Canada to Initiate National Effort on Antisemitism Following Repeated Attacks on Jewish Institutions

On Friday, Canadian officials announced plans to host a National Forum on Combatting Antisemitism in Ottawa this February, in response to a series of attacks on Jewish organizations following the October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel.

“Canada has seen a troubling rise in antisemitic incidents, threats, and hate crimes. The Government of Canada recognizes the urgent need for national leadership to ensure Jewish Canadians feel safe in their synagogues, schools, and communities,” the nation's Justice Department said in a statement.

The event is expected to be led by Justice Minister Arif Virani, Public Safety Minister David McGuinty, and Associate Minister of Public Safety Rachel Bendayan.

The announcement follows a shooting at a Jewish elementary school for girls in Toronto last week and a firebombing of a synagogue in the Montreal area two days earlier. In both cases, the incursions were part of a pattern of repeated assaults on these institutions.

The country’s Special Envoy for Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism, Deborah Lyons, welcomed the decision to organize the event, explaining on X that “Jews are the number one targets of reported hate crimes in Canada despite making up just over 1% of the population. Antisemitism shouldn’t be a partisan issue.”