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Ezra Levant
Photo: U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Canada, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons16

Ezra Levant

Canadian media personality and conservative activist

Ezra Isaac Levant (born February 20, 1972) is a Canadian media personality, political activist, writer, broadcaster, and former lawyer. Levant is the founder and former publisher of the conservative magazine, the Western Standard.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Ezra Levant (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Feb 20, 1972.1

About

He is also the co-founder, owner, and CEO of the far-right media website Rebel News. Levant has also worked as a columnist for Sun Media, and he hosted a daily program on the Sun News Network from the channel's inception in 2011 until its demise in 2015.

Levant rose to prominence in 2006 after publishing the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons in the Western Standard, which led to a protracted legal battle with the Alberta Human Rights Commission regarding hate speech legislation and freedom of speech. The complaint against Levant was ultimately withdrawn. In February 2015, Levant co-founded Rebel News with Brian Lilley; Lilley left Rebel News in 2017 citing lack of editorial standards. Under Levant, Rebel News has been described as a platform for the anti-Islamic ideology known as counter-jihad.

Levant self-identifies as a libertarian conservative. He has been identified by others as belonging to the Canadian far right. Levant has expressed support for the Canadian petroleum industry and for fracking. In 2011 and 2014, Levant was successfully sued for libel, with the court in each case compelling a compensatory payment in the five digits.

From Wikipedia’s article on Ezra Levant, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Companies

Early life and education

  • Date not recordedHaskayne School of Business3
  • Date not recordedUniversity of Alberta3
  • Date not recordedUniversity of Calgary3

Levant was born to an Ashkenazi Jewish family in Calgary, Alberta. His great-grandfather emigrated to Canada in 1903 from Russia to establish a homestead near Drumheller, Alberta. Levant grew up in a suburb of Calgary. He attended the Calgary Hebrew School in his childhood before transferring to a public junior high school.

Levant campaigned for the Reform Party of Canada as a teenager and joined it as a university student. From 1990 to 1993, while at the University of Calgary, his two-person team won the "best debating" category in the Inter-Collegiate Business Competition held at Queen's University. The first two of those years, his debate partner was future Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi. He has subsequently accused Nenshi, who is Ismaili, of "anti-Christian bigotry" as mayor.

In 1994, he was featured in an article in The Globe and Mail on young conservatives after accusing the University of Alberta of racism for instituting an affirmative action program of hiring women and Indigenous professors. After his actions outraged Indigenous law students, feminists, and a number of professors, Levant was called to a meeting with the assistant dean who advised him of the university's non-academic code of conduct and defamation laws. As head of the university's speakers committee, Levant organized a debate between Doug Christie, a lawyer known for his advocacy in defence of Holocaust deniers and accused Nazi war criminals, and Thomas Kuttner, a Jewish lawyer from the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission.

Levant was invited to write a guest column for the Edmonton Journal and interviewed on television. He spent the summer of 1994 in Washington, D.C., in an internship arranged by the libertarian Koch Summer Fellow Program. In 1995, he worked for the Fraser Institute and wrote Youthquake, which argued for smaller government, including privatization of the Canada Pension Plan. Levant saw "youthquake," the term he used to describe what he identified as a conservative youth movement of the 1990s, as similar to the 1960s civil rights movement. In his eyes, instead of being enslaved by racism, his generation was "enslaved by debt", and in order to liberate itself, society needed to dismantle elements such as trade unions, the minimum wage, universal health care, subsidized tuition, and public pension plans.

From Wikipedia’s article on Ezra Levant (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: jurist, journalist, political activist, lawyer, columnist.7

In law

Levant was called to the Bar in 2000 and began practising law, working in a law firm for less than two years, but ceased his practice c. 2003 in order to pursue interests in politics and the media. Though a non-practising lawyer, he maintained his membership in the Law Society of Alberta until 2016 when he resigned. Levant had been the subject of 26 complaints to the Law Society since 2004 as a result of his public statements and political activities. 24 of the complaints were dismissed and the final two were pending when he resigned.

At the Western Standard

In 2004, Levant co-founded the Western Standard, an Alberta-based magazine with an emphasis on Western Canada and political conservatism. In October 2007, the magazine ceased publication of its print edition after failing to become profitable, becoming an online magazine. Levant later sold the publication's remaining assets to Matthew Johnson, the former legislative aide to Rahim Jaffer.

On February 13, 2006, the Western Standard published the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons depicting unflattering images of Muhammad.[1] Syed Soharwardy, a Calgary Imam and president of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, complained about the publication to the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission.

On December 21, 2007, Soharwardy withdrew his complaint against the magazine when Johnston apologized directly and publicly to Soharwardy and Canada's Muslim community for publishing the cartoons.

Levant refused to apologize and a hearing was scheduled for January 2008. On the day of the hearing, Levant republished the cartoons on his personal website. At the request of Levant and his lawyers, Levant was allowed to videotape his interview with Shirlene McGovern, a human rights investigator with the Alberta Human Rights Commission. Levant later posted the videos on YouTube.

On February 15, 2008, Soharwardy announced he was withdrawing his complaint against Levant. He said in a guest column for The Globe and Mail that publishing the cartoons "was irresponsible and was intended to cause strife," but acknowledged their publication "may not fall outside the limits of free speech." In August 2008, the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission dismissed a similar complaint against Levant made by the Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities.

Levant described his experience with the Alberta Human Rights Commission in his 2009 book, Shakedown. In 2011, Shakedown was selected as Writers' Trust and Samara's "Best Canadian Political Book of the Last 25 Years" based on popular vote. Levant's battle with the Alberta Human Rights Commission has been cited as having contributed to the 2012 repeal of Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act.

In a January 2015 interview with Maclean's that was done shortly after the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris, Levant defended publishing the cartoons. He also criticized other media outlets for refusing to publish the cartoons or the material at Charlie Hebdo.

Read more

As lobbyist and promoter

From 2009 until 2010, Levant worked as a lobbyist for Rothman's Incorporated, a manufacturer and distributor of tobacco products, and for Achieve Energy Services Limited Partnership, part of the Alberta oil and gas industry.

In March 2010, Levant accompanied fellow conservative personality Ann Coulter on a Canadian speaking tour. Her speech at the University of Ottawa was canceled at the last minute, apparently by its organizers, because of what Levant claimed was "physical danger to Coulter and the audience" from protesters. The Ottawa Police later disputed any claims of unrest or violence.

In 2010, Levant published the book Ethical Oil, which won the 2011 National Business Book Award. Levant's 2014 book, Groundswell: The Case for Fracking, was a finalist for the 2015 National Business Book Award.

As columnist

Levant wrote an irregular column for the Calgary Sun for ten years, until he was dropped in October 2007 because of "internal decisions." He continued to write occasional columns for the National Post on a freelance basis until 2010.

In 2010, Levant joined Sun Media as a columnist and was given an on-air position on its Sun News Network as host of The Source, an evening talk show, when that channel launched in April 2011. In 2012, during his tenure at Sun News, Levant received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. On February 13, 2015, Sun News Network was shut down, hence terminating The Source. His column for QMI/Sun Media ended at the same time.

At Rebel News

Following the closure of Sun News Network, on February 16, 2015, Levant launched The Rebel website as a corporate endeavour with a YouTube channel for videos produced by himself, Brian Lilley and other former Sun News Network personalities. Levant argued his online production would be unencumbered by the regulatory and distribution challenges faced by the Sun News Network. He also said lower production costs would make it more viable. A crowdfunding campaign raised $100,000 for the project.

Lilley quit the Rebel on 12 August 2017, following coverage of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, by Faith Goldy, who was later fired by Levant. Lilley said he had become uncomfortable with what he felt was an "increasingly harsh tone" when The Rebel discussed topics such as immigration or Islam. He also accused The Rebel of exhibiting a "lack of editorial and behavioural judgment that left unchecked will destroy it and those around it."

In 2017, The Rebel was repeatedly the object of controversy, including advertising boycott campaigns in Canada and the UK, the loss of several well-known contributors, and the cancellation under pressure of a planned Caribbean cruise featuring The Rebel personalities. As of February 20, 2022, The Rebel Media had more than 1.56 million subscribers on its YouTube channel.

From Wikipedia’s article on Ezra Levant (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Personal life

  • BornFeb 20, 1972, Calgary8
  • CitizenshipCanada9
  • ResidenceToronto10

Politics

Political activism

Uniting the right

In 1996, Levant worked with David Frum to organize the "Winds of Change" conference in Calgary, an early attempt to encourage the Reform Party of Canada and Progressive Conservative Party of Canada to merge so that a united rightwing party could defeat the Liberal Party of Canada in the subsequent election. While unsuccessful, the conference anticipated future attempts at a Unite the Right movement which ultimately led to the formation of the Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. Levant supported Preston Manning's United Alternative initiative in 1999, a more advanced attempt to unite the country's conservative movement and was one of the leaders of the movement to create the Canadian Alliance as an attempt to broaden the party's base.

Political organizer and aide

While he was a law student, Levant was an active political organizer in the Reform Party, and guided the successful attempts by Rahim Jaffer (as the campaign manager for his nomination in Edmonton-Strathcona and later as his communications-director during the 1997 Federal Election) and Rob Anders to win party nominations. In 1997, he went to Ottawa to work for the Reform Party, becoming a parliamentary aide to party leader Preston Manning and being put in charge of question period strategy. Along with newly elected MP's Rob Anders, Jason Kenney and Rahim Jaffer, Levant was part of an up-and-coming group of young Reformers which pundits dubbed the "Snack Pack" due to their relative youth and obesity.

In 1999, after being dismissed as Preston Manning's legislative-assistant, Levant left Ottawa to join the editorial board of the fledgling National Post newspaper in Toronto. A close friend of Stockwell Day's son Logan, Levant proclaimed himself a "Stockaholic" and supported the elder Day in his successful attempt to defeat Reform Party leader Preston Manning for the leadership of the new Canadian Alliance.

In February 2001, he returned to Ottawa as communications director to Day. In May of that year he resigned after leaking to the National Post a letter that he sent to dissident MP Chuck Strahl in which he threatened to sue over Strahl's criticisms of his office.

Read more

Candidacy and resignation

Later in 2001, Levant returned to Calgary to practise law. By February 2002 he had won the Canadian Alliance party nomination for the riding of Calgary Southwest, but stepped aside after public pressure so that new party leader Stephen Harper could run there in a 2002 by-election. When the by-election was called, Levant, who said he spent over $150,000 to gain the nomination, announced on March 28 that he would not step aside. Later that night, however, he relented after widespread pressure from the party and accusations that he was putting himself ahead of the party. His campaign communication director was Pierre Poilievre, future Leader of the Official Opposition.

Organizing rallies

On December 4, 2016, Levant organized a political rally at the Legislature in Edmonton, Alberta, during which the crowd chanted 'lock her up', referring to Rachel Notley. Commentators were critical since Notley has never been accused of any crime. Commentators stated the rally imported the worst aspects of US politics into Canada.

Political views

Levant has called himself a libertarian, saying he is "basically someone who believes in freedom," although he says he is more "mainstream conservative" when it comes to social issues and foreign affairs. He has said, "It's tough to be a pure libertarian, because reality has a way of messing with that beautiful theory."

Views on Quebec

Levant favoured Quebec sovereignty and a yes vote during the 1995 Quebec referendum in a Calgary Sun column titled "10 Reasons to Hope for a Yes Victory" Among his 10 reasons were Levant's views that the departure of Quebec from Canadian Confederation would lead to the elimination of bilingualism and multiculturalism, that it would give the Canadian government the "fortitude" to say no to "other special interest groups" such as First Nations and environmentalists; it would end corruption in Parliament, which Levant blamed on Quebec politicians, and clear the way for Preston Manning to become Prime Minister of Canada.

In 1996, Levant wrote a column saying that if the federal Liberals were re-elected, Alberta could separate from Canada, making it "free from Quebec's demands."

2012 American presidential election

In a column on the eve of the 2012 presidential election, Levant wrote: "America is resilient. But four more years of Obama will change that country deeply — and not for the better." He urged readers to oppose President Obama's reelection. In the article, Levant stated of Obama that "alone amongst modern presidents he has not visited Israel during his presidency." National Post columnist Chris Selley accused Levant of "making up one of his patented 'facts'" and referred to a Washington Post article that noted most American presidents since Israel's founding in 1948 have not visited during their presidency; only Clinton and Carter visiting during their first terms. Levant predicted a Romney victory, with at least 295 electoral votes to 243 for Obama. He said that "every poll that shows Obama ahead in battleground states is equally skewed" and were biased in favour of Obama.

Stance against the Alberta Human Rights Commission

Levant is a fierce critic of the Alberta Human Rights Commission, particularly concerning Rev. Stephen Boissoin, who in the Lund v. Boissoin matter was fined $7,000 and banned from publicly "disparaging... gays and lesbians" in May 2008. This case concerned a letter published by the Red Deer Advocate in 2002 in which Boissoin attacked the "homosexual agenda" as "wicked". In June 2008, Levant republished Boissoin's letter on his blog. When the AHRC dismissed the resulting complaint in November 2008, Levant accused the HRCs of religious discrimination, asserting that "100% of the CHRC's targets have been white, Christian or conservative" and that "It's legal for a Jew like me to publish [Boissoin's letter]. It's illegal for a Christian like Rev. Boissoin to publish it." The HRC's ruling was overturned by the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta in 2009, on the grounds that Boissoin's remarks were not hateful. In 2012, the Court of Appeal of Alberta upheld the Court of Queen's Bench decision.

Levant's case has attracted the attention of organizations such as PEN Canada, the Canadian Association of Journalists, and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association — all of which have called for reform of the commissions. He was also featured on Glenn Beck's former show on CNN.

CBC opponent

Sun Media, owned by Quebecor, systematically opposed funding for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in an on-air campaign led by Levant and Brian Lilley.

Idle No More

On January 20, 2013, Idle No More protesters confronted Ezra Levant at the Toronto Sun office as part of a larger protest against Sun Media. They claimed Sun Media and Levant had a racist agenda and protested commentary made both in the Sun newspaper and on the Sun News Network about "the plight of Native Canadians, the funding of reserves, the Idle No More movement, and the ongoing hunger strike of Attawapiskat chief Theresa Spence." Levant responded to protesters saying he supports reforming the Indian Act, which he called racist. Levant later said the protesters were a 'rent a mob' who were paid to attend any protest.

From Wikipedia’s article on Ezra Levant (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Awards

  • 2014Sappho Award11 12

Sources

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