The Nakba exhibit opening at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg has sparked outrage from the Jewish community, with Avi Benlolo calling for its suspension. In an opinion piece published June 26, 2026, Benlolo argues that the exhibit undermines the legitimacy of Israel and contradicts the museum's Holocaust exhibit, which was built on truth, consultation, and transparency.
Jewish community's historical role in human rights
Benlolo highlights the Jewish community's longstanding commitment to human rights advocacy, citing the concept of "Tikkun Olam" (repair of the world) and the biblical command to pursue justice. He notes that Jewish figures like Gloria Steinem and Rabbi Abraham Heschel played pivotal roles in the feminist and civil rights movements, while Holocaust survivors like Elie Wiesel and Max Eisen educated the world about the consequences of hatred.
"Indifference is the greatest sin in the world," Wiesel warned, a principle that inspired the creation of Holocaust museums and the Canadian Museum of Human Rights itself. Benlolo quotes Eisen's memoir, By Chance Alone, in which Eisen expressed hope that educating students about the Holocaust would combat racism and bigotry.
Nakba exhibit criticized as one-sided
Benlolo describes the Nakba—Arabic for "catastrophe"—as the Arabs' loss after they rejected the United Nations partition plan and launched a war against Israel in 1948. He asserts that the exhibit presents an "alternative reality" about the Middle East conflict, ignoring the historical context of Arab aggression.
Professor Mark Berlin resigned from the museum's board of trustees this week, accusing the museum of promoting "ideology" instead of accurate history. "Presenting the Palestinian displacement of 1948 without its proper historical and political context offers a narrow, one-sided argument of history that can only deepen the distrust and animosity that currently exists between Jews and Muslims in this country," Berlin said.
Warning to the Jewish community
Benlolo warns that the Jewish community should reconsider funding public institutions in a climate of "state-backed antisemitism." He argues that the Nakba exhibit is designed to undermine Israel's legitimacy and contradicts the museum's original mission, which was inspired by the late Israel Asper's dream of a human rights museum in Canada.
The controversy highlights growing tensions over how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is portrayed in Canadian public institutions. Benlolo concludes that the exhibit must be suspended to preserve the museum's integrity and the trust of the Jewish community.
