A Canadian Palestinian Congress official on Monday blamed "Jewish extremist groups" for daubing painted slogans on Palestine House, a cultural center for the integration of Palestinian immigrants in Canada.
Police in this Toronto suburb have opened an investigation after vandals scrawled "Death to Arafat" and "the Jewish people live," on the walls and door of Palestine House, which is part-funded by Canada's Immigration Ministry, the organization's president, Rashad Saleh, said.
Canadian and Palestinian flags -- the latter daubed in Hebrew writing -- were torn up, according to Saleh.
He said "Jewish extremist groups" were responsible for the acts in the wake of a demonstration by 2,000 Palestinians on Thursday and other recent protests in front of the Israeli Consulate in Toronto.
The center has received numerous "hate messages" in the past, he said.
"That extremist reaction was triggered by the demonstrations staged by the Canadian Palestinian community," said Saleh.
Toronto's Canadian Palestinian community numbers about 10,000.
"We are not talking about dollars and cents," he said. "What matters here is the message that is sent to us."
Palestine House, set up in 1992, offers courses in English and Arabic to newly arrived Palestinian immigrants -- MISSISSAUGA, Canada (AFP)
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