird. And why would a gift shop in Toronto stroll down the boycott/divestment/sanctions (BDS) movement path in the first place?

Last Monday, we reached out to Outer Layer owner Elana White. While she declined to come on camera, White said the statements online were not hers but those of another employee. She also said that for the first time in the history of her 22-year-old business, she felt compelled to hire a public relations firm in order to deal with the backlash.

Later that day, Outer Layer posted a statement online that read: “We at Outer Layer deeply regret a recent social media DM made by one of our employees. The statement was inaccurate and inflammatory.

“Outer Layer has always embraced and celebrated diversity, including offering items for Hanukkah. These have been a consistent part of our holiday displays and our homepage.

“To clarify, we have taken action and made the decision to part ways with the employee responsible. We sincerely apologize for any distress this has caused and are committed to regaining your trust through continued inclusivity and respect.”

Alas, this controversy makes for yet another example of an employee making unauthorized comments online and then paying a hefty price for doing so.

But here’s the thing: was the now ex-employee’s sin using the word “suppliers” (plural) as opposed to “supplier” (singular)?

Which is to say, White admitted that the shop did indeed part ways with one supplier because it was discovered that this company – which White declined to name – was making donations to organizations that she did not agree with (such as the Israeli Defense Forces.)

Alas, in the final analysis, it would appear that a little bit of the BDS movement does indeed live on at Outer Layer Cards & Gifts after all…