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Toronto, Mayor Rob Ford is considering apologizing for making a racist statement that his brother is now taking heat for.
Mayoral candidate Doug Ford got into hot water Sunday during a debate hosted by Toronto’s Jewish community when his rival Ari Goldkind said he would begin tackling anti-Semitism by not electing a mayor who calls Jewish people “a derogatory name that starts with K.”
In an attempt to defend his brother, Doug Ford told the crowd of more than 600 people that his family respects the Jewish community and that his doctor, dentist, lawyer and accountant are all Jewish. The audience jeered at his response. After the debate, the other leading mayoral candidate Olivia Chow called for Rob Ford to apologize for his anti-Semitic remarks, and front-runner John Tory’s campaign issued a news release calling Ford’s behaviour “shameful.”
The public backlash against Ford continued to build Monday. Tory told reporters that Ford must “drag himself into the 21st century,” and Ford stated that he refuses to participate in future debates that include Goldkind. He continued trying to bolster his family’s ties to the Jewish community by saying that his wife is also Jewish.
The mayor, who was in attendance at the debate, told the Toronto Sun that he was “blindsided” because he did not initially remember saying the offensive remark he was reported to have made in 2013 till his wife, Renata, confirmed it.
“I was taken aback,” the mayor told the Sun. “I said to Renata, ‘I don’t remember saying that,’ and she said, ‘Yeah, you did. You insulted 99 per cent of the world and you don’t remember covering that one?’”
Now, as he reportedly prepares for his second round of chemotherapy Wednesday morning, the mayor is attempting to rescue his brother by telling the Sun that Doug Ford “is a good guy” who should not be held accountable for the mayor’s past mistakes.
“This has nothing to do with Doug,” the mayor told The Sun.
He also said that he is considering issuing a personal apology to Goldkind, who is himself Jewish.
Rob Ford issued a general apology to everyone he offended during an interview with CP24 in July after returning from a two-month stint at a rehab facility. He blamed his choice of words on substance abuse at the time, and reiterated this explanation to The Sun.
