Leah Goldstein, 55-56, is a Canadian born to Israeli parents in Vancouver. Different profiles of Goldstein offer varying accounts of her childhood, with some claiming she was raised in Israel and lived there as a child, and others stating that she was raised in Vancouver and only moved to Israel as a teenager. One such profile states that after turning 17, Goldstein immigrated to Israel and eventually served in the Israeli military. A profile for Goldstein states that she was the “first female Elite Commando instructor and anti-terrorism officer in the IDF.” After finishing her service, according to the National Post, Goldstein also served as an Israeli police officer. She returned to Canada in the late 1990s.

Goldstein went on to have a successful athletic career, winning a long list of titles in cycling. She also wrote a book titled, No Limits: The Powerful True Story of Leah Goldstein-World Champion Kickboxer, Ultra Endurance Cyclist, Israeli Undercover Police Officer.

In February 2024, Goldstein made international headlines after she was removed from her position as a keynote speaker at a planned March 2024 International Women’s Day event in Peterborough, Ont. The organizers of the event pointed to outrage at her military service as the reason: “In recognition of the current situation and the sensitivity of the conflict in the Middle East, the Board of INSPIRE will be changing our keynote speaker.”

Responding to the scandal, Goldstein stated, “‘If I were to make a statement, I would say that I’m very proud of my training with the IDF, being the first woman to train the commando soldiers,’ she said. ‘So yes, if they want that kind of statement, I’d be happy to say it. But to dis Israel and say, it’s genocide, we’re killing 20,000 innocent children and women and whatnot — it’s a freaking war. That’s what happens.’” She has also claimed that she was “fired” because of her identity, despite protests focusing on her military service: “You didn’t hire me because I’m Jewish, so why are you firing me because I’m Jewish?” Deborah Lyons, Canada’s former ambassador to Israel and current antisemitism envoy, claimed that this was “just another example of the erasure and silencing of Jews going on across Canada and around the world.”