Elise Gravel is an author/illustrator of funny and engaged books for kids. She writes that her goal “is to promote diversity, tolerance, respect and empathy.”
As a fan writes on Facebook, “You are my children’s favorite author and helped feed their little minds and imagination.”
In February of last year, Montreal’s Jewish Public Library removed from its open shelves the books of this (bottom)feeder of children’s minds. The reason? Her social media posts that included outright antisemitic blood libels.
Since the Israeli-Palestinian conflict erupted in October, Gravel has voiced her views on social media, accusing the Israeli government of bombing children and oppressing Palestinians — comments that have upset some members of Quebec’s Jewish community.
In response, Montreal’s Jewish Public Library has removed her books from its open shelves. At the same time, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), which represents Jewish federations across the country, has accused her of antisemitism.
CIJA’s Quebec vice-president, Eta Yudin, says that the author’s posts are one-sided.
“We didn’t hear her talk about the barbarism, the rape, the hostages taken on Oct. 7th,” she said.
Yudin also says Gravel is spreading falsehoods and engaging in antisemitic tropes, conspiracy theories and myths.
“People are very upset with what they’re seeing in her illustrations and in her posts that clearly cross the line, whether intentionally or not … the kind of material that fuels antisemitism,” said Yudin.
On social media networks like Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter, CIJA disapproved of the use of the word “they” in one of Gravel’s posts that the group says read “They are convinced that we are okay with their idea to exterminate the Palestinians, like vermin. Even children, even newborns.”
Gravel has since changed the first “they” to “Netanyahu and his allies” in what she said in the comments below the post was a clarification “because people are always trying to find a hateful meaning in every one of my posts,” adding that she was not speaking about a specific religious or ethnic group committing violence.
In a post from two weeks Gravel walked back a comment she had made about what she had said was Israel possessing “the largest skin bank in the world, harvested from Palestinians.”
Gravel removed the comment, writing “I’m thankful to anyone who points out questionable information I might be inadvertently relaying.”
“There is a lot of disinformation circulating around this crisis, and I don’t want to accidentally contribute to it.”
We've seen an escalation in antisemitism and conspiracy theories from Montreal children's author Elise Gravel.
— CIJA (@CIJAinfo) February 6, 2024
As example, in the first image she invokes the antisemitic trope of ritual murder. 'They are convinced that we are okay with their idea to exterminate the… pic.twitter.com/XhiFI57rmu
Gravel denied being antisemitic
“I stand firmly against any form of discrimination and racism, including antisemitism,” the post goes on to read. “The Israeli government does not represent the views of every Jew on the planet. Criticizing the state of Israel is not antisemitic.”
and Montreal’s Jewish Public Library ended up reversing their decision, citing “intellectual freedom.”
In June, Gravel was made a member of the Order of Canada.
Now you might think being made aware of the offense of her posts to the Jewish community, their inaccuracy, as well as being awarded the Order of Canada, might have caused Elise Gravel to be more careful with her posts.
You’d be wrong. She has continued on her merry, vile way.
Like posting the below on October 7 this year:
No condemnation of the atrocity, nor mention of the murdered Israelis (including the Bibas children), the raped women, or the hostages.
Gravel also posted the below in September:
Calling us “baby killers” is yet another antisemitic blood libel. As is this:
And how is this for besmirching over 90% of world Jewry (and plenty of non-Jews):
You get the idea.
You’d think that after being called out for spreading antisemitic filth, and then being handed one of Canada’s top honours, she might stop digging. But no – she’s still happily swinging the shovel.
She claims to teach children empathy, yet shows none for Jewish babies butchered in their beds.
She preaches tolerance, yet traffics in blood libels older than the printing press.
She’s proof that you can write children’s books without ever growing up yourself.
An author who is supposed to be nurturing young minds is instead sowing the seeds of hate, one vile illustration at a time.
