Jewish broadcaster sues Roger Waters over ‘genocidal’ slurs and incitement
Dahlia Kurtz launches Quebec court action, citing online hate, death threats, and severe reputational damage
A Canadian Jewish broadcaster is suing Roger Waters and political activist Yves Engler for defamation and harassment in a major civil lawsuit filed before the Superior Court of Quebec, accusing them of orchestrating a prolonged hate campaign that sparked a flood of rape and death threats.
Dahlia Kurtz, a prominent media personality with a podcast audience of over 40 million, alleges the pair caused “severe reputational injury, threats to her personal safety, and widespread harm to her mental health and professional standing” through an online campaign of incitement that has lasted more than a year.
According to the court filing dated 24 July 2025, the campaign began in March 2024 when Kurtz posted footage of a protest with the caption: “Holocaust. They are calling for another Holocaust.” Engler responded by repeatedly branding her a “genocidal maniac,” “Jewish supremacist,” “compulsive liar,” and “racist genocide promoter” in more than 100 posts across platforms including X, TikTok, and YouTube.
Waters later joined the fray in February 2025, calling Kurtz a “sick puppet in support of genocide” who “should be locked up in a looney bin”. His video, the suit says, was viewed more than 546,000 times across social media.
The claim states: “Defendants published these reckless and defamatory allegations intentionally, in full knowledge of the fact that the allegations contained therein were false and had no basis whatsoever.”
Filed by Montreal firm Spiegel Ryan LLP, the lawsuit demands £86,000 in moral damages and £43,000 in punitive damages from each defendant, citing breaches of Kurtz’s rights under the Quebec Civil Code and the province’s Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.
It also highlights that Waters was found liable for defamation last year in a separate case brought by UK journalist John Ware over comments made in an Al Jazeera documentary.
Court documents describe the impact of the alleged harassment as causing “an extreme amount of stress, embarrassment, and hardship.”
Kurtz reportedly received Holocaust-themed threats including one email saying she and her family “are candidates for die Entlösung (the Final Solution) and that she deserved “nothing less than the gas chamber”. Others wrote: “The bullet is ready for you and your family”, “Hope you get raped you whore”, and “YOU WILL DIE IN THE NEXT HOURS”.
According to the court filing, some threats occurred in person, with strangers allegedly screaming at her in her condo building and calling her a “Nazi”.
“She now often wears hoodies and sunglasses when she leaves the house in an attempt to conceal her identity,” the application says.
Kurtz’s lawyers argue the abuse was directly fuelled by false claims pushed by Engler and Waters to their sizeable online followings. Engler’s content alone was viewed at least 1.8 million times, they say.
Despite being asked to stop, Engler allegedly intensified the attacks and, after being arrested for criminal harassment in February 2025, doubled down online, boasting he had been “emboldened by the duel with Dalia Kurtz”. He later posted a fundraising link encouraging readers to support his continued campaign.
The lawsuit cites multiple instances of alleged antisemitic rhetoric. In one article, Engler referred to Kurtz as a “SuperJew seller” and aggressive Jewish supremacist,” while another accused her of leading “Canada’s fascist movement”.
A cease-and-desist letter sent to Walters in February 2025 was ignored, the court documents state.
In a post last week, pro-Israel commentator David Lange wrote: “When @RogerWayers and @EnglerYves launched their obsessive smear campaign against Jewish advocate @DahliaKurtz, they maybe didn’t expect a courtroom to be their next stage. But that’s exactly where they’re headed.”
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
