TORONTO. February 18, 2004. Court heard a relaxed Ernst Zündel tell of his
life in Canada. His was an immigrant success story: a graphic artist, with
400 words of English, who almost immediately was earning twice the average
wage and was quickly moving to the top of his profession. Proud of his
newly adopted land, Mr. Zündel began to educate himself about politics and
began to participate,  first in the Ralliament des Creditistes (the Social
Credit Party) in Quebec and, then, in the Liberal Party. 

However, as he
began to speak out for fairness for German Canadians, he became the object
of a concerted lobbying campaign by organized Jewish groups that led to his
being denied citizenship, being charged on numerous occasions, and being
the victims of bombings, arson, telephone harassment and assault.

The Zündel story emerged in a Toronto Court today before Mr. Justice
Pierre Blais. The court hearing is investigating the reasonableness of a
CSIS national security certificate issued last May 1 against Mr. Zündel and
alleging that he is a threat to national security because he is a
terrorist. 

The testimony of the 64-year old German publisher was cut short
at 3:10m when lead counsel Peter Lindsay, after consulting with other
members of the defence team, requested an adjournment. Mr. Zündel had been
relaxed, confident and humorous in his morning testimony. However, as the
afternoon wore on, he became pale and somewhat forgetful. Mr. Lindsay told
the Court Mr. Zündel was suffering from the effects of antibiotics given
him Monday for a periodontal condition.

Mr. Zündel told the Court: "I was born on April 24, 1939" in Southern
Germany. "My father was a Social Democrat and a Seventh Day Adventist.
Early on, I was recognized for my aptitude for drawing and art. I went to
Pforzheim, a town 20 km. away, took an aptitude test and enrolled in an
institute for graphic arts. I was in a three year apprenticeship, which
lasted from ages 14 to 17. I attended school two days a week."

On graduating, Mr. Zündel spent a year in Northern Germany "to learn
German", as, up until then, he had only spoken the local Swäbish dialect.
He, then, applied to emigrate to Canada.

"I came to Canada in 1958, first to Quebec City and, then, to Montreal,"
he told the Court. "I started work in Toronto, but moved back to Montreal
in 1960." His fine German education ensured that his graphic arts skills
were in high demand in Toronto.

"I had 400 words of English and no French, when I arrived," Mr. Zündel
explained. "Within three days of arriving in Toronto, I landed a fantastic
job in the graphic arts department of Simpson Sears. I was earning twice
the average salary. I went to night school to learn English and there met
my wife, a French Canadian girl named Janick who came from Ste. Josette
d'Alma. We married. My wife was pregnant and became homesick for Quebec. We
moved to Montreal in 1960."

In Montreal, "there was not enough work for my qualifications. So, I
freelanced and scrambled very hard to find work. I was making less in a
month than I had earned in one week in Toronto.. Eventually, I landed a
good job at Macdonald's Federated. By 1963, I had earned enough money to
buy a house and two cars."

However, Mr. Zündel was spiritually restless. His swift financial and
professional success made him hungry to learn and broaden himself. His
political education began in 1960, when he met Adrien Arcand, who, in the
1930s. "had started the National Socialist Christian Party in Quebec. A
former RCMP undercover agent told me to visit Mr. Arcand.'

A solemn Mr. Zündel told Mr. Justice Pierre Blais: "Mr. Arcand was the
most profound influence on my life. He let me read the books in his huge
library, including books in German. We'd meet on Saturday mornings and
talk, while my wife and Madam Arcand and my son would socialize. Mr. Arcand
said I was a brainwashed young German. I'd been taught the Allies
non-history at school. Mr. Arcand had a profound influence on me. He shook
me up. It took me two years to realize that there was another version of
history. We talked about Nuremburg, about ex post facto law. Mr. Arcand
saved me decades of going down false tracks. he had been one of Quebec's
best journalists. Mr. Arcand was one of the greatest French Canadians I've
met in my life. My relationship with him continued until the day he died in
1967."

Flowing from what he'd learned from Adrien Arcand, Mr. Zündel decided to
get involved in politics. "Much to the dismay of Adrien Arcand, I joined
the Creditistes of Rheal Caouette. I became their ethnic groups organizer.
I met Gilles Caouette and Dr. Robert Thompson, the leader of the Western
wing of the Social Credit Party. I made radio commercials for the
Creditistes in the early 1960s. Rheal Caouette was a real firebrand. He was
alive to the Jewish issue. Copies of the Protocols of the Learned Elders of
Zion were sometimes sold under the counter at Creditiste meetings."

It was not long, however, before Mr. Zündel became disillusioned with the
mercurial Creditistes, who had captured the public interest by being
different from the staid and compromised old parties, the Liberals and
Conservatives. Mr. Zündel came to believe that Caouette lacked  substance.
"Mr. Caouette had little ideology. Factions and schisms began to develop
within the party."

Mr. Zündel began to look around for a new political home. "I kept an eye
on the Liberal Party. I saw people there like Andre Laurendeau and Jean
Lesage. Under Premier Lesage and his 'Quiet Revolution', Quebec was
becoming almost European and much less Church-dominated. I joined the
Liberals in 1967.

I was doing graphic arts work and had founded Ernst Zündel Studios. I
attended night school courses at Sir George Williams University, taking
courses in political science, history, English and French." Although
working at a full time job, Mr. Zündel also wrote for the student newspaper.

When Prime Minister Lester Pearson stepped down as Liberal leader because
of ill health, according to Liberal Party tradition, the next leader would
be a French Canadian.  I had supported bilingualism. When Jewish Judge
Maxwell Cohen spearheaded a resolution supporting bilingual labelling, I
seconded the resolution."

In a bold move for a recent immigrant, the ambitious Ernst Zündel announced
his candidacy for the leadership of the Liberal Party at a press conference
at the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Hotel in downtown Montreal. Reminiscing
about this golden bygone era, Mr. Zündel told the Court: "I loved this
country. It was 1967. With Expo '67, Montreal was the centre of the world.
There was no inflation. I wanted to put my shoulder to the wheel. I felt
that German and European immigrants were getting the short end of the
stick. We wanted to enjoy full equality and our share of the political pie
and not just be trotted out for ethnic folk dances when the Queen visited.
I was the representative for the new European arrivals," Mr. Zündel said.

The eventual winner of the 1968 Liberal leadership contest, Pierre Elliot
Trudeau spent $375,000 on the race. "I spent $3,750 of my own money," Mr.
Zündel explained to the Court. "However, I spoke to 25,000 people at the
Ottawa Civic Centre. I got my message across. I was called a 'maverick' and
a 'dark horse'. To fulfil the party rules, I had to rustle up the
endorsements of 50 prominent Liberals."

However, the brash Ernst Zündel was too pushy for some people. "Germans
should be seen and not heard," Gerard Pelletier, one of the "three wise
men" and a close associate of Pierre Trudeau's warned him.