Carleton University Students' Association president Erik Halliwell said he was unaware of a press release sent by fellow CUSA executive Nick Bergamini taking a stance on Israeli Apartheid Week.

On March 26, CUSA vice-president (student issues) Bergamini released a statement condemning an e-mail claiming to be from Liberal Ottawa-Centre MPP YasirNaqvi apologizing for his party’s vote opposing Israeli Apartheid Week.

Halliwell said Bergamini's press release entitled “Students' Association Condemns MPP's Support of Hate Speech,”  was not sent on behalf of CUSA, and that none of the other executives were even made aware of its release.

“We currently have no official position on the subject of Israeli Apartheid Week,” Halliwell.

In February, Ontario MPPs unanimously passed a motion condemning IAW, an event which took place on campuses across the country. Thirty MPPs in the 107 seat legislature were present for the vote. The Ontario MPPs stated that the week-long event was a monologue, not a discussion, and denounced both the name and the ideas implied as promoting hatred.

In thepress release, Bergamini openly condemned Naqvi and his apology, and speaks on behalf of unnamed students, stating that “students are disappointed that Naqvi is reopening old wounds.”

Bergamini called on Naqvi to apologize for his statement.

"[Naqvi] completely fails to understand the intimidation and hate Israeli and Jewish students face on campus," Bergamini said in the release.

Bergaminisaid he wrote the release, and that it was his own opinion exclusively. Herefused to comment on the case, as it constitutes an ongoing investigation with regards to Naqvi’s identity theft.

However, shortly after the e-mail was sent out, Naqvi claimed someone sent it impersonating him.

On March 26, an e-mail sent from a free Google account using Naqvi’sname apologized for the decision, and defended the characterization of Israel as an apartheid state. 

Soon after the statement was released, Naqvi’s e-mail was revealed to be fraud. In a statement after the event, the MPP said he felt violated and disturbed from the events of the identity theft.