The federal government will hold a national forum on combatting antisemitism in February — news that comes as police investigate a suspicious fire at a Montreal synagogue and gunshots aimed at a Toronto Jewish girls school.
Newly appointed Minister of Official Languages Rachel Bendayan announced the forum shortly after her swearing-in at Rideau Hall on Friday. She said that “everybody is aware that crime, hate-motivated crime in particular, is on the rise.”
The forum will be held in Ottawa, according to a news release. It will be co-chaired by Justice Minister Arif Virani, Public Safety Minister David McGuinty and Bendayan, also the associate minister of public safety.
“This forum reflects the government of Canada’s commitment to protecting everyone in Canada, and addressing hate in all its forms,” the news release says.
The Toronto police hate crime unit is investigating gunshots that were fired at a Jewish girls elementary school for the third time this year. The most recent shooting happened after 2:30 a.m. on Friday, according to officers.
Toronto police are investigating another incident of gunshots fired outside a Jewish girls elementary school in North York. Bais Chaya Mushka Girls Elementary School was the target of two previous overnight shootings in October and May. CBC’s Chris Glover has the latest.
Meanwhile, the Montreal police arson unit is investigating a fire that broke out at a synagogue on Wednesday morning. Officers said they found one incendiary device and witnesses have told them they saw a suspect fleeing the scene.
In separate posts on social media, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the two incidents and described them as “antisemitic,” “cowardly” and “hateful.”
“Law enforcement is investigating to bring the perpetrators to justice,” Trudeau said.
At a press conference after his swearing-in at Rideau Hall, McGuinty said “there is no place in Canada for this kind of conduct. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Jewish community.”
“This is a very, very serious matter for us and our government,” McGuinty said, adding that he would be leaving the press conference to be briefed by senior officials on the incidents in Montreal, Toronto “and more.”
According to Statistics Canada, there were 900 police-reported hate crimes against Jewish people in 2023 — a number which exceeds the number of hate crimes targeting other religious groups and which represents a large jump from 527 in 2022.
Toronto police said that 56 per cent of reported hate crimes from the start of 2024 to mid-March targeted Jewish people.
Antisemitism worse in Canada than U.S: ambassador
Before the recent incidents in Toronto and Montreal, outgoing U.S. ambassador to Canada David Cohen told CBC’s The House that his “impression is that antisemitism as a problem is worse in Canada than the United States.”
In an interview airing Saturday, Cohen told host Catherine Cullen that he hears “repeatedly” from Jewish community groups that “they have fear — literally have fear. They have fear walking on the streets.”
“I cannot tell you how many people I have met in Canada who tell me they no longer wear a Jewish star in public because they are afraid they could be assaulted as a result of that,” he added.
Cohen said hearing those stories “tears me apart … I hate it because it’s not what Canada is about. It’s not what the United States is about. Hate does not get us anywhere.”
But Cohen also described being “uplifted” by attending a law event with Virani that was organized by Muslim and Jewish law students.
“We spoke together to a diverse student group of Muslims, of Jews, of Catholics, of gays and lesbians — just a group of diverse students trying to get along and trying to work together again,” he said, adding that he was invited back to another event.
Cohen also said he plans to attend that event because he wants to remember Canada as a place where “rejection of antisemitism is a core value for the country. And unfortunately, I don’t see it.”
He ended his interview by saying there is an “unacceptable” level of antisemitism in Canada which is inconsistent with Canadian values.
“And it does require more aggressive action, taking on antisemitism in every way in which it arises, in every form in which it arises,” Cohen said.